Butte, MT is not on most people’s list of places to visit when going to National Parks. In fact, it is not of most people’s list of places to visit period. It is, however, halfway between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. We decided to break up an over eight hour drive by spending the night at the Copper King Mansion, now a bed and breakfast in Butte, MT.
According to Wikipedia, the Copper King Mansion is a 34-room residence of Romanesque Revival Victorian Architecture that was built from 1884 to 1888 as the residence of William Andrews Clark, one of Montana’s three famous Copper Kings. We stayed in the Master Suite. The owners, Erin and Pat, were very gracious and knowledgeable about the mansion and its restoration and upkeep. After a delicious breakfast and a full tour of the mansion, we continued on to Glacier National Park.
Copper mining in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was done by pit mining with headframes, the structural frame above the underground mine shaft. Open pit mining – the Berkeley Pit – did not occur until the mid-twentieth century and was closed in 1982.
Curmudgeon at Large 
Good pics of digs for the old 1%. Comparisons to life today: Narrow bed, cluttered stuff, lots of cloth, eclectic art. Today’s middle class has it better.
Three words – central air conditioning.
Not to mention, refrigerator.
Wow, what great photos! It’s nice that the mansion has been put to such good use. Usually places like that can only be viewed from behind a velvet rope. 🙂
It seems so wonderful to live in an old mansion but I would never want to run a bed and breakfast. Every day strangers come to your home and you have to feed and entertain them.
Nope, that wouldn’t be my choice of career, either. I like feeding people, but only if they’re my friends. (And I wouldn’t want to do it every day!)
Hey C-A-L … you could be the spokesperson for Vacation Butte!
Like many old industrial towns, Butte has seen better days but does have a few attractions.
Well stated.