Dumas Brothel Museum
Dumas Brothel Museum
3.5
About
The Dumas Brothel is located in the heart of the old Red-Light district in Uptown Butte, Montana USA. Built in 1890, the Dumas' sole purpose was to serve the predominately male population that sprang out of Butte's mining boom. As a house of prostitution, it operated for 92 years until its closure in 1982, making it America's longest running "house of ill-repute." As the only brothel remaining in Butte Montana, the Dumas is now a museum & antique shop. Tours of the Dumas brothel are available year-round, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dumas is also the last vestige of the Victorian Brothel style architecture existing in the United States today. Since 2012, the new owner's have been diligently working to preserve, restore, and protect the 126 year old iconic structure from meeting its demise. Butte's Red-Light district was the largest and most expansive in the West, and visiting the Dumas Brothel recalls a time when vice was key to Butte's rise to prominence, second only to its success as a mining metropolis.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Wander815783
Brisbane, Australia37 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
This was an educational tour looking back into time of this establishment that operated in Butte for 100 years. While going through a renovation stage there is still plenty to see to endure the feeling of the building and it's working. Thanks to Owner, Charlee, for an informative period of time visiting each of the "Cribs" that were on display, including those that were reinstated to look like they were still in operation. As you perused the rooms you could feel the presence of past workers surveying your presence. Good luck with the continuing process of restoration and look forward to hopefully visit again in the future. The purchased book, Venus Alley, written from a workers dairy, was enthralling and impossible to put down till the final page was read. Strongly recommend a visit and support for this part of history.
Written 6 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jhcrw
8 contributions
Oct 2020
Don't waste your time or money visiting this museum if you can call it that. Nothing looks original and 98 percent of the museum is just room with a huge mess in them. This was $20 we will never get back. I wouldn't pay anything to see this mess. We could have gone through an abandoned house and seen more.
Written 12 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
writealready
Redondo Beach, CA97 contributions
Aug 2023
They haven't done anything to fix this up or make it more attractive, which makes it more authentic. Everything is pretty much the way it was when it was finally closed down by the "authorities." The girls' clothes and beds are right there.
This is an incredibly haunted place, too. All the more reason to go with a Spooks & Spirits tour.
This is an incredibly haunted place, too. All the more reason to go with a Spooks & Spirits tour.
Written 12 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristina M
5 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
Amazing experience! We paid extra for the guided tour and we learned so much more than we would have alone. The owners were kind and allowed us to stay past closing hours and still guided us through the old brothel. The dedication to restoring the building and taking care of it is amazing. There is a lot to fix and so much history to go through. Thank you!
Written 4 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy R
Waterloo, Canada14 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
We read the reviews prior to going to this attraction, and given the wide range of opinions, decided to give it a try. Bad move! The kid behind the counter who took our money didn't know anything about the attraction, but told us we could tour upstairs and the basement, as well as the main floor. He gave us one little handout to share, and told us to enjoy the tour. What tour?!!! There was very little in the way of "attraction" - a tired old building in need of restoration - and no one to enhance the experience with anything that resembled a tour. The basement was closed, and the upstairs consisted of just a few sad rooms. The posted written material in one room was interesting, but there was nothing to make it come alive. On our way out, the mother of one of the owners asked if we had any questions, and I asked about the basement. Apparently it isn't safe at the moment, so is closed! To make this into a worthwhile attraction, the owners need to finish renovating it, and provide tour guides to make the place live and breathe. In the meantime, anyone who goes might as well just dump their $10 into the renovation pot, and not waste your time going, because you get almost nothing in return for your money. Big ripoff!
Written 29 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Iriani
Kalispell, MT145 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
Building is in the beginning stages of reconstruction. Artifacts found there are old, creepy and the place smells. But we enjoyed the tour guide who was knowledgeable and friendly. Great potential for tourist attraction in the future. The bones of the building are beautiful. The subject of the tour is adult. Support the restoration of this historic place with your visit, but be prepared.
