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Butte in southwest Montana, "The Richest Hill on Earth" from around 1880 to 1920, was the largest and most notorious copper boom town in the American West, home to hundreds of saloons and a famous red-light district. The city still flaunts its legacy of industry, wealth and squalor. As the sign along I-15 states:
- "Butte has a most cosmopolitan population derived from the four corners of the world. She was a bold, unashamed, rootin', tootin' hell-roarin' camp in days gone by and still drinks her liquor straight."
Understand
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The rock underneath and surrounding Butte is honeycombed with drifts, winzes and stopes that extend beneath the city. There are over 3000 miles of shafts that reach a depth of over a mile. These mines have produced billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, zinc, and above all else, copper. For decades, about one-quarter of global copper supply was extracted from here.
It used to be Montana's largest city, but has dwindled in size and importance along with the state's mining industry. As of 2020, it has a population of under 35,000. The city is still trying to reinvent itself without intensive mining as its focal point, but it has a century of well-preserved heritage to build upon. As cities like Missoula and Bozeman become popular with out-of-staters and expensive for long-time residents, Butte is still a city for Montanans.
History
[edit | edit source]Butte started as a mining camp during a 1864 Montana gold rush. There was enough gold and silver here to keep the town humming along until the electrification of the U.S. in the 1880s created a huge demand for copper, making Butte the world's largest copper boom town. Employment opportunities in the mines attracted surges of European and Asian immigrants, who helped to make Butte the largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis. Over the next hundred years, Butte's mining and smelting operations generated more than $48 billion worth of ore.
Industrial magnates fought for control of Butte's mining wealth. These "Copper Kings" were William A. Clark, Marcus Daly, James Andrew Murray and F. Augustus Heinze. Daly's Anaconda Copper Mining Company quickly came to dominate the local industry, eventually owning all the mines on Butte Hill. Clark used his wealth to pivot into railroads and politics, establishing Las Vegas in the eponymous Clark County. As mining consolidated and industrialized, the city became a center for labor unions and socialist politics, famously leading to the labor riot of 1914.
By the 1950s, labor costs and international competition lead to a transition from underground to open-pit mining. Thousands of homes were destroyed to excavate the Berkeley Pit, that large "lake" in the northeast corner of town you see on modern maps. Anaconda Copper opened it in 1954 as the largest truck-operated open pit copper mine in the nation. By the 1970s, copper mining had hit a prolonged bust that shuttered most of the mines, ending Butte's heyday.
Get in
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By car
[edit | edit source]Butte is at the intersection of Interstate 90 (I-90) between Deer Lodge and Whitehall, and Interstate 15 (I-15) between Helena and Dillon.
By plane
[edit | edit source]- 1 Bert Mooney Airport (BTM IATA), 101 Airport Rd (3 mi (4.8 km) southeast of the CBD along Harrison Ave (Business 90 & MT-2)). The following airlines serve Butte:
There are car rentals available from the airport which is the preferred method for greater flexibility in getting around to the surrounding areas.
If visibility is too low to land in poor weather, flights may divert to Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman.
By bus
[edit | edit source]Bus service into town is provided by Salt Lake Express and Jefferson Lines. Both stop at the bus station at 1324 Harrison Ave.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Butte is sprawling and businesses are spread out into several sections. You can walk once you get into a section, but a vehicle is needed to get around.
- The Bus (Butte-Silver Bow Transit Services), ☏ +1 406-497-6515. County-run bus system. Routes are only on the main city streets.
- Mining City Taxi, ☏ +1 406-723-6511.
By bicycle
[edit | edit source]There is a developed bike trail system.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Berkeley Pit ("Butte Hole"), 350 Shields Ave, ☏ +1 406-723-3177. May-Oct 10AM-5PM. The most interesting (horrifying?) feature of Butte is the 1,700-foot-deep site of a former copper mining operation that is now partially filled with toxic runoff and is listed as a Superfund site (a federal government program to clean up toxic problems). Despite the frightening description, The Pit is an interesting and instructive side trip and should not be passed up. The viewing stand offers a look at the toxic lake and surrounding mine workings. $6.
- 2 Granite Mountain Speculator Mine Memorial, info@mountainmine.org. A fire in a copper mine in 1917 lead to the death of 168 miners, the deadliest hard rock mining event in U.S. history. A memorial honoring these miners was erected at the site. Read the notes written by the miners while they waited to be rescued.
