Butte, Montana Visitors Guide
Originally known for silver mines along with gold and
copper, Butte has been called the “richest hill on earth.”
Today its commerce includes retailing, distribution and
various industries.
As you visit its streets and byways you will find ethnic
neighborhoods, historic mansions and stately Victorian office
buildings. It is host to the An Ri Ra Montana Irish Festival
and the headquarters for the Deerlodge National Forest.
Butte Museums & Galleries
The Arts Chateau, once home of Charles Clark son of Copper King William Clark, now host changing art exhibits. The four-story Victorian home has stained glass windows, intricately carved moldings and a ballroom at the top floor.
For a look at an 1890’s mining camp, go to the World Museum of Mining. Here you will see over 36 buildings at the base of and authentic mine head frame. You can tour the mining displays, see a 1,600 piece mineral collection, ride the train and have a picnic lunch.
At the Mineral Museum on the campus of Montana Tech of the University of Montana, you will see displays of mineral, fossils and other specimens. There are over 15,000 pieces which can be seen on the rotating exhibits.
Mai Wah Building
Butte Monuments, Memorials & Architecture
The Copper King Mansion is a 34 room mansion once owned by politician and Copper King, William Clark. You will see frescoed walls and ceilings, stained glass windows, hand carved fireplaces, an antique pipe organ and various family heirlooms. You can tour the home or make your reservations for an overnight visit www.thecopperkingmansion.com.
To learn about the influence of the Chinese in Butte, visit the historic Mai Wah building. The building was once a store, then a noodle house parlor and now has exhibits about the role of the Chinese in shaping the city.
 On
the east ridge of town is the 90 foot statue known as Our
Lady of the Rockies. The statue, built entirely
by volunteers, is maintained by a non-profit organization.
The Granit Mountain Mine Memorial offers a view of the city, and was built to commemorate the 168 men who were killed in a 1917 mine disaster.
Other Butte Attractions
Berkley Pit is a mile long “cut” in the
earth. The Pit was started in 1955 and today it is a reminder
of the town’s history of copper mining. The mining was stopped
in 1983, at which point over 1.5 billion tons of material
had been removed---more than 290 million tons of which were
copper ore. The Pit is open from March to October for viewing
from the platform above.
Photo Credits: Head Frame Tower by Georgi
Keith
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