Entry No. 3 — the Butte file — filed under: haunted
Historic Dumas Brothel Museum
The Dumas operated continuously as a house of prostitution for 92 years until 1982, making it the longest-running brothel in American history, and it sits today as a creaking, half-restored museum on the edge of the old red-light district. Visitors walk the original upstairs cribs and the basement tunnels where working women once received clients, and the building's reputation for cold spots and the lingering presence of a madam who died there draws paranormal investigators year-round. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The story
In 1890, French-Canadian brothers Joseph and Arthur Nadeau built a two-story Victorian bordello at 45 East Mercury Street and named it after Joseph's wife, Delia Dumas. Although Montana outlawed prostitution in 1917, Butte's local authorities tolerated the trade through systematic payoffs for another 65 years. The Dumas outlasted every other red-light establishment in America, operating continuously through copper booms, world wars, and moral crusades until 1982, when its last madam, Ruby Garrett, was imprisoned for federal tax evasion.
The building was engineered around a strict class system. Wealthy patrons and middle-class clientele entered through the main parlor or took the second-floor balcony to plush Victorian suites. Downstairs, the basement tells a starker story: hardscrabble copper miners slipped in through subterranean tunnels or an alley doorway to reach the 'cribs'—cramped, windowless brick cubicles partitioned with curtains and furnished with cots. Out back sits Venus Alley, once the brick-paved heart of Butte's vice district where working women called down from open windows.
Today, the unheated brick building operates as a creaking, half-restored museum where decades of red-light history remain largely frozen in place, right down to vintage World War II pinups. Paranormal investigators and skeptics walk the floorboards, drawn by a documented record of unexplainable occurrences—from sudden cold spots in the hallway to reported ghost encounters involving hair-pulling and uninvited touches attributed to former madams and residents.
What it's like
Visiting the Dumas feels less like walking through a polished museum and more like stepping onto a chilly, unrestored time capsule of Butte's underworld. Because the building lacks central heating, the interior gets bone-chillingly cold outside the warm summer months—an atmosphere that blurs the line between drafty 19th-century brickwork and its ghostly reputation. You'll walk from the skylit upper balcony down into the damp basement cribs where working women took clients. Public tours are strictly limited and seasonal—often running only every other Saturday afternoon—so you must call ahead (406-530-7878) to confirm a guide is actually there to unlock the front door.
The move: Take the every-other-Saturday afternoon tour, then walk a block uptown for a drink and compare notes on which floor felt coldest.
📍 Before you go Hours are limited and seasonal (often only every other Saturday, plus by appointment); call 406-530-7878 to confirm before going.
- 📍 Uptown Butte
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 45 E Mercury St, Butte, MT 59701
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Rookwood Speakeasy — Walk one block uptown from Mercury Street to descend into a subterranean Prohibition-era speakeasy that lay hidden behind a coat closet for decades.
- Mai Wah Museum — Located a block away in Butte's historic Chinatown, this museum preserves the 1899 mercantile and noodle parlor that operated alongside Mercury Street's vice district.
- Spooks & Spirits Haunted Trolley Tours — Hop on Old Trolley No. 1 nearby to expand your brothel tour into a broader 2.5-hour investigation of Butte's mining hauntings.
- Berkeley Pit Viewing Stand — Contrast the intimate, claustrophobic cribs on Mercury Street with the staggering, toxic scale of the massive open-pit mine less than a mile away.
Good to know
Why did the Dumas Brothel close in 1982?
Prostitution had been illegal in Montana since 1917, but Butte officials tolerated the business for decades. The Dumas finally shut down after 92 years of continuous operation when its last madam, Ruby Garrett, was convicted of federal tax evasion.
What are the basement 'cribs'?
The cribs are tiny, unadorned basement cubicles partitioned with thin walls or curtains. They catered to working-class copper miners who entered via underground tunnels or side doors, offering brief visits for a fraction of the price charged in upstairs suites.
When can I tour the museum?
Tours are seasonal and highly restricted, usually operating every other Saturday afternoon between late spring and autumn due to the lack of interior heat. Always call 406-530-7878 or check current schedules before making the trip.
Is the Dumas Brothel actually haunted?
It is widely regarded as one of Montana's most haunted sites. Paranormal teams and visitors frequently report sudden temperature drops, thumps in empty hallways, and physical sensations such as hair curling or being touched on the second floor.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · cowboystatedaily.com · Tripadvisor · southwestmt.com
last checked: 2026-06-24