- 3 The Mineral Museum, 1300 W Park St (on the Montana Tech Campus), ☏ +1 406-496-4414. Jun 15-Sep 15: daily 9AM–5PM; Sep 16-Jun 14: Mon-Fri 9AM–4PM. 1,300 specimens of minerals from around the world. The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Earthquake Studies Office is also located in the Museum, offering the visitor an opportunity to see active seismographs recording real time data from Montana's seismic network. The Mineral Museum conducts tours, lectures and workshops. Free admission.
- 4 Our Lady of the Rockies. Our Lady of the Rockies is a 90-foot (27 m) statue, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, that sits atop the Continental Divide overlooking Butte, Montana. It is the second tallest statue in the United States after The Statue of Liberty. The statue was built by volunteers using donated materials to honor women everywhere, especially mothers. The base is 8,510 feet above sea level and 3,500 feet above the town. The statue is lit and visible at night.
- 5 World Mining Museum, 155 Museum Way, ☏ +1 406 723-7211, info@miningmuseum.org. Hours: Apr–Oct 9AM-6PM; Underground Mine Tours 10:30AM, 12:30PM, 3PM. Call ahead, weather may change times. Located on an actual mine yard, includes reproduction of an entire mining town, plus hundreds of original mine equipment. Plan plenty of time, this is a big museum. Adults: $8.50 museum, $12 underground tours.
Uptown Historic District
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Uptown, named for its steep streets, is on a hillside on the northwestern edge of the town. It is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the U.S., containing nearly 6,000 contributing properties. The thousands of historic commercial and residential buildings from the boom times give it an old-fashioned appearance, with an abundance of lavish Victorian homes and Queen Anne style cottages built in the late 19th century.
- 6 Copper King Mansion, 219 W Granite St, ☏ +1 406-782-7580, thecopperkingmansion@gmail.com. By tour, hours vary seasonally. 34-room Victorian mansion built as the Butte residence of William Andrews Clark, one of Montana's three famous "Copper Kings". The home features fresco painted ceilings, elegant parquets of rare imported wood, gas and electric chandeliers, ornate hand-carved fireplaces and stairways and stained-glass windows. They offer 90 minute tours during the day, as well as overnight stays as a bed and breakfast. $22 adults, $20 seniors, $10 children.
- 7 Clark Chateau Museum and Gallery, 321 W Broadway, clarkchateau@bsb.mt.gov. Guided building tours and rotating art exhibits in the mansion of Charles Clark, son of the Copper King William A. Clark.
- 8 Dumas Brothel Museum, 45 E Mercury St, ☏ +1 406-351-9922, info@hauntedbrothel.com. Every other Sat 11AM-6PM. Longest operating brothel in the U.S. (established 1890, shut down for tax evasion in 1982). The building is in poor condition with a long history of financial problems and the contents are likely not original (the site was burglarized soon after a museum in the house closed in 2005). Offering paranormal tours by reservation or check website for events. All that remains of Butte's Red-light District is on display!
- 9 Mai Wah Society Museum, 17 W Mercury St, ☏ +1 406-723-3231, info@maiwah.org. Jun-Sep: Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM. In one of the only buildings of Butte's original Chinatown. Butte's Chinatown was once the largest between Minneapolis and Seattle. $8 adults, $5 students, seniors, free for under 5.
Fourteen headframes (sometimes called gallows frames or gallus frames) still stand over mine shafts in Butte, from the hundreds that once peppered the horizon. These timber and steel structures once hoisted miners and equipment into the thousand-feet-deep mines, from the late 1800s into the mid-1900s. They have become a proud symbol of the city. Several headframes are illuminated with LED lights at night. They're all fenced off, but you can get close to some of them.
- 10 Anselmo Mine. The most intact mineyard in Butte, with many auxiliary buildings surrounding the headframe.
- 11 Mountain Consolidated Mine (The Con). A "mile high, mile deep", this is the deepest mine in Butte.
- 12 The Original Mine, 443 N Main St. On the site of Butte's first copper mine, from 1878. The grounds are now an event space that is occasionally open to the public.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Butte Irish, 1700 Wall St, ☏ +1 406-782-2901. See website for current season schedule. Enjoy an ice-hockey game at the Butte Community Ice Center. The Irish play in the North American Tier III hockey league.
- Butte Skatepark. Built by Dreamland
- 2 Eagle's Nest Disc Golf (Thompson Park; take MT-2 E 10 miles south, in Sagebrush Flats on west side of road), ☏ +1 406-497-6200. 18-hole disc golf course in a forested area. Mining City Disc Golf Club continuing to make improvements making this a great destination. Free.
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- The urban trail system is extensively developed. Use these for leisure strolls to see the scenery, go hiking, biking, or horseback riding.