Written 12 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your support of the Dumas Brothel restoration... We continue working very hard to save this iconic piece of American history, sacrificing a great deal in the process, because we recognize that the loss of Dumas would be a devastating blow to the culture and history of Butte as a mining town that helped shape the America we know today. Frankly, it is a delicate balance (at this stage of the restoration) as to whether we should even allow visitor's to the Dumas, versus closing it to the public... For now, the people want to see and experience the Dumas, and it seems closing it would only serve to undermine the incredible work we are doing to save it.... Thank you for appreciating the cause!!
Written 11 May 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kimberlykate N
Virginia28 contributions
Jul 2013
We've had the opportunity to tour several brothels and they have always been a lot of fun....until now.
The Dumas, despite it being advertised as reopened is still better then 3/4 closed off from the public and under construction. This is not reflected in the $8.00 admission price though.
Your tour begins as you are ushered into the lobby by one of the owners. You may have a difficult time understanding the 10 minute sales pitch as they explain each item in the gift shop through twitches constant sniffing gritted teeth and pinned pupils. Then you will be whisked down a single hall and shown 4 rooms and told all about what they intend to do someday and how poorly the previous owner maintained the building.
You'll enjoy witty commentary such as " I wish the light wasn't burned out cuz like this stuff on the wall is like kinda cool". And " the basement has like all kinds if rooms and stuff but it's like haunted so we like don't go down there."
It's building up to be a pretty awful ill informed badly designed tourist trap.
The Dumas, despite it being advertised as reopened is still better then 3/4 closed off from the public and under construction. This is not reflected in the $8.00 admission price though.
Your tour begins as you are ushered into the lobby by one of the owners. You may have a difficult time understanding the 10 minute sales pitch as they explain each item in the gift shop through twitches constant sniffing gritted teeth and pinned pupils. Then you will be whisked down a single hall and shown 4 rooms and told all about what they intend to do someday and how poorly the previous owner maintained the building.
You'll enjoy witty commentary such as " I wish the light wasn't burned out cuz like this stuff on the wall is like kinda cool". And " the basement has like all kinds if rooms and stuff but it's like haunted so we like don't go down there."
It's building up to be a pretty awful ill informed badly designed tourist trap.
Written 3 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am co-owner of the the Historic Dumas Brothel, and I reviewed our guest book and was unable to find your name or any details that indicate you visited the Dumas, so please contact me via email so I can send you a FULL refund immediately! My sincerest apologies for whomever it was that provided you with a tour... If you happen to know the person's name it will help me to make things better! We operate exclusively through volunteers who provide tours for us (free of charge) as a part of our restoration efforts and unfortunately we have had some negative experiences with a couple of them (one which we no longer utilize for volunteer work). Nonetheless, we do our best and always will. Thank you for the feedback so that I can personally resolve this for you!
Written 12 July 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
edisoncarter23
Tampa, FL136 contributions
Sept 2019
I visited on a cold Saturday afternoon. It was just me, so I got a private tour. Let's be clear, this is not a refined, well-organized museum or a highly rehearsed, orchestrated tour. The new owners have owned the place for just about a year, and they're still trying to repair, organize, and clean up the place, while discovering its history for themselves. So, my tour felt more like a friend showing me around a place and telling me stories.
At first, that seemed a little odd, but by the end of the tour, I was totally immersed in the history of the place -- not just regarding prostitution, but the entire history of Butte and how the brothel shaped the city. We went into every corner of the old building, including the deepest reaches of the basement, saw secret passageways and prohibition-era bottles of alcohol that had been hidden away for decades. I didn't see any ghosts, but we talked about the paranormal activity in the place, and it's very convincing. I ended up staying much longer than the expected one hour.
At first, that seemed a little odd, but by the end of the tour, I was totally immersed in the history of the place -- not just regarding prostitution, but the entire history of Butte and how the brothel shaped the city. We went into every corner of the old building, including the deepest reaches of the basement, saw secret passageways and prohibition-era bottles of alcohol that had been hidden away for decades. I didn't see any ghosts, but we talked about the paranormal activity in the place, and it's very convincing. I ended up staying much longer than the expected one hour.
Written 6 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike H
2 contributions
Oct 2017 • Solo
Caught a good amount of Orbs. & also a figure(s) in the basement. EVPs/voices as well. History at its finest!
