For more than a century, copper was king in Butte, Montana and this city became one of the world’s most important sources for the strategic metal. In the process, the wealth generated by mining and refining earned Butte, Montana the title “The Richest Hill on Earth.” Today, for all the right reasons, Butte, Montana remains the Richest Hill on Earth.
The headframes scattered across the Hill are symbols of this proud mining heritage. Called gallows frames by miners, they lowered men to work in the stopes below, and on the return trip to the surface they brought up the rock in the box. They are silent sentinels of the era of underground mining that punctuate the Butte landscape like steel exclamation points.
A walk among the many historic buildings evokes a clear sense of what it must have been like to live in Butte during the days when millionaires and miners alike lived and played hard in one of the West’s greatest cities. Together, from humble origins as a muddy mining boom camp, they built a shining city on a hill with the latest amenities that its vast wealth allowed.
Today, Butte, Montana is home to one of the nation’s largest National Historic Landmark Districts, with more than 4,000 historic structures scattered across the Hill. These include some of the country’s first tall buildings, elegant mansions, vintage Victorian homes, boarding houses and hotels, and miner’s cottages that once provided shelter for an estimated 100,000 people.
The most convenient place.
Located halfway between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park, it’s a convenient place to detour for an urban adventure before moving on to the next adventure in the great outdoors. Still, some of the wildest country in Montana is only a short drive from any Butte door.
Butte, Montana is rich in history, art, and culture in the midst of one of the most beautiful areas of Southwest Montana. Rimmed by the peaks of mountain ranges, Butte provides nearby access to trout fishing, world-class golf courses, hiking, hunting, skiing, soaking (in commercial hot springs), snowmobiling, and many other outdoor recreational opportunities.
Butte’s historic shopping district is home to specialty stores, museums, and several excellent restaurants. Fine art prints by local, regional and nationally acclaimed artists can be found in galleries that provide framing and shipping services on request. The antique shops in Butte’s historic district, too, are some of the most fascinating to explore in the state and the district has a few of the most acclaimed restaurants in the region that offer ethnic cuisine and fine dining.
Butte, Montana’s visitor attractions, like the ore beneath the surface, often stay hidden from view from anyone driving by on the Interstate highways.
Time a visit to coincide with one or more of several events scheduled throughout the year:
- Chinese New Year’s Parade
- St. Urho’s Day (March 16)
- St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
- Butte Freedom Festival (July 1-4)
- Montana Folk Festival (July 11-13, 2025)
- Montana Irish Festival (An Ri Ra)
Other regular events such as the summer’s weekly Farmers’ Market (every summer Saturday from 8 am to 1 pm (from May through first Saturday in October) and the Uptown Open House, and the Winter Blast Celebration that begins with the Annual Christmas Stroll and ends with the Annual Ice Sculpting Contest attract visitors from throughout the region.
We invite you, your friends, and family to visit a Montana original—Uptown Butte and see the Montana you imagined. We invite you to visit often and enjoy each visit to our web site and to our city. The experiences will enrich you in many ways. You may even, as many have, agree that the greatest treasure is found in the quality of life and decide to stay and invest in Butte’s future.