Fun Friday
Good Morning we have made it through another week and now it's time to go on our weekly Friday adventure. Can you guess where we are going this week? We are going to go visit the magnificent state of Wyoming
1.) Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone-This is an absolutely beautiful spot to visit. where you get to see the magnificent waterfalls.
2.) Buffalo Bill Center of the West located in Cody- Hours: Mar 1–Apr 30: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. daily May 1–Sep 15: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. daily. Sep 16–Oct 31: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. Nov 1–30: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. Dec 1–Feb 28: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s days. Since 1927, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West has been committed to the greatness and growth of the American West, keeping western experiences alive. The Center of the West, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, weaves the varied threads of the western experience-history and myth, art and Native culture, firearms, and the nature and science of Yellowstone-into the rich panorama that is the American West. The Center of the West has been honored with numerous awards, including TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence for four years running.
3.) Devil's Tower National Monument- This 870-foot stone monument, thought to have been created from the remains of a volcano, is the center of many Indian religious ceremonies.
4.) Grand Prismatic Springs located in Yellowstone National Park- You've got to check this place out, it's so beautiful I never knew this was even possible but it is a Brightly-colored hot spring, the result of algae that live in the water. Don't forget to check out all the other amazing places inside the park like Old Faithful.
5.) Cody Dug Up Gun Museum located in Cody-Stroll through history while viewing over a thousand of relic guns & other weapons from many different time periods and locations including “America’s War of Independence, The Gold Rush Era, The U.S. Civil War, The Old West & Indian Wars, World War I, The Roaring 20’s and World War II”. The museum is a proud sponsor of the Cody Gunfighters Show at the world famous Irma Hotel (just steps away from our museum!) We are members of the Cody Chamber of Commerce and enthusiastic supporters of Cody’s historical attractions. Open 9:am – 9:pm - 7 days a week from May through September.
6.) National Historic Trails Interpretive Center located in Casper- Have you ever wanted to learn more about the Oregon Trail,Mormon Trail, California Trail and the Pony Express Trail look no further. The NHTC is a public and private partnership between the Bureau of Land Management and the NHTC Foundation, a 501c3 created to promote and preserve the heritage surrounding the pathways to the West. The Center is dedicated to providing educational programs to increase public awareness of the historical trails and to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of visitors and residents. We are VERY family friendly; and have something to entertain any age. FREE ADMISSION OPEN seven days a week We host school classes/groups/ and tours. (call in advance please) Digital learning classroom with a Ranger and so much More! Call for details.
7.) Old Trail Town located in Cody- OPEN May 15 through SEPTEMBER 30, 7 days a week Take a walk through history. 28 historic frontier buildings have been reconstructed on the original townsite of Cody City, furnished with period artifacts. Old Trail Town is also home to the Museum of the Old West.
8.) Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site Located in Laramie- hours of operation are 10am-3pm. The Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site has an incredibly rich history. Run as a federal (territorial) and state prison from 1872 to 1903, it then became the Agricultural Experiment Station for the University of Wyoming after the State Prison relocated to Rawlins. The site is now operated as a Historic Site by the State of Wyoming.
9.) Wyoming Dinosaur Center located in Thermopolis hours of operations are 10am-5pm. Experience one of the top ten dinosaur museums in the world! The Wyoming Dinosaur Center has over 58 mounted skeletons of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, in addition to thousands of fossils from across Wyoming and around the world. Take a peek into our preparation lab where you can watch paleontologists expose the past. Visit active dinosaur dig sites only ten minutes away from the museum on a guided tour! Sign up for a Dig for a Day or Shovel Ready and experience paleontology firsthand, as your personal paleontologists lead you on an adventure you will never forget. Join us for an experience of dinosaur discovery unlike any other!
10.) Museum of the Plains Indians located in Cody- hours of operations are 8am-6pm. This location has so many amazing artifacts to really showcase the culture and ways of life for this tribe as well some of art and myths and more.
11.) Grand Targhee Ski resort located in Alta for my snow loving friends you have to check this place out. Escape the crowds and get back to the way skiing and snowboarding were meant to be experienced at Grand Targhee. You'll enjoy wide open, uncrowded runs, with 2,602 acres of diverse terrain, 500+ inches of annual snowfall, a Kids Adventure Zone, and Wyoming's only cat skiing operation. The big mountain setting, slopeside accommodations, Western charm, and relaxed atmosphere make Grand Targhee a must-visit destination. Throughout the summer, you'll find over 70 miles of trails for hiking and biking. An award-winning bike park with 15 miles of lift-served downhill bike trails, makes for a perfect summer adventure. You'll also find two world-class music festivals featuring some incredible talent.
