Missoula Then vs. Now: 5 Ways We’ve Moved Past the 60s (And One Thing That Hasn’t Changed)

It's time to set the record straight.

Recently, Missoula has been at the top of some lists, but let's just say those lists are playing into stereotypes a bit too much.

The first one says that Missoula is the most "hippie" town in Montana. Sure, okay, we'll give you that one. But the second list says that Missoula is on a list of towns that are "stuck in the 1960s."

I object.

The claim mostly pertains to Missoula's counterculture tendencies. But let's appreciate for a moment the arguably futuristic aspects of Missoula, or the parts of Missoula that ground it in the present. Here are the reasons why Missoula is not "stuck in the 60s."

Missoula Public Library Has Won 4 Innovative Awards

The new public library was built with such care and consideration for sustainability it has won 4 awards for its design and function.

• IFLA Green Library Award 2024
• ALA/IIDA Interior Design Award 2024
• AIA/ALA Library Building Award 2023
• Word's Best Public Library Award 2022

That hardly suggests Missoula isn't advancing with the times.

The City Runs on "Zero-Emissions Technology"

While it's not all of Missoula's public transit, according to the Mountain Line, "40% of [their] fleet [is] comprised of zero-tailpipe-emissions vehicles," with a goal of having the entire fleet be "zero-tailpipe-emissions fleet by 2035."

This attention to the environment may indicate Missoula still has counterculture roots (more on that below) but sustainability is very much of the here and now.

Parking Meters Ask for Credit Cards

You might find it annoying and you may miss Missoula's old parking meters, but Missoula's parking meters now take credit cards. They'll still accept coins, but they're geared toward using plastic. You can even pay using an app (but P.S. it's slightly more expensive if you do it that way).

The Missoula Butterfly House Has a "Green Roof"

It's almost like a scene from a solar-punk drawing; they have a living roof on top of the Gerald W. Marks Exploration Center. I learned about it when I attended the Rocky Mountain Gardens grand opening.

READ MORE: See Photos of the Gorgeous Flowers at the Rocky Mountain Gardens 

Even AI Knows Missoula's Hippies Aren't the Hippies of the 1960s

Maybe the funniest evidence that Missoula isn't in the 60s is what AI thinks of the hippies. Missoula's hippies aren't living on communal farms anymore. No, according to AI, they're "trust-fund hippies."

Must be nice to live free...on mom and dad's dime. - ChatGPT when asked to roast Missoula

READ MORE: We Asked AI to Roast Missoula Montana and Here's What It Said

One Point We'll Concede: Missoula Might Still Be in the 60s Because of Counterculture

Yes, Missoula's roots in the common aspects of counterculture are still alive and well.

• social justice
• opposition to war
• environmental rights

You'll see it in the paper flyers tacked on the cork boards in local coffee shops or stapled to telephone poles. Missoula may still thrive on the spirit of the 1960s--the passion and creativity--but it's definitely not stuck there.

Even so, we don't mind getting nostalgic and waxing poetic every once in a while, like this trip down memory lane: