Historic Town Hall and Visitor Center
Photo courtesy: Shelby Visitor Information Center
Downtown
Photo courtesy: D&L Photography
Checkerboard Fields
Photo courtesy: Dean Hellinger
River Steam
Since it sits at the junction of US Highway 2 and Interstate 15, almost anyone visiting the northern reaches of Central Montana will pass through Shelby. The town has endured the boom-and-bust cycles that characterize the Hi-Line quite well, sustained by the richness of the surrounding grain land. Shelby made sports history in 1923 when it hosted the Dempsey-Gibbons World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. The match was the only one where Jack Dempsey had to fight all fifteen rounds to win. Champion's Park in Shelby commemorates the event. The story of the epic match and other stories of Shelby's history can be found at the Marias Museum of Art & History in Shelby.
Just south of town the Marias Valley Golf Course has 18 challenging holes with the Marias River skirting the course. The community has a brand new Carousel Rest Area featuring a restored 1936 merry-go-round with 900 lights and hand-painted animals for an entertaining pit stop. Shelby's Roadrunner Recreational Trail is a paved five mile loop of hills, wildlife and spectacular vistas. Outside of town, anglers love fishing for Walleye, Northern Pike and Perch along the Marias River and in Lake Elwell. The grain fields around Shelby are good habitat for deer, pronghorn and upland game birds.
