BUTTE — At the upcoming 40th birthday party for the Our Lady of the Rockies statue that overlooks Butte, organizers will give an update on a project they say will make it faster and easier to get to the statue way up on the East Ridge.
“The lady of our Rockies is a major tourism part. She’s been part of all of my life,” Butte Tourism Director Kehli Hazlett said.
Our Lady of Rockies Turns 40: New Tram Plans Announced for Butte Icon
The 90-foot statue was completed on Dec. 20th, 1985. Ron Gallardo, who is the president of the Our Lady of the Rockies Board, was just 12 years old at the time.
“I was on the Emerson School playground watching the parts go up, and I remember the head going up and watching it with my parents, and it was just a great day for Butte, Montana,” Gallardo said.
That moment will be celebrated at a gala at the Butte Civic Center Jan. 17th, where the board will give an update on long-time plans to build a tram to the statue.
“I think at this time we are ready to move forward with that project. We feel like we are in a great position. We have very interested partners that are going to help us accomplish this goal,” Gallardo said.
The board has already received a donation of 12 acres of land north of Skyline Park, where they’ll build the base of the tram, then passengers would be taken north along the interstate to a transfer station, which would then take them over Interstate 15 to the statue.
“We fully support having a tram in our community to get up to the Lady of the Rockies. It’s just so hard with the bus tour being so limited. We want to make sure everyone has access to the lady,” Hazlett said.
Tickets for the gala are $50 and can be purchased at the Our Lady gift shop, now located at 1707 Continental Drive.
