Butte, Montana

Butte is a city that is located in Silver Bow County, Montana and is the county seat. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the single entity of The City and County of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2000 census, Butte had a total population of 33,892. In its hey-day between the late 19th century and about 1920, it was one of the largest and most notorious copper boom-towns in the American West, home to hundreds of saloons and a famous red-light district. It now claims the dubious distinction of being home to the Berkeley Pit and being part of the largest Superfund site in the United States.

Notable Places

• Montana Tech, an engineering and mining technology university
• The giant letter "M" visible in the top photograph on this page stands for Montana Tech and was constructed in 1910.
• Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90-foot statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the Continental Divide, overlooking Butte
• The Berkeley Pit, a gigantic former open pit copper mine filled with toxic water. There is an observation deck on the shore of the Berkeley Pit lake.
• The World Museum of Mining on the site of the Orphan Girl mine
• There are many other tall mine headframes still remaining on the hill in Butte.
• Venus Alley
• Dumas Hotel

The town has many bars, including in the Old Historic Downtown. The bars are a great place for meeting locals.

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