Made it to Glacier but Can’t Get In? Visit the House of Mystery!

Have you ever been to the House of Mystery? It's so much fun! The Montana Vortex and House of Mystery are in Columbia Falls, just 22 minutes from the entrance to Glacier National Park. So if you find yourself unable to get into Glacier National Park because you didn't know you needed a ticket, or you do have a ticket and want to give up on sitting in a line of cars to enter the park, or maybe you just enjoy weird tourist attractions, take the fam to the House of Mystery.

I've been there twice, once as a kid, once as an adult. The second time I went I was thinking it was going to be corny because it only seemed magic when I was a kid, but that absolutely wasn't the case. The Vortex is real and described as a "genuine quantum or gravitational anomaly that may re-define the laws of physics and nature." Translation: when you pass through the portal you can truly see and feel the power of the vortex, gravity and perspective are without rules, it's a trip.

If you decide to try it, go all in with a guided tour, your kids will never forget it. There are some things that will totally confuse your mind, in a fun way, of course, and the House of Mystery itself is this crooked shack where you seem to be able to defy gravity with your own body. Other attractions make it seem like you are shrinking or growing, and a place to roll a marble that should roll down, but actually rolls up, and a a variety of other fun interactive features, like palm reading. There's also a gift shop and families enjoy getting their photo taken in the giant chair in front of the building. The address is 7800 U.S, Hwy 2 E, but if you get to Columbia Falls, you really can't miss it.