I lived in Butte for 5 years, and I NEVER visited the Lady on the hill! So, I decided it was finally time! It was a super cool tour, and the view alone was worth it! The tour takes anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, and costs $18 for adults. I HIGHLY recommend calling at least a day ahead for reservations. The tours fill up very fast and I was pretty lucky to get on one last minute (on a Tuesday! It’s not just the weekends!). You can find all their contact info HERE! Their gift shop / tour meeting point is super easy to find, it is just in the mall on Harrison Ave down town! If you park in the front lot, you can’t miss it, it’s right in the main entrance of the mall. It is recommended that you arrive to your tour approximately 45 minutes early, as they have a cool movie that explains the history and story behind the Lady! The very cool part about this tour is that is completely handicap accessible so everyone can go!
After the movie at the gift shop, you meet outside to go up to the Lady! You take a van or a bus up to the top, so you’ll be making some new friends for sure! The road is a 16 mile bumpy private road, with two locked gates. So I wouldn’t be thinking you can drive up there! The guide talks about Butte history and the Lady as you ride up, plus you get to see the beautiful views on the way up! My tour guide was Les, a Korean War veteran and total sweetheart!
Once you get up to the top, that’s where the magic happens! As you come through the trees at the top, you get your first glimpse of the Lady! This is the first sight of her since you saw her almost 3,000 vertical feet in elevation ago! I can tell you, that 3,000 vertical feet makes a difference! You’d never guess it, but the Lady stands almost 90 feet tall! That’s almost as tall as some of the headframes in Butte! It really is amazing to see a statue that tall in person. She even has a door on the back that leads to the inside of the lady, which stands as a kind of memorial. If you choose, you can leave rosaries, notes, letters, photos, and more actually on the inside of the Lady (you can buy rosaries and other items at the store if you didn’t bring your own).
Besides the Lady, there is also a small chapel on the top of the hill. It was such a great space, and you can even have weddings or special events up there! In the chapel there is the “Heart of Hope”. The heart is made in the same scale as the Lady, and is made of the same 1/4″ steel. Les, my ever awesome tour guide, says the Lady’s heart is roughly the size of a giraffes! Super fun fact. You can write a message to a loved one, and put it in the heart to be sealed up when full.
Overall, it was a really great tour! All of the guides are so fun and knowledgeable. I do recommend bringing a light jacket or rain coat, as weather in Montana changes frequently! The tours are not usually cancelled unless the weather is very bad, so don’t worry about a little rain! Overall, I hope you get to go see the Lady next time you’re in Butte! Have you seen her before? What were your thoughts? I’d love to see comments and photos!!