Written 14 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Redbirds1
Rockford, IL236 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
This place could be really cool and interesting if the owners really buckled down and took it seriously. A brothel that operated from 1890 to 1982 and is still standing? That's interesting!
However, we were disappointed with our visit. As suggested, we called ahead to make a reservation. This didn't seem necessary since we were the only visitors on a Saturday afternoon. Then, the lady (the owner's mother) explained she couldn't give us a guided tour because she was the only person working. So some people pay $8 for a guided tour and others pay the same just to wander on their own? And making the reservation helped us how?
The lady gave us a little background (emphasis on LITTLE) on the place and then invited us to walk around the place and look at stuff. There were some newspaper articles and some items that looked as though they were printed from wikipedia taped to the walls in a couple of places. Nearly half of the rooms in the large house were locked shut because they are under construction.
After our visit, we felt like the tour would have been MILES better if a a knowledgeable and passionate guide had showed us around and told us some interesting stories to really make the place come alive.
We typically love doing history tours and ghost tours wherever we travel. This attraction leaves a LOT to be desired.
However, we were disappointed with our visit. As suggested, we called ahead to make a reservation. This didn't seem necessary since we were the only visitors on a Saturday afternoon. Then, the lady (the owner's mother) explained she couldn't give us a guided tour because she was the only person working. So some people pay $8 for a guided tour and others pay the same just to wander on their own? And making the reservation helped us how?
The lady gave us a little background (emphasis on LITTLE) on the place and then invited us to walk around the place and look at stuff. There were some newspaper articles and some items that looked as though they were printed from wikipedia taped to the walls in a couple of places. Nearly half of the rooms in the large house were locked shut because they are under construction.
After our visit, we felt like the tour would have been MILES better if a a knowledgeable and passionate guide had showed us around and told us some interesting stories to really make the place come alive.
We typically love doing history tours and ghost tours wherever we travel. This attraction leaves a LOT to be desired.
Written 2 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate your review of the Dumas Brothel Museum. I am one of the owners and felt that even though we haven't met, I should respond to your comments since you made mention of the owners in your review.
The Dumas Brothel has always been more than a run of the mill business, as you so aptly pointed put, it is undergoing restoration construction. This obviously is a full time job in itself, requiring more hours and hard work for us than most people from my generation can even fathom, let alone fulfill. Aside from the thankless and often unseen work of restoring a 126 year old National Landmark, I am also responsible for managing the museums operation's. I do everything from the bookkeeping to organizing the special events and tours, keeping the inventory, managing the online & telephone bookings, and scheduling our limited staff to somehow facilitate and coordinate each visitors unique request's each and every day, to name but a few... Of course there are the more basic duties as well, like the cleaning and maintenance of the building, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the restrooms, that sort of thing... But my point here is to explain that all of these things require my full attention, leaving little time for anything else, and honestly, there really are never enough hours in a day to complete the necessary work we do, before waking up to do it all over again.
Nevertheless during your visit I was away from the building, surely I was out running errands that had begun piling up, but I assure you that as one of the owners I do not take my responsibilities lightly, and I am always working to improve the Dumas, as it has become my life. Five years ago we set out to save the Dumas Brothel from demolition, and I suppose because we are single handedly to thank for the Dumas' existence today, and for the public being allowed to come inside to enjoy it with us, I am perfectly content being the one to blame when folks like yourself decide to go online and pass judgment about what, how, and when we did wrong. So again, thank you for your review, but mostly, thank you for helping me to gain some perspective on my life. In the grand scheme of things, I'd have to say things are going pretty well.
Sincerely,
Michael Piche -Proprietor
Dumas Brothel Museum
Written 10 July 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
How much does it cost to get in? Do you make reservations for a tour? Is the building safe?
Written 28 July 2015
I think we paid $4 a person when we went. You do not need reservations but they are not open daily so check their hours of business. The building is old just be careful going up and down the stairs.
Written 28 July 2015
Unfortunately, people do not realize that the Dumas was "near death" until we decided to save it. It is under reconstruction and we do not allow overnight stays at this time...
Written 11 May 2015
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