Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Side profile of the bomb prototype.
Petwood Hotel Bouncing Bomb
RAF Harrington
RAF Harrington
The Beaux-arts interior with Pool layout still visible.
Écomusée du fier monde
Village du Livre de Fontenoy-la-Joûte
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è pasta... E pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Tripe is fried to a crisp.
L’Osteria della Trippa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
One of the PATH’s many entrances.
A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again
about 11 hours ago
People paddling in their wooden canoes on one of the lakes near the Allagash Waterway in the north woods in Maine
The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?
1 day ago
The rocky Revere Beach coast in Revere, Massachusetts, just outside Boston.
Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?
2 days ago
A dugong displays the telltale “smile.”
Saving the Sea Cows of Vanuatu
2 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Montana Butte Mai Wah Museum
AO Edited

Mai Wah Museum

This museum, established in Butte's lost Chinatown, celebrates Asian-American culture in what was once the world's largest mining camp.

Butte, Montana

Added By
Ian Lefkowitz
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The historic Mai Wah Noodles and Wai Chong Tai Mercantile Buildings, which date to the early 20th Century.   Carol M. Highsmith
The historic Mai Wah Noodles and Wai Chong Tai Mercantile Buildings, which date to the early 20th Century.   Carol M. Highsmith
The dragon continues to be used by Mai Wah Society members to celebrate Chinese New Year in Butte.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The museum contains artifacts from the early days of Butte’s Chinatown, including some that predate statehood.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The museum includes displays of prominent families living in Butte’s Chinatown district.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Mai Wah Building, circa 2000   Acroterion / CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The now-faded mining town of Butte, Montana, was once known as the “Richest Hill on Earth.” The copper mining industry enticed tens of thousands of people to Butte to work under harsh conditions, including many immigrants from around the world. Thousands of Chinese workers moved to Butte beginning in 1868, establishing a thriving business district in the world’s largest mining camp, all while facing increased hostility and distrust.

While Butte remains the home of the oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant, little of this history otherwise remains. The Mai Wah Society was established to preserve the memory of Butte’s Chinatown, and the Society then founded the Mai Wah Museum to house its artifacts and tell its story.

The museum comprises two buildings in Butte’s Uptown: the eponymous Mai Wah Noodle Parlor building constructed in 1909, and the Wai Chong Tai Mercantile, which served as Butte’s Chinese general store from 1899 through 1942, and is the only extant Chinese-American store that dates to the 19th century.

The museum’s exhibits tell the story of Butte’s Chinatown through its artifacts and by focusing on real people, including the Chinn family that owned these stores, and Huie Pock, a prominent doctor who saw both white and Chinese patients. The exhibits celebrate both the parts of society that were unique to Chinatown and the parts that assimilated into broader culture. The exhibits also demonstrate the effects of the racism and rioting that led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This act, which was the first restriction on immigration in US history, was specifically targeted towards Chinese miners. 

The restrictions on immigration and the general decline of Butte’s copper mining industry led many families to move to San Francisco and other more welcoming American cities over time. Although few people of Chinese heritage remain in Butte or the state of Montana, the Mai Wah Museum continues to host families and visitors who want to connect with the era, preserve and venerate Chinese cultural traditions, and tell this American story.

Related Tags

Asian America Museums History & Culture Immigration

Know Before You Go

The museum is generally open early June through late September, and at other times by appointment. Check the website for hours and admission costs.

Community Contributors

Added By

ianlefk

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

September 29, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20040822055518/http://www.visitmt.com/history/Montana_the_Magazine_of_Western_History/spring_summer04/buttechinatown.htm
  • https://dailymontanan.com/2022/06/19/mai-wah-remembering-the-legacy-of-chinese-immigrants-in-montana/
  • https://www.kxlf.com/news/local-news/chinese-families-thrived-in-buttes-early-days
  • https://www.insider.com/lesser-known-chinatowns-us-teach-us-about-asian-american-history-2022-8
Mai Wah Museum
17 W Mercury St
Butte, Montana, 59701
United States
46.011352, -112.536229
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pekin Noodle Parlor

Butte, Montana

miles away

The Auditor Statues

Butte, Montana

miles away

World Museum of Mining

Butte, Montana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Butte

Butte

Montana

Places 8

Nearby Places

Pekin Noodle Parlor

Butte, Montana

miles away

The Auditor Statues

Butte, Montana

miles away

World Museum of Mining

Butte, Montana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Butte

Butte

Montana

Places 8

Related Places

  • Landis Brothers’ House.

    Lancaster, Pennsylvania

    Landis Valley Museum

    This museum focuses on the history and culture of the German settlers in Pennsylvania.

  • Chinese New Year Meal Miniature, San Francisco 1940s

    San Francisco, California

    Chinese Historical Society of America

    This museum in San Francisco's Chinatown is one of the oldest and largest archives of Chinese American history and culture.

  • San Diego, California

    San Diego Chinese Historical Museum

    This historic Chinese church was relocated and revived as a museum that preserves and celebrates Chinese art, history, and culture.

  • Museum of Chinese in America

    New York, New York

    Museum of Chinese in America

    This small New York museum examines Chinese history from its origins right up to its arrival in the city.

  • Savannah, Georgia

    WEBB Military Museum

    At this privately owned collection, conflicts are humanized through soldiers’ personal belongings.

    Sponsored by Visit Savannah
  • Odawara, Japan

    Suzuhiro Kamaboko Museum

    Dedicated to the history and culture of Japanese fishcake, this museum invites you to take part in its kamaboko-making workshop.

  • One of the galleries in the modern section of the Manchester Jewish Museum.

    Manchester, England

    Manchester Jewish Museum

    A Victorian synagogue-turned-museum chronicles centuries of Jewish life.

  • Portumna, Ireland

    Irish Workhouse Centre

    A well-preserved, 19th-century Irish workhouse recounts a grim time in the country’s history.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.