South of downtown, as Montana State University peters out into a beautiful wilderness in the shadow of the mountains, the huge, impressive Museum of the Rockies at S Seventh Avenue and Kagy Boulevard (summer daily 8am-8pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12.30-5pm; $7) holds impressive dinosaur finds, Native American weapons and a fine selection of Western landscape paintings; there's also a planetarium . Though far smaller in scale, the Pioneer Museum , 317 W Main St (June-Sept Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm, Sat 1-4pm; Oct-May Mon-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat 1-4pm; free) is also very good, with an intriguing, well-presented selection of locally gathered historic objects, including cartoons drawn by local boy Gary Cooper in his pre-movie star days. The excellent photo selection features some great old images of early tourism at Yellowstone; many of the prints are for sale. Striking a modern note, the Compuseum , 234 E Babcock St (June-Aug Mon-Sun 10am-4pm; Sept-May Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat noon-4pm; $3), follows the evolution of computers, from their bulky, awkward beginnings to the modern compact incarnations of today; also on display are some well-intentioned inventions that never quite hit mainstream America.

Bozeman is well placed for those in search of outdoor activities , particularly in rugged Hyalite Canyon just south of town, which has top-notch hiking and mountain biking in summer and excellent ice climbing in winter, or at the challenging ski spot, Bridger Bowl (lift tickets $31; tel 406/587-2111). An hour's drive south down the beautiful Gallatin Valley is Big Sky Resort (lift tickets $56; tel 1-800/548-4486, ), with plenty of top-quality powder and steep slopes on 11,166ft Lone Mountain to challenge skiers at all levels.

For more details on outdoor activities, the ranger office, 3710 Fallon St (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; tel 406/587-6920; 24hr recreation recording tel 406/587-9784), provides information on local walking trails, and Chalet Sports at 108 W Main (tel 406/587-4595) rents out mountain bikes and ski equipment