Wyoming State Museum
2301 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY
Cheyenne, WY
The whole sweep of Wyoming under one roof, from dinosaurs and Native nations to cowboys and the first women voters, in one welcoming state museum.
The Wyoming State Museum tells the story of the whole state in one free, wide-ranging collection, a short walk from the capitol in downtown Cheyenne. From the deep past written in fossils to the Native nations who have lived here for thousands of years, and on through the fur trade, the trails, ranching, mining, and the state's pioneering role in women's suffrage, it lays out Wyoming from the ground up.
As the flagship of the state's museum system, it is a natural first stop for a traveler wanting context before heading out into the mountains, basins, and plains. Its mix of serious history and hands-on exhibits makes it welcoming to scholars and families alike, and it opens its doors to all comers.
What Guests Love
- A broad, well-told history of the whole state, welcoming to all
- Dinosaur fossils and geology from Wyoming's rich fossil beds
- Exhibits on Native nations, the fur trade, ranching, and mining
- Hands-on areas that make it a good stop for families
Worth Knowing
- The museum welcomes visitors, and donations help support it
- It is open on a regular schedule, generally Tuesday through Saturday; check before an off-day visit
- It pairs naturally with the nearby capitol for a downtown Cheyenne history walk
- Allow an hour or two to take in the range of exhibits
Details
Cheyenne, WY
Learn about Wyoming State Museum
Deep time and Wyoming's fossils
Wyoming holds some of the richest fossil beds in the world, and the museum brings that deep past to life with dinosaur bones, ancient fish from the state's fossil lakes, and displays on the geology that shaped the land. The state has yielded famous dinosaurs and the aquarium-in-stone fossils of the southwest.
These exhibits set the stage for everything else, showing how ancient seas, swamps, and volcanic upheavals built the mountains and basins that travelers cross today, and left behind the coal, oil, and minerals that shaped the modern state's economy.
The first peoples and the frontier
The museum gives careful attention to the Native nations of the region, among them the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho, whose Wind River homeland lies within the state, and the many Plains peoples tied to this land. Their long presence and living cultures are central to Wyoming's story, not a closed chapter.
From there the exhibits trace the fur trade, the great emigrant trails, the coming of the railroad, and the conflicts and treaties that reshaped the plains. Artifacts, photographs, and firsthand accounts give a human scale to the sweeping changes of the nineteenth century.
Cowboys, mining, and the Equality State
Ranching is at the heart of Wyoming's identity, and the museum explores the cattle era, the cowboy life, and the sheep and homestead history that filled the range. Displays on coal, oil, and mineral mining show the industries that have long powered the state.
Cheyenne is also the home of Wyoming's proudest political legacy, and the museum tells how the territory became the first government to grant women the vote, earning the state its Equality nickname. It is a fitting theme for a museum steps from the capitol where that history was made.
Visiting and the downtown around it
The museum is free and open on a regular schedule through the week, with hands-on stations that keep younger visitors engaged and rotating special exhibits that reward return trips. An hour or two is enough to take in the highlights before moving on.
Its location makes it easy to combine with the gold-domed capitol a block away and the historic downtown of old hotels and the grand railroad depot. Together they make Cheyenne a rewarding half day of Wyoming history before the open road.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Cheyenne
Wyoming State Capitol
About a block
The restored gold-domed statehouse of the Equality State, open to visitors on weekdays.
Cheyenne Depot Museum
About half a mile south
A grand restored Union Pacific depot with railroad history and a lively plaza.
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
About 1 mile southwest
A free public conservatory and gardens, a warm green escape on a cold plains day.