Our Lady of the Rockies

Our Lady of the Rockies is a statue of the Virgin Mary, about 90 feet tall, standing on the Continental Divide at a place called Saddle Rock on the East Ridge above Butte. Its base is at about 8,510 feet, roughly 3,000 feet above the town, and it is lit at night, so it can be seen from almost anywhere in Butte. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and to "all women, especially mothers".

The idea came from Bob O'Bill, a Butte resident, in 1979, while his wife was recovering from cancer. Work began on 29 December 1979 and was carried by local donations of money, materials and labour. Leroy Lee designed the statue and welded it with Ron Hughes, and 400 tons of concrete were poured for the base in September 1985. On 17 December 1985 an Army National Guard CH-54 Tarhe helicopter began flying the statue up in four sections, and the head was set in place on 20 December. Guy Ossello donated the land.

The access road crosses private land, and private vehicles are not allowed, so the only way to reach the statue is on the organised bus tour. Buses leave from the gift shop at the Butte Plaza Mall, at 3100 Harrison Avenue near Interstate 90/15 exits 127 and 127A, and the round trip takes about two and a half hours, weather permitting. From the top, the view takes in the Summit Valley and the city below. Plans for an aerial tram from town stalled after the Montana Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that the access road is private.

Tours have generally run from June into October, weather permitting. We could not confirm 2026 fares or departure times from an official source: the statue's former website address now shows a parked domain. Call 406-782-1221 to reserve and check the current schedule before you go.

If you do not take the tour, the best views from town are at night, when the floodlit statue stands out on the dark ridge. The top is exposed and much colder than Butte, so bring a warm jacket even in summer.