4.0Berkeley Pit(348 reviews) - Take the trolley tour Bodies of Water • Lookouts • Mines
I highly recommend taking the two hour trolley tour offered by the Butte Chamber of Commerce. Going to the Berkeley Pit is one of the main attractions and is included with the tour. The tour guide gave quite a bit of history of the town and the mines. Doesn't sugarcoat it. Explains how the pit is a giant toxic lake that kills birds so they have noises and drones to keep the birds away when they're migrating. Also explained the the extensive cleanup that had to be done in the entire city to include the creek that polluted rivers miles away. Basically the entire city is a superfund cleanup site that has cost billions of dollars. They've made good progress though. Definitely interesting to see the pit from the viewing area. The only drawback of the tour was no one was wearing masks and one person on the tour was wearing a T-shirt that proudly stated she was vaccinated by the blood of Jesus. Oh boy.See more..
Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine and the Montana Sapphire Store - Wash Gravel Find Montana Sapphires. Direct from the Mine: Montana Sapphire Gemstones and Jewelry. Sapphire Mine Open Seasonally: Memorial Weekend to Labor Day weekend. Wednesday through Saturday. Our Gallery is open Year Round, 7 days a week( major holidays excluded) in Beautiful Downtown Philipsburg, MT. Indoor gravel washing, heat treating, faceting, Montana Sapphire Gemstones and Jewelry direct from the mine. Rocks, fossils, crystals and more. We also have Philipsburg clothing and many Made in the USA, Made in Montana, and Made in Philipsburg, MT items.See more..
We visited the Spokane Bar Sapphire Mine and had such a great time. From my youngest who enjoyed the toy trucks and rocks to move around, to my older two that could not get enough sapphire hunting in, to grandma who also enjoyed the hunt. This was a great outing that we got to take home and keep working on as wellSee more..
5.0Montana Blue Jewel Mine(66 reviews) - "Treasure Hunters for a Day" the Blue Jewel Mine Monday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Mines
This place is seasonally closed. We will be open May 2017. Check our website for updates!See more..
Driving along MT Hwy 287, this gem of a stop is worth keeping an eye out for. You’ll get the full experience of screening to find your very own gems, and believe me, if you buy the $25 bucket you will find LOTS of garnets! There were two of us screening and it took a full hour, maybe a bit longer, to get through the whole thing. We enjoyed talking with Richard and Al about the area and other rockhounding tips while we picked through small rocks with tweezers. I would absolutely take our grandkids to do this, just divide up a bucket so it doesn’t take too long or they lose interest. There are covered and uncovered areas to work. We liked having the sun glint off the red gems. Great price …Add an hour to your itinerary and enjoy this interactive experience! There is an outhouse restroom (very clean). Dogs not allowed in work area but lots of shade available.See more..
4.0Merry Widow Health Mine(1 review) - A lot of people swear by this place... Spent 1-2 hours Mysterious Sites • Mines • Scenic Walking Areas The Merry Widow Health Mine is an old mine which (people claim) cures a variety of medical conditions. It also has an RV park for people who stay multiple weeks, visiting the mine multiple times a day. The horozontal mine shaft is equipped with heat lamps, benches, tables, areas to soak your feet (in icy cold water)... sort of like an underground spa. What's the secret? I don't know: maybe it's the Radon gas, maybe the extreme quiet, something in the water. All I know is that I talked to a number of people there and they have all bought into the place. National Geographic and the NY Times have written about it. Cost is $5 per hour with long-term discounts. The RV park itself is a gem (pun): $32 for a full-hookup site on a riverSee more..
