Butte

Dubbed the "Richest Hill on Earth," Butte was once a wealthy and rollicking copper-, gold-, and silver-mining town. During its heyday, 100,000 people from around the world lived here; by 1880 Butte had generated about $22 billion in mineral wealth. The revived historic district, Uptown Butte, is now a National Historic Landmark area. Numerous ornate buildings recall the Old West, and several museums preserve the town’s past. Today about 35,000 people live in the Butte–Silver Bow County area. The city maintains a strong Irish flavor, and its St. Patrick’s Day parade is one of the nation’s most notorious.