- 3 Granite Mountain Memorial Trail (Wyoming Ave and Clear Grit St). This 1.2 mi (1.9 km) one-way trail winds its way up the hill from Uptown, through historic mineyards and along many of the remaining headframes, up to the Granite Mountain Memorial. Interpretive signs along the way provide details on each of the many relics along the way.
- 4 Maud S Canyon Trail, Saddle Rock Rd (I-90 exit to Continental Dr). This trail runs 2 mi (3.2 km) one-way and up 900 ft (270 m) through an old gold claim to an overlook of the city, and then a steeper 1.5 mi (2.4 km) miles to the Continental Divide Trail. The area boasts aspen groves, deer and other wildlife.
- 5 Thompson Park (take MT-2 E 10 miles south), ☏ +1 406-497-6200. May-Oct: daily. Park with 25 miles of trails, picnic areas. Multiple trail options with access to the Continental Divide Trail.
- The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) goes along the ridges to the south and east of the city, crossing I-90 at Homestake Pass.
- The nearby Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest has a variety of trails.
History tours
[edit | edit source]- 6 Butte Trolley, 1000 George St, ☏ +1 406-723-3177, toll-free: +1-800-735-6814. Summer hours: Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM, Sun 9AM-4PM.. 2 hour historical tour. Starts and ends at Chamber of Commerce.
- 7 Old Butte Historical Adventures, ☏ +1 406-498-3424. Walking tours explore the colorful history of Butte, Montana — "The Richest Hill on Earth". 1½-hour tours. Adult $10, child under 12 $5, senior over 65 $8.
Winter sports
[edit | edit source]- Ice Skating is available at 7 city parks.
- Discovery Ski Area near Philipsburg has tree skiing, powder bowls, groomed trails, and mogul runs for all abilities.
Events
[edit | edit source]- Saint Patrick's Day. March 17. The Saint Patrick's Day celebration is a regional legend. It is the kind of party that parents warn their kids about. Butte is one of those rare places that does not have an open container law. Butte is heavily Irish to this day, and the local heritage extends into the enthusiasm for this holiday. Beer is colored green, and many people flock to the town for drinking and partying.
- Freedom Festival. July 3-4. Butte puts on a spectacular fireworks display on July 3rd, the day before most other Independence Day celebrations. It is clear that people from a mining heritage are quite comfortable around explosives. The next day, there's a large parade along Harrison Ave.
- Butte Vigilante Rodeo. Weekend after the 4th of July.
- Evel Knievel Days. Fourth weekend in July. celebration for the World's Greatest Daredevil, various activities each day. Free.
- An Ri Ra Irish Festival, ☏ +1 406-498-3983, festival@mtgaelic.org. August. Celebrating the cities Irish history. Music, dance, vendors and other activities. $25 adult weekend pass.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- Butte Copper Co., 128 W Granite St, ☏ +1 406-533-8884, buttecopper@bresnan.net. Signature item is copper, in many distinct forms from kitchenware to jewelry, to actual copper mineral samples.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Butte is known for the food of its Irish-influenced mining heritage. Pasties (PAS-tees) are a semicircle of pastry dough, stuffed with a mix of meat, potato and onion, baked and served smothered with brown gravy. Miners took these hand pies down into the shafts in the morning, and used their helmet candles to heat the self-contained lunch. The distinctive crimped edge was used to handle the pastry with dirty hands, then discarded at the end of the meal. (Go ahead and eat it if you haven't been working in the mine.) Pasties are served locally at restaurants.
- 1 Joe's Pasties, 1641 Grand Ave, ☏ +1 406-723-9071. 7AM-7PM. The most classic pasty shop in town, since 1946.
- 2 Truzzolino Tamales, 1921 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406-782-0374. This takeout window sells several kinds of pasties as well as their generously filled version of cornmeal tamales, a recipe this Italian family learned as they migrated through Latin America before starting the business in 1896.
Budget and mid-range
[edit | edit source]- 3 Pork Chop John, 8 W. Mercury (uptown), ☏ +1 406-782-0812. Mon-Sat 10:30AM–10:30PM. Fast food. Butte residents talk about the local variety of fried, breaded pork chop sandwich. Former Butte residents frequently wax nostalgic for Butte pasties and pork chops.
- 4 Muzz and Stan's Freeway Tavern, 2001 S Montana, ☏ +1 406-723-9083. Home of the Wop Chop. Family friendly for lunch.
- 5 Sparky's Garage, 222 E Park St, ☏ +1 406-782-2301. Large automotive-themed bar and grill with great food.
