Entry No. 52 — the Butte file — filed under: mine
Old Glory Mine
Located in Butte's historic Centerville neighborhood, the Old Glory Mine was established in 1876 by Meredith Fifer and later developed into a 500-foot-deep copper and silver producer. Acquired by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company in 1910, the mine was eventually closed and its structures dismantled. Today, the site has been fully reclaimed as a grassy open space under the Butte Reclamation Evaluation System, leaving no standing ruins or headframes.
The story
In 1876, Meredith Fifer staked a claim in Butte's Centerville neighborhood and broke ground on what became the Old Glory Mine. Miners spent years driving shafts 500 feet into the earth, pulling out payload after payload of silver and copper. By 1910, the industrial titan Anaconda Copper Mining Company took over the operation, integrating the depth of Old Glory into its sprawling local empire until the veins ran out, the timber hoists went quiet, and the structures were scraped away.
Where other Butte mines left behind giant iron headframes or rusted machinery, Old Glory got the scorched-earth environmental treatment. Under the Butte Reclamation Evaluation System, workers capped the underground shaft, hauled away every splinter of industrial infrastructure, and planted grass over the whole thing. What remains is a quiet, deceptive patch of green—a place where hundreds of feet of subterranean shafts hide beneath an unassuming lawn.
What it's like
When you pull up to West Pacific Street in Centerville, don't look for a gift shop or a towering gallows frame. You are pulling up to a reclaimed grassy hillside that offers wide panoramic views over the historic Butte hill. The underground shafts are entirely capped and strictly inaccessible, so the entire experience is an above-ground stroll along public roads to take in the quiet vibe and view. Confirm current access details before you go, park respectfully along the street, and admire how clean grass can hide 500 feet of industrial history.
The move: Take a scenic walk along West Pacific Street to look over the reclaimed grassy hillside of the former mine site while enjoying panoramic views of the historic Butte hill.
📍 Before you go The mine shaft has been sealed and the site reclaimed; while the grassy hillside is visible from public roads like West Pacific Street, the underground workings are entirely inaccessible and the land is managed under local reclamation programs.
- 📍 Butte
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Old Glory Mine, Butte, MT 59701, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Bell-Diamond Mine — After standing on a site where every piece of steel was dismantled, walk over to see the 1898 Diamond Mine frame—the oldest standing steel headframe on Butte Hill.
- Helsinki Bar (Helsinki Yacht Club) — Trade the quiet grassy hillside for the last standing building from old Finn Town, operating since 1911 as a miner's sauna and local watering hole.
- Granite Mountain / Speculator Mine Memorial — Head slightly further up the ridge for an incredible overlook and a somber look into the town's underground mining history.
- Butte's Lit Headframes (Gallows Frames) — Look back at the hillside after dark when Butte's surviving red-lit headframes glow across the skyline, highlighting the sites that weren't erased.
Good to know
Can you tour the underground shafts at Old Glory Mine?
No. The 500-foot shaft has been permanently sealed, and the underground workings are entirely inaccessible to the public.
Are there any standing headframes or mining ruins left on site?
No. All mine structures were dismantled, and the site was fully reclaimed as an open grassy space under the Butte Reclamation Evaluation System.
Who founded the mine and what did it produce?
Meredith Fifer established the mine in 1876, and it was developed into a 500-foot-deep silver and copper producer before being acquired by Anaconda Copper in 1910.
Where is the best spot to view the site?
You can view the reclaimed hillside and sweeping views of Butte hill from public roadways like West Pacific Street in Centerville.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: lostbutte.blogspot.com · digitalcommons.mtech.edu
last checked: 2026-07-20