Entry No. 20 — the Butte file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Butte's Headframes (Gallows Frames)
About a dozen tall black steel skeletons loom over Uptown Butte, the preserved hoist towers of the mines that honeycombed 'the richest hill on earth.' Miners called them gallows frames or gallus frames, a grim double meaning since cables over the wheels at the top lowered men into shafts that on this 'Mile High, Mile Deep' hill ran nearly a mile underground. Several have been outlined in red lights as part of a campaign to memorialize all fourteen, so at night the skyline reads as a constellation of glowing red derricks rather than the oil rigs that visitors often mistake them for.
The story
If you drive into Butte after dark, you might mistake the tall black skeletons on the hill for oil derricks glowing against the sky. They aren't oil rigs. They are gallows frames—or gallus frames, as the underground crews called them—the steel hoist towers built over shafts that plunged nearly a mile into 'the richest hill on earth.' The miners gave them the executioner's nickname for good reason: the thick steel cables running over sheave wheels at the top lowered men into suffocating, dark labyrinths where a snapped line or underground explosion meant you were never coming back up.
Originally built of timber before being replaced by 99-to-200-foot steel towers around the turn of the 20th century, these structures hauled up millions of tons of copper and silver ore alongside mules, dynamite, and shifts of hardrock miners. When the underground shafts shuttered, fourteen headframes survived across Uptown Butte, Centerville, and Walkerville. Starting in 2003, a community preservation campaign began stringing them with red LED lights, turning the silent industrial relics into a glowing nighttime constellation above the city.
What it's like
You can scout these towers anytime for free since they sit scattered on public hilltops, preserved mine yards, and neighborhood street corners across town. The real spectacle happens right at dusk—drive up West Park Street or walk through Uptown Butte as the red outlines kick on against the dark hill. Up close at sites like the Anselmo or Mountain Con, the scale is massive, with wind cutting through the cold steel lattice and massive pulley wheels frozen high overhead. You can walk around the base of several public sites, but shaft collars are sealed and historic hoist buildings remain locked off, so stick to designated paths and bring a flashlight for uneven ground.
The move: Take an evening self-guided drive or walk around Uptown to find the red-lit headframes glowing against the dark hill.
📍 Before you go These are outdoor structures scattered across town and viewable for free anytime; the red lighting is best after dark.
- 📍 Butte
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Uptown Butte historic district, Butte, MT 59701 (multiple sites across the hill)
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Hell Roarin' Gulch at the World Museum of Mining — This museum is built directly around the preserved Orphan Girl headframe 1.3 miles away, letting you stand right at the base of the hoist steel.
- Under the Gallus Frame Antique Mall & Mercantile — Located 0.2 miles away inside the historic Uptown Events Center, this multi-dealer mall is packed with salvaged mining artifacts and vintage regional finds.
- Old Butte Historical Adventures - City Underground Tour — After admiring the hoist towers towering above the hill, walk 0.1 miles to tour the hidden Prohibition-era speakeasies beneath the Uptown sidewalks.
- Spooks & Spirits Haunted Trolley Tours — Hop on Old Trolley No. 1 to ride right past the red-lit headframes while a local historian shares the darker underground accident stories.
Good to know
Why are they called 'gallows frames' or 'gallus frames'?
Miners coined the term because the towering steel frames with overhead pulleys and hanging cables looked like execution gallows—a grim reflection of how dangerous working a mile underground really was.
Why do the headframes glow red at night?
A local memorial project began installing red LED lights along the steel outlines in 2003 to keep Butte's historic mining skyline visible after dark.
How many headframes are still standing in Butte?
Fourteen historic steel headframes remain preserved across Uptown Butte, Centerville, and Walkerville.
Do I need a tour ticket or reservation to see them?
No. They are outdoor historic landmarks scattered across public and preserved land, open to view for free 24/7.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · southwestmt.com · visitmt.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-24