I took my four daughters here several years ago. When we talk about Havre it is one of their favorite memories. The site is well documented and you are able to see the bones of the buffalo that "didn't make it". There is a place where you can see if you can throw a spear. My girls loved this and want to go again now that they are older and stronger. The girls were able to spend time digging at the site and finding their own bones. Pretty amazing!
A real surprise ! Educational and rewarding. The personal story of dedication was heart warming and the visit was easy to negotiate with the help of the ATV for transport.
This is that rare site where careful research and the desire to tell a story well have come together to give the visitor a sense of life in another place and time. Some attractions do that with costumed interpreters. Wahkap Chu'gn does it with an extraordinarily well managed site that is now accessible to most visitors, even though it's strung out over several locations on a steep cliff. Overlooking the beautiful Milk River, with badlands in the distance, your 45-minute tour will explain how Native Americans of three different cultural groups would have stampeded buffalo over the cliff and then processed them. There is a small interpretive center, but the real finds are still in situ, in small huts where they can be protected and visitors can see them close up. Our guide, Christy, was very knowledgeable (and did a great job of piloting the cart down the steep hill). She also hit the foam bison target with her atlatl, inspiring us to put some real muscle into our own throws. You can really tell how much the managers, John & Anna Brumley, and guides care about this important site and about improving it so that its story can reach as many visitors as possible. TIPS: You may want to call ahead and arrange the time you want your tour. The staff is small, so if a tour is under way when you arrive, the office will be closed. Also, if you're visiting on a warm day, try to stop by in the morning, before the exhibit buildings get unbearably hot.
Definitely worth the time to stop and visit this. Great glimpse into the lives of prehistoric natives. Don't miss it.
Although the obscure location of this Buffalo Jump and Archaeological dig is set behind Holiday Village Mall do not let that detour you. This is an eye opening and historic site which has more to see and hear about then you'd expect. The original flounder of this location at age 16 is still the active Curator so many decades later. Words are hard to discribe this historical site, it is a MUST see!!!!!! Only open in the summer months for visitors. The guide was full of information about the sites and the ongoing digs. Not shards of bones but full skeletons of Buffalo, layers upon layers of history.For adults and children, photos allowed.A Division of H. Earl Clark Museum: ....."the seeds of our density are nurtured by the roots of our past"www.buffalojump.org Ph:406-265-6417
Visited Wahkpa Chu'gn by appointment on Saturday, Nov. 1st. Was a little chilly but was well worth the trip from Great Falls. Ann was so knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. Artifacts at the site have been very well preserved and were very easy to see. At the end of the tour we got to throw atlatls at a target. That was SO fun. I had never thrown one before. This attraction is well worth the admission and very educational for anyone, especially if you're from Montana.
My wife thought it was excellent while I thought average, so we split the difference when rating. For $8 you get an informal 45 minute trip down the hill and view buffalo bones in two buildings - one has larger bones at the slaughter site and another with smaller bones at a processing site. Our tour guide was nice and informative Unusual and unique, yes. If you are passing through Havre, stop in, but would not go out of the way to see.
One of my undergrad degrees was archaeology and this place rocks! Havre surprised me with some really cool museums. The tour guide was a high school student, but she knew a lot of archeology as well as plenty of interesting history and even a bit of paleontology and geology. I would not be surprised to see her teaching at MSU-Bozeman some day. The tour requires walking some stairs, but she drove us most of the way, so it was pretty manageable. The shop is also an interpretive center and very well done. I'm a shopper and I had a hard time leaving because of the things they were selling. If you come to Havre, go see this!
This is a fun and educational stop. It is not necessary to pay for a guided tour - but you make a big mistake if you just wander through unescorted. I was fortunate to have the wife of the archaeologist who discovered this site as tour guide. Everyone was very friendly. The tour was very affordable and every question was answered thoroughly. It was fascinating to learn about the ancient nomadic tribes and how they herded and killed the buffalo. One of the excellent displays even showed how the native Americans prepared and cooked the meat. This was lots better than expected. Look for the signs advertising The Buffalo Jump.
Having been to another Buffalo Jump, my family and I found this to be different in a way it was more up close, visually stimulating and fun! You can chose to walk down the stairs or take the ATV ride. What is in those red buildings, history!! It is displayed in a way you can understand and actually imagine yourself there during that time period! My son enjoyed trying out the Atlatl!