Lewis & Clark Library
🏢 Lewis & Clark Library · Helena, Montana
Lewis & Clark Library
Montana's first free public library, the Lewis & Clark Library serves Helena and Lewis and Clark County from its 1976 building at 120 S Last Chance Gulch — open until 8 p.m. every weekday and seven days a week, with branches in Augusta, East Helena and Lincoln plus a county-wide bookmobile.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–8pm |
| Saturday | 11am–5pm |
| Sunday | 11am–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 120 South Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601
Phone: (406) 447-1690
Website: lclibrary.org
Plus Code: 85R9HXP5+2C (Helena, MT)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
120 S Last Chance Gulch St, Helena, MT 59601. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.8 / 5 from 192 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 1 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Lewis & Clark Library
The Lewis & Clark Library is the public library of Helena and Lewis and Clark County, Montana. Its roots reach back to a subscription reading room set up on Last Chance Gulch just a few years after gold was discovered there; after an 1874 fire, the rebuilt library reopened in the Murphy Block on August 7, 1886, becoming the first free public library in Montana Territory. In the mid-1970s the Helena Public Library was renamed the Lewis & Clark Library and became a joint city/county system, and county voters passed a $1.8 million bond to build the current main library at 120 South Last Chance Gulch, which opened in 1976 and was remodeled in 2006 and again in 2022. Today the system pairs the downtown Helena library with branches in Augusta, East Helena and Lincoln, a bookmobile that logs thousands of miles a year across the county, and a growing Library of Things.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Montana's first free public library, tracing its founding to the 1880s on Last Chance Gulch
- Main library open until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and open seven days a week
- County-wide bookmobile serving rural Lewis and Clark County since 2012
- Three branches — Augusta, East Helena and Lincoln — sharing one library card and catalog
- Library of Things: borrow sewing machines, video games, book-club kits and Wi-Fi hotspots
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Your Lewis & Clark Library card unlocks Montana's shared digital collections — stream, download and read for free:
📚 Services
- Library of Things — sewing machines, video games, book-club kits and Wi-Fi hotspots
- County-wide bookmobile service across Lewis and Clark County
- Branches in Augusta, East Helena and Lincoln on one shared card
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Meeting and study spaces at the Helena main library
- Montana Shared Catalog access with a mobile app for account management
🎸 Programs
- Children's and family storytimes
- Summer reading program
- Teen and young-adult activities
- Adult programs and community events
- Bookmobile stops at rural and senior sites
📍 Nearby Libraries in Montana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Helena library have study rooms I can reserve?
Yes. The main Helena library at 120 South Last Chance Gulch has several bookable study rooms with capacities ranging from two to four people, plus a large community room, reserved through the library's "Reserve a Space" system. See our guide to booking a library study room.
Is a new East Helena branch being built?
Yes. In 2025 the East Helena City Council voted to move ahead with a new Lewis & Clark Library branch in JFK Park. Plans call for an 11,000-square-foot building — far larger than the current branch of under 2,500 square feet — with a project cost of about $8 million.
Is the Lewis & Clark Library really Montana's oldest library?
It's one of the oldest and was the first free public library in Montana Territory. A subscription reading room started on Last Chance Gulch soon after gold was discovered there; after an 1874 fire, the rebuilt library reopened in the Murphy Block on August 7, 1886, as a free public library. The Helena Public Library was renamed the Lewis & Clark Library in the mid-1970s when it became a joint city/county system.
What can I borrow from the Library of Things?
Beyond books, movies and music, the Lewis & Clark Library lends practical items such as sewing machines, video games, book-club kits and Wi-Fi hotspots. Availability varies, so check the Montana Shared Catalog or ask at the main library's desk before you visit.
Which branches does the library have, and does one card work at all of them?
Along with the main library at 120 S Last Chance Gulch in Helena, there are branches in Augusta, East Helena and Lincoln, plus a bookmobile that serves rural Lewis and Clark County. A single Lewis & Clark Library card works across all branches and the shared catalog, though branch hours are shorter than the Helena main library's.
When is the Helena main library open?
The Helena main library is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Augusta, East Helena and Lincoln branches keep their own, shorter schedules, so check the library's website for current branch hours.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.