12.) The Star Plunge located in Thermopolis- Hot Springs Water Park Year Round, Open Daily, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM 2 Large Pools,2 Hot Tubs, 3 Water Slides, Vapor Cave, 3 Jacuzzis, 2 Baby Pools, 10 foot High Jump, Weight Room, 2 Tanning Beds, Game Room, Gift Shop, Sack Bar
13.) American Fossil located in Kemmerer hours of operations are 8am-5pm. American fossils are giving you the opportunity of a lifetime. We have the only quarry in the world where you have the opportunity to keep every fossil you find. We have recently acquired the South Dempsey Quarry, in the Green River Formation and want to make it the most exciting destination in the world for families and everyone who loves fossils or the outdoors. Our quarry is open May 30-September 30th.
14.) Teton Raptor Center located in Wilson Due to renovations this year things will be by reservation only but you can check out the website for all the juicy details. Teton Raptor Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to advancing raptor conservation through education, research, and rehabilitation. We offer public programs throughout the year, during which visitors will learn about birds of prey and get to meet some of our majestic resident raptors up-close. Hours and programs change seasonally. Thanks for giving a hoot!
15.) Heart Mountain Interpretive Center located in Powell- hours of operations is 10am-5pm. The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center is located at the site of a former World War II Japanese American Relocation Camp. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese Americans on the West Coast were rounded up and confined in 10 camps around the country. One of these was located at Heart Mountain, and approximately 14,000 Japanese Americans were wrongly incarcerated here. The camp today features a museum, gallery, walking tour, original Relocation Camp structures and a World War II Memorial. The museum features interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages showing how Japanese Americans coped with unjust confinement and how the story of Japanese American imprisonment affects our lives today. A 14-minute introductory film plays several times each hour.
16.) National Museum of Military Vehicles located in Dubois hours of operations are 9:30am-5pm. You may not expect it in a small Wyoming town so close to Yellowstone National Park, but the National Museum of Military Vehicles is our nation's premier, world-class military history museum. We’re dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and their families and active-duty servicemen and women. We tell their stories in three major galleries through immersive exhibits focusing currently on World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The 160,000 sq. foot Museum currently displays the world’s largest private collection of over 500 fully restored military vehicles. Also, the Museum presents a historically significant major firearms collection that includes the fully authenticated musket that fired the first shot in the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill. And the Museum continues to grow with its recent opening of The Canteen (food court) and Assembly Hall in the new Poolaw Building. Admission is FREE to veterans and active-duty servicemen and women.
17.) Wyoming Frontier Prison located in Rawlins- hours of operation are 9am-5pm. The eighty year history of Wyoming’s first state penitentiary, now known as the Wyoming Frontier Prison, is as colorful and elaborate as the plot of a classic western movie. The cornerstone of the prison was laid in 1888, but due to funding issues and Wyoming’s notorious weather, the doors wouldn’t open for thirteen years. In December of 1901, the prison opened and consisted of 104 cells (Cell Block A), no electricity or running water, and very inadequate heating. Throughout the prison’s operation, approximately 13,500 people were incarcerated, including eleven women. Overcrowding was an almost constant concern, and the first of several additions to the penitentiary was completed in 1904, adding 32 cells to the west end of the original cell block (Cell Block A). Women were housed in the prison until 1909, until the last woman was transferred to Colorado. The addition of the second cell block (Cell Block B) in 1950 temporarily relieved the overcrowding, and also included solitary confinement cells, a much more efficient heating system, and hot running water which wouldn’t be installed in the original cell block for another twenty-eight years. A maximum security addition (Cell Block C) was completed in 1966, but the addition only included thirty-six cells and was reserved for serious discipline cases. The prison was equipped with several different means of disciplining inmates throughout its operation, including a dungeon, several variations of solitary confinement and a “punishment pole” to which men were handcuffed and whipped with rubber hoses. The prison also used different execution methods.. The first two executions were carried out using the “traveling” Julien Gallows which were used to hang Tom Horn in Cheyenne in 1903. In 1916, the penitentiary completed the addition of a “death house” which consisted of six cells to house inmates on death row, and a unique indoor version of the Julien Gallows. The building also housed the gas chamber when it was chosen to replace hanging as Wyoming’s execution method of choice in 1936. Ultimately 14 death sentences were carried out; nine men were hanged, and five were executed in the gas chamber by the use of hydrocyanic acid gas. The Wyoming Frontier Prison is a remnant of the grizzly past of the old west, but not every aspect of prison life was so off-putting. Over the 80-year operation, the prison produced goods to meet demands of four major industries. From 1901 through 1917 the prison had a broom factory, but inmates burned it down during a riot. The factory was rebuilt and operated as a shirt factory which brought in twice the revenue to the state. In 1934, a federal law was passed to prohibit the sale and transportation of prison manufactured goods from one state to another, which resulted in the loss of significant revenue when the factory closed. In 1935, the factory began operating as a woolen mill which won the “Navy E” in 1942 for the superior quality blankets produced by the prison for the military during World War II. In 1949 the prison changed production one last time, producing license plates until the penitentiary closed in 1981. After serving the state for eighty years, the prison closed its doors, and sat abandoned until 1987 when a low budget movie titled “Prison” was filmed on location. The movie was one of Viggo Mortensen’s first and featured several other well known actors. Significant damage was done to the prison grounds during filming because it had yet to be considered a historic site. In 1988, a joint powers board assumed ownership of the penitentiary, dubbed it The Wyoming Frontier Prison, and established it as a museum. The Wyoming Frontier Prison has since been listed on The National Registry of Historic Places, and offers tours to approximately 15,000 visitors annually.
