Copper King Mansion

The Copper King Mansion, at 219 West Granite Street in Uptown Butte, was built between 1884 and 1888 for William Andrews Clark, one of Montana's three Copper Kings. Clark made his fortune in mining and smelting and expanded into electric power, newspapers and railroads. He competed with fellow Copper Kings Marcus Daly and F. Augustus Heinze for control of the mines on Butte's hill, and the house was built at the height of that rivalry. The 34-room Victorian house was finished mostly with imported materials, at a cost of around $260,000, with woodwork by W. F. Beall & Co. of Chicago.

What sets the house apart is how much of it survives. The owners say most of the home is in its original 1888 condition. The guided tour takes you through rooms with frescoed ceilings, parquet floors of imported woods, hand-carved fireplaces and staircases, gas and electric chandeliers and stained-glass windows. The house appears in Empty Mansions, the biography of Clark's daughter Huguette, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

The same family has owned the mansion since 1953, when the present owner's grandmother bought it, and still lives in it. It operates as a bed and breakfast as well as a house museum, and it was restored in 2012. Because it is a private home, visitors see it on guided tours only.

From 1 May to 30 September, tours run daily at 10 am, 12:30 pm, 2 pm and 3:30 pm and last about an hour. Outside that season, including now in October, tours are by appointment only; the mansion asks for several days' notice (its own website gives both three to five and seven days), so call 406-782-7580 well ahead. Admission is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for children aged 5 to 15. Prepaid tickets are not refundable but can be moved to the next available tour. Overnight guests can join a scheduled tour in summer, or tour the first two floors on their own in winter.

The mansion is a short walk from the Uptown headframes and other historic buildings, including the Arts Chateau, built for Clark's son Charles. Combine it with a walk through the National Historic Landmark district, and save the World Museum of Mining for another half-day.