Southwest Montana

About Southwest Montana 

Southwest Montana is home to those wide-open spaces that Big Sky Country is known for. The region was settled by the Native American people; the landscape was explored by the Lewis & Clark Expedition in 1805; as the gold rush of the 19th century swept through the west, thousands of miners moved to the area, and homesteaders settled in the area as they pushed west. Today the area’s largest communities are Butte, Helena, Anaconda and Dillon, but the region extends over nine counties and is home to nearly 60 towns.

A Few Filming Locations in Southwest Montana

Butte

Established in 1864 as a mining camp in the northern Rocky Mountains on the Continental Divide, Butte was one of the largest copper boomtowns in the American West. The city’s Uptown Historic District is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the U.S., with nearly 6,000 contributing properties. Located on a hillside on the northwestern edge of town this area is noted for its abundance of lavish Victorian homes and Queen Anne-style cottages built in the late 19th century. Throughout Uptown and western Butte are 14 headframes, and remnants of hoist houses accessing 10,000 miles of underground mine tunnels honeycombing the Butte hill. In 2002, Butte was one of only 12 towns in America named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A Few Filming Locations in Southwest Montana

Established in 1864 as a mining camp in the northern Rocky Mountains on the Continental Divide, Butte was one of the largest copper boomtowns in the American West. The city’s Uptown Historic District is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the U.S., with nearly 6,000 contributing properties. Located on a hillside on the northwestern edge of town this area is noted for its abundance of lavish Victorian homes and Queen Anne-style cottages built in the late 19th century. Throughout Uptown and western Butte are 14 headframes, and remnants of hoist houses accessing 10,000 miles of underground mine tunnels honeycombing the Butte hill. In 2002, Butte was one of only 12 towns in America named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Montana’s capital city, Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush. The city became wealthy, with some 50 millionaires inhabiting the area by 1888. The concentration of wealth contributed to the city’s prominent, elaborate Victorian architecture. All across Helena, you can experience historic roots that reach back hundreds of years—from Carroll College and the Mansion District to the Montana State Capitol building. Surrounding features include the Continental Divide, Mount Helena City Park, Spring Meadow Lake State Park, Lake Helena, Helena National Forest, the Missouri River and Elkhorn Mountains.

Anaconda and Philipsburg Area

Nestled in a mile-high valley in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Anaconda sprang up when the giant Anaconda Copper Mining Company of Butte needed a smelter for its vast amount of copper ore. While smelting operations were suspended in 1980, “The Stack” remains an important landmark and state park. Anaconda is characterized by densely timbered forestlands, lakes, mountains and recreation grounds. The county has common borders with Beaverhead, Butte-Silver Bow, Granite, Jefferson and Powell counties. On the main street is the Washoe Theater, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the last theater constructed in the U.S. in the Nuevo Deco style.

Nestled in a mile-high valley in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Anaconda sprang up when the giant Anaconda Copper Mining Company of Butte needed a smelter for its vast amount of copper ore. While smelting operations were suspended in 1980, “The Stack” remains an important landmark and state park. Anaconda is characterized by densely timbered forestlands, lakes, mountains and recreation grounds. The county has common borders with Beaverhead, Butte-Silver Bow, Granite, Jefferson and Powell counties. On the main street is the Washoe Theater, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the last theater constructed in the U.S. in the Nuevo Deco style.