She was classically restored, with thoughtful touches for the modern traveler. The Grand Union Hotel gained a new lease on life in 1999 following an award-winnin restoration supervised by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the U.S. Parks Department, and the Montana State Historic Preservation Office preserving the historical character of Montana's oldest operating hotel and one of its m
ost famous landmarks. The hotel's history began in 1882, just 36 years after Fort Benton was founded and 7 years before Montana became a state, and was built at the height of Fort Benton's prosperity and the steamboat era on the Upper Missouri River. Following a construction cost of $50,000 with an additional $150,000 spent on furnishings and a construction time of 1 year, 3 months and 18 days, the newly christened Grand Union Hotel opened November 2, 1882 with the biggest party the town and Territory had ever seen. Over 300 attended including some of the most prominent men and women in Montana history. The Grand Union ran continuously for over a hundred years but sadly, due to hard times, closed its doors in the mid-1980s. The “Grand Olde Lady” sat empty of over a decade before native Montanans, Jim and Cheryl Gagnon purchased the hotel and began restoring it in 1997. Elegantly returned to its original splendor, the Grand Union reopened its doors November 2, 1999, on the 117th anniversary of its original launch. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has won several state and national restoration awards. In June 2022, the Hotel was purchased by locals Colette & Tony Longin who are proud to keep ownership in local hands and consider themselves stewards of the beautiful Grand Union. The Grand Union continued its tradition of providing the grandest lodging and dining experience to be found in Montana.