18.) Museum of the Mountain Man- hours of operations are 9am-5pm The Pinedale region was at the heart of the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade, which supplied precious beaver pelts to the fashion industries of Europe and the eastern United States. Mountain men like Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Thomas Fitzpatrick and William Sublette carved their legends here, and opened the way for the pioneers of the Oregon Trail. The Museum of the Mountain Man shares a comprehensive collection of Rocky Mountain fur trade journals, relics such as Jim Bridger’s Rifle and the finest Native American sheephorn bow still in existence. Opened May through October and winter season by appointment.
19.) Cheyenne Depot Museum hours of operation are 9am-3pm. The Cheyenne Depot Museum is housed in the renovated Union Pacific Cheyenne Depot, a National Historic Landmark. The museum provides a journey through the history of Cheyenne. It also houses the world famous model railroad layout, the Union Central & Northern, an HOn3 scale layout created by Harry Brunk.
20.) Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum- hours of operations are 10am-5pm Learn about the history of Cheyenne and the Old West at this engaging museum which exhibits antique horse-drawn carriages, wagons and early automobiles, among other artifacts and memorabilia related to the region. admission starts at roughly $14
21.) The Brinton Museum hours of operations are 9:30am-5pm The Brinton Museum is located on the historic 620-acre Quarter Circle A Ranch in Big Horn, Wyoming and features 19th, 20th and 21st century Western and American Indian Art in a setting that is art unto itself. The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building includes three floors featuring five galleries, a Museum Store, and the Brinton Bistro, offering indoor and outdoor dining with picturesque, 180-degree views of the Bighorn Mountains. Nestled into the hillside, the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building is anchored by a two-foot thick, 51-foot high, 209-foot long arced rammed earth wall, the tallest in North America. The design symbolically defines the space, bringing together the geological and spiritual nature of its Western and American Indian Art collections. The Brinton Museum includes the historic Brinton Ranch House, built in 1892, well-kept grounds, gardens and outbuildings, and Little Goose Creek Lodge.
22.) Historic Governors Mansion located in Cheyenne- hours of operations are 9am-5pm Built in 1904, this grand Colonial Revival-style mansion was home to 19 of Wyoming's First Families, including the First Female Governor in the United States. Docents will gladly orient you to the home before sending you on a self guided tour of the Mansion. We are happy to welcome you as our guest to Wyoming's First Executive Mansion!
23.) Cheyenne Botanical Garden's hours of operations are 10am-5pm- You don't want to miss the new three story conservatory! It opened in August 2017. The Grand Conservatory features a tropical conservatory with several areas of respite. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens is Wyoming’s only botanic garden. It exists in one of the most challenging gardening climates in the lower 48 states (high winds, regular hail, high altitude, little winter snow cover and unpredictable first and last frosts). Come explore our Grand Conservatory as well as 27 specialty landscapes, where senior, youth and handicapped volunteers provide a majority of the physical labor. This is also home to Engine 1242, the oldest locomotive engine in Wyoming.
24.) Frontier Auto Museum located in GIllette hours of operations are 10am-5pm- You will find a 4,000 sq ft Relic Store combining antiques, handmade & Up-cycled items for sale. There is a $12 admission into the museum. Group, Service Professionals (Military, Fire, Police, Teacher, etc) & Senior rates are $10. Children 12 & under FREE (Must be accompanied by an adult). In the back of the building you will find a 13,000 sq ft museum where we are preserving the history and nest-alga of early Americana, automotive & transportation industry. Lot's of oil & gas related decor, including 22 classic cars and motorcycles. We do love Hudson's so you will find a lot of Hudson memorabilia in the museum. Also included in the museum is a collection of many unique items that make up an old Main Street Town. A mining museum was added in May of 2019. This is a private collection started by Leon & Jeff Wandler. A stop that you can not miss!!
