Butte, MT Road Trips

It used to be Montana's largest city, but has dwindled in size and importance along with the state's mining industry. The essence of the town is summed up by the sign on the northern approach from the I-15: "The "greatest mining camp on earth" built on "the richest hill in the world". That hill, which has produced over two billion dollars worth of gold, silver, copper and zinc is literally honeycombed with drifts, winzes and stopes that extend beneath the city. There are over 3000 miles of workings and shafts reach a depth of 4000 feet. "This immediate country was opened as a placer district in 1864. Later Butte became a quartz mining camp and successively opened silver, copper and zinc deposits. "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."

The most interesting (horrifying?) feature of Butte is the 1,700-foot-deep Berkeley Pit (sometimes referred to by out-of-staters as the "Butte Hole"), the 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. 1 Butte Trolley, 1000 George St, ☏ +1 406 723-3177, toll-free: +1-800-735-6814. Summer hours: M-F 8AM-6PM and Su 9AM-4PM.. 2 hour historical tour. Starts and ends at Chamber of Commerce. 2 Copper King Mansion, 219 West Granite, ☏ +1 406 782-7580, [email protected]. Hours vary seasonally, check website. 34-room Victorian mansion built as the Butte residence of William Andrews Clark, one of Montana's three famous "Copper Kings". Tours and a bed and breakfast $7.50 adults and $3.50 children. 3 Dumas Brothel Museum, 45 E Mercury St, ☏ +1 406 351-9922, [email protected]. 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! (updated Aug 2023) 4 Mai Wah Society Museum, 17 W Mercury St, ☏ +1 406 723-3231, [email protected].

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. 2 Eagle's Nest Disc Golf (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. (updated Aug 2023) Ice Skating is available at 7 city parks. 3 Thompson Park (take MT-2 E 10 miles south), ☏ +1 406 497-6200. Daily May-Oct. Park with 25 miles of trails, picnic areas. Multiple trail options with access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. (updated Aug 2023) Urban trails have been extensively developed. Use these for leisure strolls to see the scenery, go hiking, biking, or horseback riding. The nearby Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest has a variety of trails also. Saint Patrick's Day. 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. Evel Knievel Days. Fourth weekend in July each year. celebration for the Worlds Greatest Daredevil, various activities each day. Price: Free. An Ri Ra Irish Festival, ☏ +1 406 498-3983, [email protected].

Butte is known for the food of its Irish-influenced mining heritage. Pasties are a meat potato and onion mix, enclosed in a semicircle of pastry dough with a crimped edge, served baked smothered with brown gravy. Miners used their helmet candles to heat the self-contained meal down in the shaft below Butte. The crimped edge was used to handle the pastry with dirty hands, then discarded at the end of the meal. (You should go ahead and eat it if you haven't been working in the mine) Pasties are served locally at restaurants with Joe's giving them top billing. 1 Joe's Pasties, 1641 Grand Ave, ☏ +1 406 723-9071. 7AM-7PM. 2 Pork Chop John, 8 W. Mercury (uptown), ☏ +1 406 782-0812. M-Sa 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. 3 Muzz and Stan's Freeway Tavern, 2001 S Montana, ☏ +1 406 723-9083. Home of the Wop Chop. Family friendly for lunch. 4 Sparky's Garage II, 222 E Park St, ☏ +1 406 782-2301. BBQ. Automotive theme restaurant with great food. 5 Montana Club, 3540 Harrison Ave., ☏ +1 406 494-1400. American. Butte has a selection of fine dining establishments 6 Casagranda's Steakhouse, 801 Utah Ave, ☏ +1 406 723-4141. Steaks and seafood. Sushi night every Thursday. 7 Uptown Cafe, 47 E. Broadway St. (uptown), ☏ +1 406 723-4735. Good, more upscale American food; very good lunch served cafeteria style. 8 The Derby, 2016 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406 723-9086.

1 Venus Rising Espresso House, 113 N Hamilton St, ☏ +1 406 479-4979, [email protected]. M-F 8AM-2PM. Butte's only non-profit coffee house adds more than just feeling good about your purchase. Local goods, free wi-fi/public computer, in-house bakery, light lunches, and an artistic atmosphere are sure to please artists and supporters alike. 2 Hummingbird Cafe, 605 W Park St, ☏ +1 406 723-2044. Uptown and serves good espresso drinks, loose leaf tea, breakfast and lunch. Possibly Butte's best selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other specialty foods. 3 Butte Depot, 818 S Arizona Av, ☏ +1 406 782-2102. A classic dive bar with frequent concerts. Housed in the former Great Northern Railway depot. (updated May 2017) 4 Silver Dollar Saloon. Offers a friendly place for a drink, with a youthful atmosphere. 5 Maloney's. In uptown Butte is where you will find exotic beers, including Guinness. 6 The Cavalier Lounge. In the Finlen Hotel offers a dark, more lounge-like feel—chairs, tables, smoking. 7 The Helsinki, 402 E Broadway St, ☏ +1 406-299-2959. W–Sa 1PM–2AM. 8 Hops. In the Butte Best Western Inn down on the Flats, next to the Perkin's Restaurant. Don't let this stop you; they have one of the best bartenders in town and despite the shiny neon casino on one side, it has a pretty nice atmosphere. 9 The Vu Villa. Uptown, but a bit west of the main business district on Park Street. It's one of the main student hangouts for Tech and has an attached pizza restaurant with decent pizza. 10 Metals Bank. A sports bar with a bank vault.

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. (updated May 2017) 2 Hampton Inn Butte, 3499 Harrison Ave, ☏ +1 406 494-2250. (updated May 2017) 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. (updated May 2017) 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. (updated May 2017) 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".

Butte is right along I-90 between Deer Lodge and Whitehall, and also at the intersection with the I-15 highway. 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: Skywest dba Delta Connection (Salt Lake City) Skywest dba United Express (Denver) There are car rentals available from the airport which is the preferred method for greater flexibility in getting around to the surrounding areas. Be aware that if visibility is too low to land in poor weather, flights may divert to Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, Montana. Bus service into town is provided by Salt Lake Express and Jefferson Lines. Both stop at the bus station at 1324 Harrison Ave.

Butte is large 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. There is also a developed bike trail system. The Bus, ☏ +1 406 497-6515, [email protected]. County-run bus system. Routes are only on the main city streets. Mining City Taxi, ☏ +1 406 723-6511.