Not so fast. This is The Berkeley Pit a former open pit copper mine with water that is heavily acidic, about the acidity of Coca-Cola, lemon juice,or gastric acid. As a result, the pit is laden with heavy metals and dangerous chemicals that leach from the rock, including copper, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and sulfuric acid.

It is no surprise to me that the locals we talked to, drink bottled water and are dubious of government claims that local water is safe to drink.

But the news isn’t bad for everyone. William Clark, one of the Copper Kings, built this stunning 34 room mansion in 1888 which is privately owned today and serves as a B&B.

Overlooking the city is, Our Lady of the Rockies, a 90-foot statue built in the likeness of the Virgin Mary. It is the fourth-tallest statue in the United States.  The statue was originally conceived by Butte resident Bob O’Bill in 1979 following the recovery of his wife from cancer.

At the World Museum of Mining, we went on the underground mine tour. The tour descends 100 feet into the Orphan Girl Mine to see the original shaft station.

Fitted with hard hat and lamp, we saw the exposed veins of the mine as well as various pieces of equipment that were used in underground mining.