What to expect at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar Haugen Montana

As you drive along I-90 in Western Montana you can't help but see the billboards for the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar.

50,000 Silver Dollar Bar Haugen Montana

You start to wonder what in the heck the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar is and is it worth a visit. Well, I am here to tell you that YES it is so worth a visit!

If you are picturing a bar with sparkling money just hanging from every corner you are not far off. Well, the money isn't quite sparkling but it is there.

The 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar is a combination gas station, restaurant, gift shop, and of course a bar.

Let's start with the bar area...

There truly are silver dollars all over the place at the bar! They cover every wall and up to the ceiling inside the bar. I did not count them during my visit but can tell you there are a ton of them.

Keep an eye out for the locals who have permanent seats in the bar 🙂

The gift shop is not to be missed! If you ever need a random, funny, oh my goodness seriously they make this gift this is the place to look.

The 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar began in 1951 when the Lincoln family moved from Libby Montana to Alberton Montana. They built a small bar and named it Cherry Springs after the small creek that runs near the bar. They soon realized that they needed to find a way to get people to stop at the bar. On October 1, 1952, Gerry cut a hole in the bar top and hammered in a silver dollar and inscribed his name and his wife Marie's name under it.

The idea caught on and by December of 1953 over 2,000 people had placed their coins with their names in the bar top. The bar's name was changed to Lincoln's 2,000 Silver Dollar Bar. The original bar is still intact and used today. There are 2,115 pieces and all of the other coins are embedded in boards and displayed around the room. In 1956 the bar was moved 50 miles to Haugan, Montana when the construction of I-90 started.

The bars name continued to change as more and more silver dollars were left at the bar. About 1500 silver dollars are donated each year to the bar. There are coins representing all 50 states, all the Canadian provinces, and 43 foreign countries in the bar.

Of the coins in the bar 10,623 are real silver dollars. The others are Eisenhower dollars which are valued at $1.00. The Silver Dollar Bar celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2002. The great-grandchildren of the original founders now work at the bar.