Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
restoration and the same spirit it has always had. So far, the doors have not been locked
again since.
The
Silver Dollar Saloon
(133 S. Main St., 406/782-7367, 4pm-2am daily) is another
legendary Butte watering hole, established on the border between Chinatown and the red-
light district. The adjacent building was both a brothel and a boardinghouse for Chinese
laborers. One of the hubs of the St. Patrick's Day festivities, the Silver Dollar is known for
its live music offerings.
For a more family-friendly place with outstanding beer, try
Quarry Brewing Company
(124 W. Broadway St., 406/723-0245,
www.quarrybrewing.net
,
1pm-8pm Mon.-Sat.,
1pm-6pm Sun.) in the old Grand Hotel. Their five different German-style beers are brewed
on-site, and kids will appreciate the homemade root beer and free popcorn.
Jim's Bar
(2720 Elm St., 406/782-3431,
www.jimsbarbutte.com
,
3pm-2am Sun.-Thurs.
2pm-2am Fri.-Sat.) is kind of a biker bar, with plenty of fun and rowdy events such as biker
rodeos and beach volleyball. Closing hours here are dependent on the number of customers.
The Arts
For a selection of contemporary gems, try
Phoenix Gallery
(14 S. Dakota St., 406/
782-5217), which sells pottery, paintings, and other fine art by contemporary artists. A won-
derful gallery that combines contemporary art with historic works is
S. Jenkins Fine Art
and Antiques
(66 W. Park St., 406/868-2675). There you'll find works by well-known
Montana artists including Kevin Red Star, Rocky Hawkins, and Larry Zabel, in addition to
other big names. On top of their fine art collection, the gallery has a selection of wonderful
antiques.
MOTHER LODE THEATRE
Seeing an event at the
Mother Lode Theatre
(316 W. Park St., 406/723-3602,
ht-
tp://buttearts.org
) is an event in itself. Built entirely with private funds by the Masons in
1923 as the 1,200-seat Temple Theatre, the glorious building was converted into a movie
house during the Depression. As the mines were abandoned, so was the theater. In the
1980s, the only other theater in town was condemned and razed. True to form in Butte,
people made it a priority to restore the building. The only more pressing project at the time
was a complete overhaul of the city's water system. The Butte Center for the Performing
Arts formed as a nonprofit organization to raise the funds necessary and oversee the con-
struction work. The Masons donated the building to the city, and $3 million was raised for
the overhaul, completed in 1996. A 106-seat children's theater known as The Orphan Girl
Theatre (named for a mine in Butte) was added in 1997 thanks to another big donation.
