Montana Original · Businesses
Sip 'n Dip Lounge
It's not a show. They just swim.
The Story
Tiki lounge inside the O'Haire Motor Inn in downtown Great Falls since 1962. Mermaids swim behind the glass most evenings. The motel will tell you it's not a show.
A 1962 motor inn lounge that never quit being one. There were swimmers behind the window first. Then came the mermaids.
The Sip ‘n Dip is inside the O’Haire Motor Inn on 7th Street South in downtown Great Falls, and it has been a landmark since 1962.
The trick is the pool. A window behind the bar looks right into it. It started with swimmers and moved on to mermaids over the years. The motel will tell you it isn’t a show. They just swim, most evenings. If you’re driving a long way to see them, call ahead.
Owner and manager Sandra Thares said in 2025 that the place was never meant to be a tourist attraction. It happened anyway. The recent work there is what she called putting things back: original windows uncovered, new carpet, the pool behind the glass redone, and the mid-century bones left alone.
It’s a small room with no reservations, so you may be standing for a bit. Get a drink, watch the window, and try to act natural.
Still Here.
- Address
- 17 7th St. S., Great Falls, MT, 59401
- Phone
- 406-454-2141
Sources
Got a Story About This Place?
You're Old School Montana if... you remember exactly where you were the day they dropped the stack
You're Old School Montana if... you watched a mermaid swim behind the bar and nobody at your table thought twice about it
You're Old School Montana if... your whole Friday night plan was the gym under bad lights, and nobody needed a backup
What do you say?
While You're Here
Back When · Great Falls · '80s
Great Falls in the '80s: The Stack Fell and the Giants Turned Dodger
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