- 6 Montana Club, 3540 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406-494-1400. American.
Splurge
[edit | edit source]- 7 Casagranda's Steakhouse, 801 Utah Ave, ☏ +1 406-723-4141. Steaks and seafood. Sushi night every Thursday.
- 8 Uptown Cafe, 47 E Broadway St (uptown), ☏ +1 406-723-4735. Good, more upscale American food; very good lunch served cafeteria style.
- 9 The Derby, 2016 Harrison Ave (on the Flats), ☏ +1 406-723-9086. Steakhouse. If you want steak, it's arguably one of the best in town.
- 10 Lydia's Supper Club, 4915 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406-494-2000. Full-course dinners served with pride since 1946.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Coffee
[edit | edit source]- 1 Hummingbird Cafe, 605 W Park St (Uptown), ☏ +1 406-723-2044. Serves good espresso drinks, loose leaf tea, breakfast and lunch. Possibly Butte's best selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other specialty foods.
Bars
[edit | edit source]- 2 Butte Depot, 818 S Arizona Ave, ☏ +1 406-782-2102. A classic dive bar with frequent concerts. Housed in the former Great Northern Railway depot.
- 3 Silver Dollar Saloon, 133 S Main St. Offers a friendly place for a drink, with a youthful atmosphere.
- 4 Maloney's, 112 N Main St (Uptown). Where you will find exotic beers, including Guinness.
- 5 Cavalier Lounge, 100 E Broadway (in the Finlen Hotel). Offers a dark, more lounge-like feel—chairs, tables, smoking.
- 6 The Helsinki, 402 E Broadway St, ☏ +1 406-299-2959. Wed–Sat 1PM–2AM.
- 7 Hops, 2900 Harrison Ave (in the Butte Best Western Inn down on the Flats, next to the Perkin's Restaurant). They have one of the best bartenders in town and despite the shiny neon casino on one side, it has a pretty nice atmosphere.
- 8 The Vu Villa, 521 W Park St (Uptown, west of the main business district). It's one of the main student hangouts for Tech and has an attached pizza restaurant with decent pizza.
- 9 Metals Sports Bar and Grill, 8 W Park St (in the Metals Bank building). A sports bar with a bank vault.
Breweries
[edit | edit source]- Quarry Brewing, 124 W Broadway (inside Grand Hotel), ☏ +1 406-723-0245. Mon-Sat 3PM-8PM, Sun 3PM-6PM. Brewer: Chuck Schnabel. Live music most Fridays.
Distilleries
[edit | edit source]- 10 Headframe Spirits, 21 S Montana St, ☏ +1 406-299-2886. Tasting room.
Sleep
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- 1 Finlen Hotel, 100 E Broadway St, toll-free: +1-800-729-5461. An inexpensive and historic hotel, well-located to accommodate walking through the rest of Butte's downtown. Rooms are clean and well-maintained, but be aware that cheaper rooms may actually be located in the motel section, a not-as-historic add-on with much more spartan accommodations.
- 2 Hampton Inn Butte, 3499 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406-494-2250.
- 3 Toad Hall Manor Bed and Breakfast, 1 Green Ln, ☏ +1 406-494-2625. An elegant, charming bed & breakfast which takes its name from the British children's classic, "The Wind in the Willows". This is truly a wonderful place for a relaxing change of pace, celebration of a special occasion, or a romantic getaway.
- 4 Super 8 Butte, 2929 Harrison Ave (I-90 Exit 127 1 Blk. So), ☏ +1 406-494-6000. Charges extra for more than 2 adults even if it has 2 queen beds. Includes breakfast.
- Free RV parking is available downtown at the parking lots near Old Lexington Gardens Park (304 E Granite St). There is nothing to indicate that overnight parking is not allowed. Follow signs for "Visitor & R.V. Parking".
Go next
[edit | edit source]- Take the 15 mile winding drive to Pipestone Trailhead on MT-2 E and take in the gorgeous scenery.
- Anaconda - Butte's copper went to the smelter in this neighboring town, the tallest masonry structure in the world.
- Bozeman - this college city makes a great base for Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding mountains.
- Helena - Montana's silver boom town that became the state capital.
- This part of the Rockies is full of historic mining sites, such as Virginia City and Wallace. See Mining tourism for even more ideas.
| Routes through Butte |
| Great Falls ← Helena ← | N  S | → Dillon → Idaho Falls |
| Missoula ← Anaconda ← | W  E | → Three Forks → Bozeman |
| END ← | W  E | → Jct S  → Three Forks |