the mai wah

Who knew there was a sizable Chinese population in Butte, Montana! What a great slice of history. Butte was once the largest city West of the Mississippi, and it had a big Chinatown among its many immigrant communities. This is a great attraction for visitors (if you can get in without becoming a member). Check it out.

tells the story of butte in ways that you would not expect. And the buidling retains so much of its historical integrity that you come away with a different look at the history of Butte.

Gives an important view of the often forgotten Chinese American presence in the US since the 19th Century. Contrasted to the history of Rock Springs, Wyoming which also had thousands of Chinese (my grandfather and great grandfather being one of them) in a Chinatown, there is suriviving evidence of a once prosperous area. Gives history of a specific family which ran a once successful mercantile business in Butte and contributed to the local society. Much has changed in these small mountain towns and I doubt that many who lived there in the last century remain. Was a wonderful example of the melting pot of America.

Butte America was a rough and tumble mining town on the Montana frontier. A Chinese community thrived in this environment. The Mai Wah and Wah Chong Tai served Butte in many ways -- including a restaurant, mercantile, and professional services such as a doctor's office. It's an amazing exhibit: these are the the original, authentically preserved buildings; the Wah Chong Tai mercantile is stocked with the original merchandise!; and there are excellent, well-illustrated interpretive exhibits that tell the story of the remarkable Chinese-Americans who made a life and raised families here. Too often, we think of Chinese immigrants on the Western Frontier as miners or railroad laborers. But here is the story of a middle-class family that became fully integrated into the American experience. Don't miss it.

A small admission for a big education !!! . This small museum in old town (red light) district of Butte is well worth the time. Exhibits are well marked and very descriptive . Stairs to the upper floors may be a problem for some. John ,The docent the day we went is very knowledgeable on the Chinese History in Butte, He has first hand experience in the Chinese culture having taught English in Taiwan. Overall a very good small museum worth seeing !!.

Were there on a busy festival weekend and the Mai Wah appeared shuttered and inoperative. A real disappointment.

Didn't expect a Chinatown in Butte, but it there it was. The museum is a work in progress but the person there was informative and we were able to explore at our leisure. Loved the Chinese dragon!

We found my husband's ancestors restaurant address way back to year 1850. It is amazing to see the old histroy of Chinese at Butte. Thanks Jana to show us their collections. We were thrilled to found the old records.

Traveling with my Chinese-American friends, this was a great stop to see what the Chinese community was like in the late 1800's and early 1900's. We got a special tour to parts of the building under renovation since my friend's family started their American life in Butte. This is a very small museum and worth the time to stop to get a perspective of Western life that is not often shown or discussed. If you are a history buff, you will enjoy this short stop while you are in Butte.

A worthwhile stop if you are passing through town. It is very surprising to learn about the cultural and ethnic diversity existing in this mountain city. This place focuses on the Chinese immigrant community that settled in the area about a century ago. The buildings, once home to noodle shops and a general store is in the heart of the former Chinatown. Exhibits on the first floor are informative. They curators are working on exhibiting the contents of the Wah Chong Tai store in situ. I was able to have a glimpse of many items not yet curated. Amazing that the museum was able to obtain so many artifacts intact. The place is very much a work in progress and well worth the five dollar donation requested to see it. The structure and its furnishing is very old and rustic. This is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the experience. If only the walls could speak....

We read about it in our tourbook and decided to visit. What a pleasant surprise for us to visit this small museum. It's facinating to learn about the Chinese immigrants and their lives in Butte in the early 20th century. The museum is located in the original noodle shop operated by a Chinese family. They just aquired many authetic furnitures and items of that period. It reminded us of the Tenement museum in NYC, in a smaller scale of course. The staff was very friendly and answered our many questions. If you happened to drive by Butte, I'd recommend you to visit this charming museum.