Entry No. 15 — the Butte file — filed under: outdoor

Light UP Butte: Illuminated Headframes

Scattered across the hillside above Uptown are the steel mine headframes — gallows-like towers from 99 to 200 feet tall, leftovers of the underground copper era. A volunteer effort has wired eight of them with lights, so after dark they glow against the dark ridge like a constellation of industrial skeletons. The Original and the Steward stand as twins facing each other across Main Street, and the whole valley becomes a free open-air light installation you drive or walk between.

The move: Walk Uptown after sunset and trace the lit headframes from the Original and Steward down to the Anselmo, ending with cocktails nearby.

📍 Before you go Best experienced at night; the headframes are spread across Uptown and the hills, so a short driving loop plus a walk works best.

• 📍 Butte (Uptown)
• 💸 $$
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: Uptown Butte historic district, Butte, MT 59701

Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24