You won’t believe this Butte bar’s incredible transformation.

Thirty years ago, Butte was still learning how to deal with the economic and social fallout that came with the fall of the Anaconda Company.  A once bustling mining boomtown whose population had been well over 100,000 early in the twentieth century, by the 1990s it had fallen to just over 30,000.  With the decline in population came urban blight.  Many Uptown buildings, which once housed stores, offices and apartments were abandoned and lay dormant.  The warehouse district was no exception.  Right in the heart of the district is the once-bustling Great Northern Depot which was a hub of railway travel in Montana. For years it sat abandoned, although many would talk about the building's potential.  But nobody took action.  Until the Fisher Family came into the picture.

FROM ABANDONED TRAIN STATION TO BAR AND RECEPTION HALL

Bill Fisher and his family put countless hours into refurbishing the once abandoned train station, transforming it into a large reception hall and adjacent bar and casino where they began hosting parties, benefits and even concerts.  They added an outdoor stage area in the rear parking lot which became an ampitheater with plenty of room for big crowds.  And they got them, bringing in such big-time acts as Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town and the Insane Clown Posse.  Yes, the Insane Clown Posse.

Aldean even took a little time after his first show to tend bar, although he says he wasn't really good at serving anything but beer. But even the transformation from train station to tavern and events center has to take a back seat to what the Fisher Family did next.

FROM RECEPTION HALL AND BAR TO....SOMETHING FROM A MOVIE SET.

Over the last couple of years, the Fishers have taken the Depot's renovation a few steps further.  Well, more than a few steps.  The bar area has been transformed into "Bourbon Alley" and the decor is simply incredible.

Check out the stage area.

The new "Bourbon Alley" decor is something you really have to see to believe.  From the incredible stage area to the bottomless "mine shaft table", there is something in every nook and cranny that will catch your eye.  And even a salute to local firefighters and 9-11 responders.

It is truly a sight to behold.  Stop by and take a look at 818 S. Arizona in Butte.