Our Lady of the Rockies
Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana. 90-foot statue placed on the East Ridge overlooking Butte.
Details
- Where
- 1707 Continental Dr. Suite C, Butte, MT 59701. Directions
- When
- Tours currently at 10:00am, 2:00pm, and 6:00pm.
- Season
- Up to three tours daily June, July and August; September and October weather permitting.
- Getting there
- All tours leave from the gift shop at 1707 Continental Dr. Suite C; join your tour group at the gift shop; a short introductory film about the statue's history is shown prior to departure.
- Fees
- Adults $28, Seniors and Juniors (12-17) $25, 11 & under $10, $10 fee for carseat.
- Hours
- Gift shop Tuesday-Saturday 11:00am-5:00pm; Sunday-Monday closed.
- Access
- The road is inaccessible by private vehicle; the only way up is a ticketed tour.
- Walk-in or reserve
- All tours require reservations; all tours weather permitting; no private motor vehicles allowed; prices and times subject to change.
- Phone
- (406) 782-1221
- Website
- ourladyoftherockies.org
- Managed by
- built entirely by volunteers and maintained by a non-profit organization.
- Established
- begun in 1979 and completed in 1985.
Entirely nondenominational tribute to women and mothers everywhere, built in the likeness of Mary, Mother of Jesus; draws visitors from all over the world.
Notable Events
- 1979Construction of the statue started in 1979; six years of work placed it atop the Continental Divide. ourladyoftherockies.org
- 1980O'Bill contacted Joe Roberts of Roberts Rocky Mountain Equipment Company, and metal artist John Mazzola created a nine-foot model displayed at the Copper King Inn to solicit support. brennakeegan.com
- 1981When his wife recovered in 1981, O'Bill proposed to his fellow miners the idea of constructing a larger statue on the East Ridge of the Continental Divide. brennakeegan.com
- 1984A scaffold was needed to work on the head of the statue, which was being stored at Rocky Mountain Equipment in Butte. mtstandard.com
- 1985Covered in auto body filler, sandblasted and painted white, the statue was completed and flown in pieces to the top of the Continental Divide by a Ch-54 Sikorsky Helicopter Skycrane. brennakeegan.com
- 1985The Montana National Guard, the Army Reserve, and teams of civilian workers worked together to place the 51-ton statue on top of the mountain. buttearchives.org
- 1985A sky crane brought the statue up the mountain in pieces; at 4:07 PM the lights were switched on and the project was complete, six years after Bob made the promise. kulr8.com
- 1985The final piece of the statue, stored at Roberts Rocky Mountain, was laid atop the East Ridge. mtstandard.com
- 1985The round concrete base was completed in September 1985, weighing in at 425 tons. mtstandard.com
- 1999A Women's Memorial Chapel was completed a few hundred yards from the statue. kulr8.com
People
- Al Beavis, former drilling and blasting expert, enlisted to help with the project.
- John Mazzola, local metal artist who created a nine-foot model of the proposed statue.
- LeRoy Lee, welder and eventual architect of Our Lady of the Rockies.
- Mike Cerise, once a heavy equipment operator, enlisted to help with the project.
- Ann Nettles, connected Joe Roberts to Bob O'Bill.
- Joe Roberts, major contributor; his Rocky Mountain Equipment Co. planned the raising, and he raised funds, donated the use of his equipment, and gave one thousand dollars to start the construction fund.
- Bob O'Bill, husband who promised the monument and made good on his promise.
- Joyce O'Bill, wife of Bob O'Bill; her recovery from cancer prompted the promise to build the monument in her honor.
- Leroy Lee, welder who constructed the statue.