Entry No. 53 — the Helena file — filed under: ruins

Kelley Mine Yard

Opened in 1949, the Kelley Mine was the last active underground mine on Butte Hill before closing in 1983. Today, its towering steel headframe—the tallest in Butte—stands over the yard, while its underground shafts are flooded with toxic water. Although some of the historic brick surface buildings have been adaptively reused by a local distillery, the massive headframe remains a silent monument to Butte's copper mining era.

The move: Walk or bike along the paved BA&P Hill Trail to view and photograph the towering Kelley Mine headframe against the Butte skyline, then head into town to sample spirits crafted by the distillery that now occupies the historic mine buildings.

📍 Before you go The mine yard itself is private property, fenced off, and partially occupied by an active distillery, but the iconic headframe is clearly visible from the public BA&P Hill Trail.

• 📍 Butte
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Butte, MT 59701, USA

Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: headframespirits.com · Wikipedia

last checked: 2026-07-20