World Museum of Mining

Orphan Girl Mine was first worked in 1875 and changed hands many times before being bought in the1920s by the Anaconda Company which operated it until the 1950s. It opened as a museum in 1965. The mine earned its unusual name because, unlike the cluster of mines east of downtown Butte, only a few were situated on the western edge.

The museum consists of a mine tour, a museum/gift shop, a recreated mining town, and the original building where the workers cleaned up after their shifts and where the huge engines that lifted the hoists and provide compressed air to run underground equipment are located. Dozens of pieces of old equipment are scattered around the property. We were surprised that there are no barriers preventing visitors from accessing any part of the grounds.  

Nothing at this museum is truly accessible but some of it can be experienced with assistance. Understandably, the mine tour is not accessible due to the rough and uneven ground. Although the mine shafts go down  2700 feet, the tour just reaches the 100 foot depth by walking down a long, sloping walkway. 

After navigating a rough patch to get to the entrance, the museum/gift shop is accessible. A room displaying a collection of dolls and doll houses is accessible.

The mining town has bumpy brick streets and boardwalks with extremely steep ramps or no ramps at all. The buildings are not opened but have plexiglass windows to view the interiors. Some windows are too high to peek in from a seated position. 

   The building housing the engines has a ramp on the side and is accessible. Go around to the back of the building to access the basement floor which has a mock up of a mine. The memorial to the hundreds of miners who were killed while working Butte’s mines is accessible. 

  

The grounds where the old equipment is stored are rough and uneven.  

The parking lot is large enough for any vehicle.  Museum  46.00904, -112.56456