Keep heading north from Denver on I-25 and you’ll run into Cheyenne, the capital city of Wyoming. Cheyenne is a big city, at least by Wyoming’s standards, and it has plenty of tourist destinations that aren’t hard to find if you take a look around. So whether Cheyenne is your destination or whether you’re driving through to reach somewhere else, you should stop by at least one of these tourist destinations.
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum
Cheyenne Frontier Days is a massive event, one of the biggest rodeos and festivals in the area. It takes place every year for a week in late July, but if you aren’t around for the big rodeo you can always visit the Old West Museum nearby. The museum collects artifacts that date back to before Wyoming was a frontier territory, plus it has exhibits that describe the history of Cheyenne Frontier Days. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for kids 12 and under, and it’s open every day from 9 to 5.
Wyoming State Museum
If the Old West Museum isn’t enough history for you, the Wyoming State Museum is just down the block from the Wyoming State Capitol. While the Old West Museum focuses on Wyoming during the frontier days, the Wyoming State Museum is much more extensive. Its collection includes galleries about the National Park Service, the thousands of years that Native Americans have lived in the state, and the many fossils discovered in the Wyoming deserts and hills. The museum stays open from 9 to 4:30 most days, and admission is free for everyone.
The Big Boy Steam Engine
In Holliday Park, just north of the still-active train yards, you can find the Big Boy Steam Engine. The American Locomotive Company built this steam engine and others like it in the 1940s, creating a coal-fired powerhouse that could march up relatively steep slopes with a long line of cars behind it. The Big Boy in Cheyenne retired in 1958 thanks to the growing number of diesel trains on the rails, but even now that its service has ended, the Big Boy stands as the biggest steam locomotive ever built.
Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
Southeast Wyoming is mostly desert and arid plains, which makes the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens that much more of a delightful surprise when you visit. The gardens cover nine acres and include an incredible amount of beautiful plants and diverse species. It also has a community garden tended by volunteers that produces vegetables for those in need. Then there’s the Grand Conservatory, a massive glass building with a tropical atmosphere and a periscope visitors can use to have a look at the surrounding city.
Cheyenne has a lot to offer visitors, including museums, beautiful gardens and interesting landmarks. Whether you’re on your way into Wyoming or whether you’re heading back out, the tourist sites of Cheyenne will keep you busy for however long you plan on staying in town.
Image by Alexas_Fotos, used under CCO 1.0
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