Excellent resource for genealogy research. Began using them back around 2005, but hadn't been here…read morein a couple of years. The building is completely renovated in and out, and the staff is very friendly and willing to help in your research. Highly recommend stopping in for any historic research you need for Butte/Silver Bow County

Wow these folks have everything, they know their stuff, and everyone is so positive and helpful…read more They have sanitizing going on all the time (at least continuously for the hour I was there) and masks are required.

They don't make it easy to visit and photograph the historic Fire Tower of Helena. We circled it…read moretwice before we found a parking lot for a closed business and were safe leaving the car there for the 20 minutes it took to climb up to the tower and get some pictures. It is a historic monument and icon for the city of Helena. Allegedly, there are only five of its kind still standing in all of the United States. The tower stands 25 feet tall and was built in 1876 after a huge fire destroyed much of the downtown Helena area. Called "The Guardian of the Gulch", it was manned around the clock to keep watch over the city. If a fire was spotted, the alarm was sounded to alert the town to begin fighting a fire. The Guardian is the last remaining tower of the many that once existed in Helena. It was last used in 1931. Certainly worth the effort to get close to it and see the history. The best trail is just off Cruse Avenue across from Broadway. There is a small hillside park with picnic tables.

Disappointed!! Well, it does have a great story behind them but it stops there. At $15.00 per…read moreperson, pretty pricey. While I agree that it's always best to keep an old historical building in its original condition, preservation. Is important. But, the new owners took control In 2018, and they still have so many rooms still being used for storage. Very disorganized. It smells horrible and the damp floors were soft and in some places, it felt like the floorboards were going to collapse from under me. I'm actually surprised, the City hasn't condemned it yet. Interestingly, it was the longest running Brothel in the US.... 1890-1982 !! The downstairs area, as told, has been kept original, including booze bottles, curtains & cigarette butts. Rugs, wet walls & I'm sure the bedding is what is smelling. But.....by being on the Historical Records, it should not allow the extensive condition of this place. I don't know.., but, there has to be Reconstruction Grants available. I wouldn't pay that price for this condition of a museum. Very sad.

One of my favorite museums to visit in Montana, the Dumas Brothel is currently the longest running…read morebrothel in the U.S., and it has a unique history that speaks to Butte's history and the history of women's labor. Our guide, who owns the building with her husband, was friendly and super knowledgeable about history, the women who worked at the brothel, the brothel's founders, and the building's architecture. We learned that the brothel is built in the Victorian style, and it was constructed specifically to be a brothel. Many of the rooms contain relics from the past that you can check out, including clothing, makeup, bedding, furniture, and more. I know the owners are still working on restoring the place and it's looking great. My favorite part was either the upstairs, where you could see red lights and the Madame's room, or the basement, which was a bit harrowing and slightly haunted, in my humble opinion. It was really interesting to think about the circumstances surrounding women's labor in Butte, and how this line of work could have both empowering and difficult elements. In terms of Butte museums, this was the one I enjoyed most.

Employees don't seem to do anything to ensure people using computers keep them clean. I often find…read morefood debris at computers. Also parking is terrible. Needs to be relocated to an area with better parking.

A wonderful library that is vibrantly alive. There are so many services offered, the staff is…read morealways helpful and it is bright and cheerful! (Well, except the new spot that the audio books were moved to, that block seems to be a bit darker) Every time I go there I think, we are fortunate to have this library!

I'm scratching my head about the other review about Missoula. Quite the rant is all I'll say…read more I only got check out Missoula a little bit and it was still pretty cold out so I'm willing to bet like any small town like this, it's way livelier in the summer. From what I saw though I could tell it's a happenin' little place and could see totally hanging out here. When I think of Montana as a whole, I think being more or less in solitude, being in the wilds and endless outdoor adventures if that's your thing. That's all here but it's mixed in with Missoula. It starts with the trendy and funky local shops and an awesome art and music scene. We walk into Veera Donuts for example and the staff are bopping around to Blackstreet, while the walls are lined with 90's vinyl then have a Donut mural of Kurt Cobain right outside. Then go over to TacoSano and they're playing some SZA, then Soundgarden. lots of breweries, bars, shops, bakeries, and yeah, it's a college town housing University of Montana. To me that's great, having grown up in a college town. It brings life, attention and money to the area. Off the main strip it quiets down with modest houses and nice wide streets for a calm looking neighborhood. Not sure if or when I'll find myself out this way again but if you're looking for a little more than mountains, hiking and all the rest in Montana, make a pass-through Missoula.

Great city if you like hiking,hunting and fishing also has lots of restaurants and hotels. It's a…read morecollege town but not real wild like some nice place to visit

I came here right after the Visitor Center changed their hours, so the official NPS website didn't…read morereflect the new hours. The change was apparently posted to their Facebook page a few days before though. And so I arrived to a closed Visitor Center. It seemed like I wasn't the only one, as there were a handful of other cars that pulled up into the parking lot. Oh well. I went on the Siege Area Trail which is 1.2 miles round trip. The trailhead has an interpretive brochure that explains points of interest on the trail, which made it easy to picture the events that occurred during the battle. For some reason, I couldn't see or missed some numbered stops on the trail, so it was somewhat confusing. Maybe the trail needs some updating to make them more visible? Overall, this is a somber visit to a battlefield that was not mentioned in my school textbooks. It's a reminder that we should not forget history.

These are the grounds where the US military attacked the Nez Perce in an attempt to remove them…read morefrom the area and stick them on a reservation. Unfortunately it was snowing on the day we visited (yes, in May!) So we couldn't really see the battefield, nor walk around outside. The visitor's center is very informative though and there's even a 20 min film you can watch to learn about the history of the attacks. Highly recommend stopping by if you're into history or national parks. Don't forget your NPS passport book!