Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Butte, MT
Year Listed: 2002
When a town boasts that it occupies "the richest hill on earth," people are sure to take notice - and Butte, Montana, (pop. 33,954) is worth a long look. A gold camp was started here in 1864, and a silver boom followed in the 1870s. Still later, Butte Hill became the world's largest copper producer. Perched atop more than 2,000 miles of underground tunnels, Butte experienced a population explosion that transformed it from a rough-and-ready settlement of 250 to a thriving, sophisticated city of 100,000 in its heyday.
A view of Butte's historic landmark district with the Continental Divide in the background.
Credit: George Everett
Today, Butte's wealth comes from its history. Hit hard by the downturn in the mining industry in the mid-20th century, the town is now staging a successful comeback as a fascinating - though slightly quirky - tourist destination where visitors can experience both the myth and the reality of the mining West. While its surroundings are rich in panoramic vistas along the Continental Divide, the real attraction in Butte is the one-of-a-kind town itself. On downtown streets, office buildings and stores stand next to gaunt metal headframes that mark mine entrances. In steeply-pitched residential areas, the mansions of mining millionaires are the sparkling highlights in a rich vein of well-preserved 19th-century structures. Interpretive tours and museums help to illuminate the city's diverse ethnic heritage and the architectural gems of the National Historic Landmark district. Aptly sited atop an abandoned mine, the World Museum of Mining displays countless artifacts from Butte's rowdy past, including a full-scale replica of a mining camp complete with Chinese laundry and sauerkraut factory. With its massive copper doors, stained-glass dome and murals, the opulent City-County Courthouse, dating from 1912, is a conspicuous reminder of the town's bonanza days. The Copper King Mansion, built at great expense by copper baron William Clark in the 1880s and now operated as a bed and breakfast, is open for tours. And then there is the Berkeley Pit. Complete with a viewing stand for visitors, this astonishing gash in the earth is over a mile long, nearly a mile wide and 1,800 feet deep - and steadily filling with water from underground streams. It's the largest and most palpable reminder of Butte's shift in the 1950s from labor-intensive underground mining to open-pit excavation. Balancing the eerie starkness of the Berkeley Pit is a wide range of cultural and family-oriented activities.
Harking back to the late 1800s, when Irish laborers were the city's largest ethnic group, Butte has a well-earned reputation for hosting a boisterous St. Patrick's Day celebration. For quieter enjoyment, the Orphan Girl Theatre and the Arts Chateau are worth a visit. Children will enjoy Fairmont Hot Springs and gem hunting at Gem Mountain Sapphire. Not far away are historic Virginia City, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, and several ski areas.
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