About Montana Mahj

Why we built this.

Montana Mahj Tile House was created with a simple idea: bring people back to the table. In a world shaped by screens and constant distraction, Mahjong offers something refreshingly different: real connection, shared laughter, and the quiet rhythm of tiles that draw people together. We're the first and only dedicated mahjong studio in Montana, and here in Billings, we're building more than a place to play. We're cultivating a community.

At Montana Mahj Tile House, every seat at the table matters. Whether you're brand new to Mahjong or a seasoned player, you'll find a welcoming space designed for connection and comfort: an elevated, thoughtfully curated third place where you can slow down, learn, and engage. Through lessons, guided open play, casual games, and lively tournaments, we create opportunities for people to gather, build friendships, and share in something timeless.

Montana Mahj Tile House is a space where strangers become friends, where distractions fade into the background, and where the simple act of playing a game becomes a way to belong. We hope you'll join us at the table.

Brooke Murphy and Randi Ellis at the mahjong table
Brooke and Randi. Photography by Jana Graham.
Co-Founders

The two who started it.

Portrait of Brooke Murphy

Brooke Murphy

Co-Founder

Brooke Murphy, co-founder of Montana Mahj Tile House, spent more than 25 years as a litigation attorney with her kids' sports and activities providing the built-in social rhythm of daily life. When her last child left for college, she found herself seeking a new source of connection - and started looking for the kind of welcoming, connected space she had long cherished.

She found it at a mahjong table.

What started as a curiosity turned into a passion. Brooke loves the strategy, the focus, and the way the game pulls people together. Mahjong gave Brooke a reason to put down her phone, step away from the office, and let the constant pull of email fade into the background. It invited her to be fully present - engaged, relaxed, and connected in a way she hadn't realized she was missing.

That experience became the seed for Montana Mahj. She set out to build a welcoming, elevated space in Billings where people of every background and skill level can sit down, learn, and connect.

Portrait of Randi Ellis

Randi Ellis

Co-Founder

Randi Ellis is a fourth-generation Billings native and a co-founder of Montana Mahj Tile House. After years away she came home to raise her two children surrounded by family and a community that had shaped her own upbringing. The next two decades belonged to her kids: every field, every gym, every road trip, until they left for college and the noise went quiet.

Professionally, Randi has spent more than 21 years as a Physician Assistant at Billings Clinic, work that keeps her woven into the fabric of this town.

Mahjong arrived at exactly the right time. Her friend Brooke, now her business partner, brought her to the table to learn. A few sessions in she had laughter, challenge, and the regular real-life connection she had been missing.

Montana Mahj Tile House is her chance to give that same experience to anyone in Billings ready to find it. One table, one game, one friendship at a time.

Come visit

Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

2528 Grand Ave., Billings, MT. On-site parking, wheelchair accessible. Members have 24/7 key card access.

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