Butte is less than two hours from Missoula, an hour from Helena, and about 90 minutes from Bozeman. And while most locals might not consider this old mining town the top day trip destination, it’s actually a fantastic place to spend an afternoon. After all, Butte was once known as the “Richest Hill on Earth.” And while it’s copper and gold mining days are largely behind it, evidence of its history remains… and it’s everywhere.

Butte got its start as a mining camp in the 1860s.
Mattia Panciroli / Flickr
Back then, the mines attracted people from all over the country, as well as immigrants from Ireland, Wales, Lebanon, Canada, Finland, Austria, Serbia, Italy, China, Syria, Croatia. Immigrants played a huge role in Butte's history and culture, the evidence of which you'll still see today.
Walking around downtown Butte feels a bit like stepping into a time capsule.
Jasperdo / Flickr
There are quite a few historic buildings still standing -- in fact, you'd have a hard time finding a Montana city with more historic buildings.
The Mai Wah Museum, once a noodle parlor, is a great place to go to learn about local history.
Jasperdo / Flickr
The Wah Chong Tai Mercantile moved into the building in 1899, now standing as the country’s only original Chinese store from the early 20th century. Butte is also home to America's oldest Chinese restaurant, Pekin Noodle Parlor.

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Learn about the city's mining past at the World Museum of Mining, one of the few museums in the world located on an actual mine yard.
Becky P / TripAdvisor
Explore a replica of an 1890s mining town, pay your respects at the large memorial, or take a guided tour of the mine itself.
Don't forget to find the viewing area for The Berkeley Pit, which was once a large truck-operated open-pit copper mine.
ccarlstead / Flickr
The pit is 7,000 feet long, 5,600 feet wide, and 1,600 feet deep. The water in the pit is extremely toxic, but from a distance, it's quite beautiful.
For a fairly small city, Butte has quite a few tasty dining options -- but you can never go wrong with a pasty, especially from Joe's Pasty Shop.
Tara Holloway / Google
The pasty is a Cornish meat pie, once popularized by mine workers who needed something easy to eat in the mines.
Butte has numerous festivals throughout the year (when conditions allow), including the Montana Folk Festival and one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the country.
Mattia Panciroli / Flickr
Still, we think it's a pretty great place to visit, even on an average day.

When was the last time you spent a day in Butte? Share your experience with us in the comments!

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