Park Manor Retirement Apartments in Great Falls, MT

Pros

• Rachel and Jerri are kind, caring, and effective leaders who make Park Manor feel like home.
• The management and maintenance teams work together to keep the building running smoothly.
• Residents describe the staff as genuinely caring and friendly, creating a family-like community.
• The downtown location is excellent, with easy access to shops, restaurants, and on-site amenities.
• The building's historic charm adds warmth and character.
• The kitchen and dining areas are pleasant, and improvements to the food program have been noted.
• There is 24-hour maintenance service that contributes to a well-run living environment.
• Overall, the staff are nice, respectful, and helpful to the residents.

Cons

• The bed bug infestation is severe, and residents say nothing is being done to exterminate them.
• The elevator has not worked for weeks, leaving disabled residents unable to reach upper floors.
• Management is quick to threaten eviction and staff are often hard to reach.
• A maintenance worker is described as rude and disrespectful toward women.
• The mandatory meal program is awful, consisting mostly of bread and junk food.
• Naked men wander the halls and staff do nothing to address it.

Review

Park Manor Retirement Apartments in Great Falls is best suited for seniors who want affordable, independent living with a downtown address and built-in community, plus access to on-site meals and basic amenities. The property participates in HUD rental assistance, so it works well for residents who need income-based housing and can meet program requirements. It is most attractive to tenants who value a historic building vibe, a sense of neighborhood, and a straightforward path to secured parking, on-site laundry, a gym, a dining room, and social spaces, all within walking distance of shops and services. In short, Park Manor serves as a pragmatic, budget-conscious entry point for retirement living, not a full-service care facility.

Those who may want to consider alternatives are seniors who depend on consistently flawless building systems or who require regular, hands-on assistance with mobility, memory care, or intensive daily care. An unreliable elevator, recurring maintenance quirks, and a building that shows its age can create real friction for residents with mobility limits or those who rely on frequent apartment visits. A number of reviews point to pest challenges, ongoing construction-like repairs, and gaps in service that can escalate quickly for disabled or frail tenants. For anyone seeking a modern, low-hassle campus with guaranteed pest control, contemporary fixtures, and predictable, all-inclusive support, another option will likely be more suitable.

The strongest positives here revolve around management stability, affordability, and a living-for-the-community ethos. Several residents praise the management team - especially the longtime, hands-on approach of Rachel and Jerri - as responsive, personable, and capable of keeping this older building functional. The property's location offers walkable access to downtown conveniences, and the laundry, on-site dining options, 24-hour maintenance, parking, and social spaces contribute real daily value. People who adapt to the building's quirks report a sense of home, a supportive resident network, and a workable routine, reinforced by improvements in the meal program and ongoing staff commitment.

Yet the main cons are hard to ignore and often overshadow the advantages. The building's age shows in mechanical reliability, with elevator outages and multi-year maintenance realities that can burden residents who already struggle with mobility. Pest infestations - bed bugs - are a recurring and emotionally draining theme in several reviews, raising concerns about long-term comfort and safety and prompting some residents to relocate to alternative housing. The dining program, described by critics as heavy on bread and processed foods, underscored by mentions of less-than-satisfying meals, tempers expectations for a truly convenient in-house option. Finally, mixed experiences with maintenance, privacy concerns around entry, and occasional management turnover dent the consistency families rely on.

To make a well-informed decision, prospective residents should run a careful due diligence check before committing. Visit with several current residents to gauge how quickly issues are addressed and whether pest control has been effective recently. Confirm the elevator's current status and projected maintenance schedule, since mobility access is a critical factor for many tenants. Review the latest meal offerings and the process for choosing or adjusting the dining plan, and ask for a written copy of service promises and landlord responsibilities. Verify HUD eligibility, lease terms, and whether there are any caps or increases tied to occupancy, and clarify expectations around 24-hour maintenance response times and entry procedures.

The bottom line is practical and decisive: Park Manor offers affordable, community-oriented retirement living in a premier downtown setting with real amenities and a responsive management core that has won durable goodwill from many residents. For seniors who can tolerate an older building's operational quirks, face the reality of occasional pest challenges, and don't demand the comforts of a modern, pristine facility, Park Manor can still be a solid starting point or even a long-term home. For those prioritizing seamless reliability, a modern build, and unquestioned pest-free comfort, alternatives - whether newer HUD properties or private independent living communities with stronger, more predictable maintenance and dining programs - will generally be the safer, more predictable path. Conduct thorough tours, line up current resident references, and anchor the decision to how well the building's reality aligns with the resident's health needs, mobility, and tolerance for building quirks.

Located in the heart of Great Falls, Montana, this neighborhood offers a range of amenities and services that cater to senior residents. With a variety of restaurants within walking distance, including Tracy's 24 Hr Family Restaurant and Harvest Craft Kitchen, seniors can enjoy convenient dining options. Nearby cafes like Electric City Coffee provide a cozy spot to relax and socialize. For medical needs, there are several pharmacies and physicians' offices in close proximity, such as Eye Clinic Of Great Falls P.C. and Indian Family Health Clinic. Additionally, there are places of worship like St Ann's Cathedral and First English Lutheran Church for spiritual support. The neighborhood also boasts several parks like Broadwater Bay Park and Gibson Park for leisurely walks and outdoor activities. With easy access to transportation services like Groves Taxidermy and Firearms, as well as being just a short distance from Benefis Healthcare hospital, this area provides the necessary conveniences for comfortable senior living in Great Falls.

Restaurants

• Tracy's 24 Hr Family Restaurant (0.1 miles)
• The Celtic Cowboy Pub & Restaurant (0.1 miles)
• Harvest Craft Kitchen (0.1 miles)
• Machinery Row (0.1 miles)
• Applebee's (0.2 miles)
• Mighty Mo Brewing Co (0.3 miles)
• Big Bang Pizza (0.3 miles)

Cafes

• Electric City Coffee (0.2 miles)
• Charlie's Corner Cafe MT (0.4 miles)
• Latte Love (0.5 miles)
• Brian's Top Notch Cafe (0.5 miles)
• True Brew Espresso (0.7 miles)
• Morning Light Coffee Roasters (0.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Public Drug Co. (0.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1 miles)
• Albertsons Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• Spectrum Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Albertsons Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Great Falls Rescue Mission (0.3 miles)
• Set Free Christian Fellowship (0.4 miles)
• First English Lutheran Church (0.6 miles)
• St Ann's Cathedral (0.6 miles)
• St Ann's Kitchen (0.6 miles)
• Christian Church In Montana Regional Office (0.8 miles)
• The Lighthouse (0.8 miles)

Physicians

• Eye Clinic Of Great Falls P.C. (0.4 miles)
• Family Practice (0.4 miles)
• Complete Eye Care (0.8 miles)
• Indian Family Health Clinic (0.9 miles)
• Cascade Audiology (1.1 miles)
• Northwest Physicians (1.1 miles)
• Cascade Neurological Surgery (1.1 miles)

Parks

• Broadwater Bay Park (0.4 miles)
• Gibson Park (0.4 miles)
• Carter Park (0.5 miles)
• Riverside Park (0.6 miles)
• Elks Riverside Park (0.8 miles)
• Pacific Trailside Dog Park (0.9 miles)
• Great Falls Dog Park (0.9 miles)

Transportation

• Groves Taxidermy and Firearms (0.8 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (1.6 miles)
• Waylon's Wildlife Taxidermy (1.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Benefis Healthcare (1.2 miles)