Planning a Trip

Getting There

The Bert Mooney Airport (tel. 406/494-3771; www.butteairport.com) is served by Alaska/Horizon (tel. 800/252-7522) and Delta/SkyWest (tel. 800/221-1212). The Greyhound station in Butte is located at 1324 Harrison Ave. (tel. 406/723-3287). For current weather conditions, call tel. 406/721-3939 or 511.

Visitor Information

The Butte Convention and Visitors Bureau Information Center, 1000 George St., Butte, MT 59701-7901 (tel. 800/735-6814 or 406/723-3177; www.buttecvb.com), is located just off exit 126 near the intersections of I-15 and I-90. The center is a user-friendly facility just off the freeway, close to a wetlands area where you can take a breather from driving while watching wild ducks, geese, and muskrats go about their business. It's also the home of the bronze statue of the locally legendary canine, "The Auditor," until the new viewing stand at the Berkeley Pit is funded.

The Anaconda Chamber of Commerce, 306 E. Park, Anaconda, MT 59711 (tel. 406/563-2400; www.anacondamt.org), can give you information on Butte's sister city. For brochures devoted to area attractions and driving tours, contact Travel Montana's Gold West Country (tel. 406/846-1943).

Getting Around

Car-rental agents at the airport are Avis (tel. 406/494-3131), Budget (tel. 406/494-7573), Enterprise (tel. 406/494-1900), and Hertz (tel. 406/782-1054).

The Butte-Silver Bow Transit System city buses run from 6:45am to 6:15pm Monday through Friday and 8:45am to 4:45pm on Saturday; for information on fares and stops, call tel. 406/497-6515. Mining City Taxi (tel. 406/723-6511) provides local transportation 24 hours a day.

Special Events

Butte has a heavy Irish heritage from its days as a mining boomtown. This legacy shines brightly (almost too brightly) on St. Patrick's Day, when this mining museum of a town throws a shamrock-tinted bash that is the big event of the year -- even the banks shut down. The March 17 celebration is one of the biggest St. Patrick's Day parties outside of New York City, but be forewarned: It tends to be very rowdy and very drunk.

If you want a more family-friendly Irish festival, try An Ri Ra, an annual 3-day tradition in mid-August. Another fun annual event -- which began in 2002 -- is Evel Knievel Days, held in late July in honor of the late daredevil, featuring motorcycle stunt shows and a parade. Contact the Butte CVB (tel. 800/735-6814) for the dates and times of these activities.