A major source of civic pride is the Carousel for Missoula (406/728-0447, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. daily June–Aug., 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily Sept.–May, $1.50 adult, $0.50 child), which stands in Caras Park near the river just west of the Higgins Bridge.
All the horses were hand-carved—making this the first hand-carved carousel assembled in the United States in more than 60 years—and each horse has a highly personal, sometimes touching, story associated with it. The fund-raising, carving, and construction process really hit a community chord, and almost any local will regale you with stories about the carousel and the meanings of each horse.
Next to the carousel, the fantastic Dragon Hollow playground was also built by community volunteers.