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Remembering a Fallen
Miner
For the first
time in Butte’s history those who lost their
life in a mining, mill/smelter, concentrator, or
railroad accident are memorialized at the World
Museum of Mining. Four memorial walls,
constructed of polished black granite slabs, are
sandblasted with the names of over 2,500 men
that lost their lives in the Silver Bow Mining
District since 1865.
The
Orphan Girl Mine
Learn about the Girl's
history and the original structures still
visible, including the 100-foot-tall headframe
and the
Hoist House, which houses exhibits as
well as original equipment. You can climb into
the cages that were crammed with six or seven
miners for their daily trip 2700 feet down the
shaft.
The
Mine Yard
66 major exhibits with dozens
of smaller items give you a feel for the kinds
of equipment that were used in mining — from the
1860s to the 1970s. See how long you can hold
one of the jackhammers that miners manhandled
for hours each day!
Underground Exhibit
Our newest major exhibit
opened in 2002. This re-creation of a big part
of a miner's life will leave you smiling — and
shaking your head in amazement! Includes a
display of photographs from our
Archives, with the popular series that shows
how a mule was trussed up for his unpleasant
trip down the mine shaft.
Hell Roarin' Gulch
A faithful re-creation
of an 1890s mining town, with
15 intact historic structures and about 35
buildings constructed from old materials by the
many volunteers who put the museum together from
the mid-1960s to the 1980s. The buildings are
all fully stocked with thousands of period
artifacts. The town includes several buildings
that were brought in as complete, original
historic structures, including two churches, the
school house, superintendent's house, and
others.
Mineral Room
The
majority of the specimens contained in the World
Museum of Mining display cases were collected by
Roy Garrett. Roy worked in Butte’s underground
mines for over forty years. His first mining job
was at the museum’s Orphan Girl Mine.
Gift Shop
Books, copper items, and much
more! Expanded and renovated in 2005.
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