25.) Fort Bridger Historic Site- Established in 1843 by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez as a trading post for travelers along the Overland Trails. Between 1853 and 1857 it was a Mormon Trading Post for emigrants to Utah. From 1857 to 1890 it was a US Army Post with several companies of infantry assigned to frontier protection. In addition to an authentic reconstruction of the Bridger-Vasquez fort, many historic structures from the military period still exist on site and are open for tours
26.) Rockpile Museum located in Gillette- Collect. Preserve. Educate. The Campbell County Rockpile Museum tells the story of the Powder River Basin. Rockpile Museum exhibits feature collections of fossils, Native American artifacts, rifles, saddles, horse-drawn vehicles, and other ranching, homesteading, and energy industry equipment. Hands-on activities throughout the exhibits make for a fun and informative experience for your group of any size or age. Admission Fees: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $8 for groups of 5 or more, $5 for students. Children under 5, active duty military and families, and veterans and spouses are FREE. Special tickets for Rockpile Museum and Frontier Auto are $15. The museum has a full schedule of temporary exhibits and educational programming each year. There is something for everyone at the Campbell County Rockpile Museum. Open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday.
27.) Fremont County Pioneer Museum hours of operations are 9am-5pm. The Fremont County Pioneer Museum in Lander is located at the foot of the Wind River Mountains in west central Wyoming and is Wyoming's oldest history museum. Beginning in 1916 the collections of artifacts include amazing Native American collections and artifacts related to the Oregon, Mormon and California Trails, gold mining, agriculture and ranching. The Pioneer Museum hosts a number of great programs each year as part of their Discovery Speakers Series, Children's Exploration Series and the Adventure Trek Series in addition to a historic walking tour of Lander.
28.) Hot Springs County Museum & Cultural Center- hours of operations are 9am-4pm Belly up to the original bar where outlaws from the Hole-In-The-Wall gang once sat, including the infamous Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid! Though spirits are no longer served to patrons, it is a great place to sit and imagine the sights, sounds and smells that once surrounded this icon from the past. Walk through an old town setting where you can peer through the doors and windows of an old general store, doctor & dentist offices, a reconstructed jail, a newspaper & print shop, barber shop and much more. Explore one of the largest Indian artifact collections in Wyoming. The museum also houses several prehistoric artifacts and an amazing display of rocks & minerals. This history of Hot Springs County would not be complete without honoring our veterans. We have cases full of artifacts from area soldiers who served in several conflicts over the years. Check out the museum gift shop for some unique gifts & souvenirs!
29.) Pioneer Memorial Museum located in Douglas hours of operations are 8am-4pm Explore Wyoming's pioneer history. Admission is FREE! The purpose of the Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum is to collect, preserve, interpret and display historical and cultural materials related to westward expansion, to Wyoming pioneers in particular and the west in general. Come enjoy: the teepee from the movie "Dances With Wolves", historic photographs, pioneer history, WY State Fair history, Native American artifacts, one room schoolhouse, early day bar pioneer living, Dr.'s buggy, historic cabin, wagons, stock detective Tom Horn's saddle, rifles; such as once belonged to Nate Champion.
30.) Crook County Museum-History doesn’t have a state line; the historical aspects of the west can be seen in the Crook County Museum &Art Gallery in picturesque Sundance, Wyoming right off of Interstate 90. The History of Crook County is depicted in the many dioramas and exhibits, over 7000 artifacts. The original courtroom where the Sundance Kid had his trial is on display in one of our permanent exhibits along with a gun exhibit that is phenomenal. Experience a walk through time in the replica barn and stable with its buggy and work tools. Glance in the bunk house that has all the amenities a cowboy bachelor could want. Listen for the sounds of stampeding buffalo hooves as you look at the Vore Buffalo Jump diorama with all its grand archeology discoveries. Go on an adventure of a lifetime with Custer and his men as they trek through the Black Hills in the Expedition of 1874. Follow the trails and the tribulations of his men as they fight for survival against nature, the illicit miners, and the natives.
This is another state with so many things to do that it's hard to list them all but this is heaven to people who love the outdoors. So many great places to hike and see so many amazing waterfalls and other natural beauties. I hope that you take the time to visit this state and take in all the wild wild west history.
I hope that you have enjoyed this week's tour and come back next week for another amazing adventure. Remember to always be kind as it costs nothing and if you see someone without a smile stop and give them yours a smile is contagious.
Written by: BeatifulChaos318
