Entry No. 14 — the Butte file — filed under: offbeat-museum

Mineral Museum at Montana Tech

Two floors of cases hold around 1,300 specimens drawn from a collection topping 15,000, but the oddities are what stick: a 27.5-ounce, 97-percent-pure Centennial gold nugget, world-famous Montana Yogo sapphires, and a dark room where drab rocks blaze under ultraviolet light. Looming over it all is Boris, a 60,000-year-old cave bear skeleton hauled from a Siberian cave. It is an academic collection that tilts gleefully toward the spectacular.

The move: Stand together in the blacked-out fluorescent room and watch ordinary gray minerals erupt into color, then go say hi to Boris the cave bear.

📍 Before you go Hours vary by season and the museum is on a working university campus; call the curator (406-496-4414) to confirm it is open before you go.

• 📍 Butte (Montana Tech campus)
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 1300 W Park St, Butte, MT 59701

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

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

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

last checked: 2026-06-24