Stopped by Rawlins, WY and I'm really glad we did the tour! You honestly have to book the tour or…read moreyou don't really see any of the actual prison. My kids (6, 7 years old) and my husband loved coming here. It was a great tour and we had a great tour guide (male, didn't catch his name) and it was really informative. We went to most of the rooms inside the prison and even went outside to see the yard. I wish they had more in the gift shop to purchase, but we ended up getting shirts and some penny coins from the machine. Definitely stop by if you are in the area! They have plenty of parking and even RV parking as we brought an RV.

These tours are always very compelling. I have gone three times, I have not once been…read moredisappointed. If you like history and great stories about prisoners and history, this is the place for you.

Large museum considering this is a tiny town. A lot of neat artifacts inside the museum and a bunch…read moreof buildings to view. They offer tours of the property (we only had time to listen to the beginning of one). Please note that certain buildings can only be entered via tour. FREE entry (donations accepted). Friendly staff. The gentleman working inside the museum was really nice and eager to show us photos of nearby ghost towns. He seemed very enthusiastic about the work that he does. Great stop if you like pioneer history and/or mining history. BEST PART: The two-story outhouse. Make sure you at least walk around to see it (you don't need to be on a tour to walk around, only to enter certain buildings).

In a small historical small town in Wyoming is a large museum. There is many artifacts to see in…read morethe main bldg. Outside there is a small operational western towns. Notable is the two story outhouse. There is an observation tower to climb. It once was used to watch for forest fires. A beautiful view of the surroundings. There is the ruins of a system for lumbering. Plenty of parking. Great gift shop. Admission is free but donations are accepted.

Although this museum is alright and you can see and learn a great deal of history about Saratoga…read moreand the surrounding area when you compare to the museum in the neighboring town of Encampment this one is not that great. Sure you get to see old gadgetry and such from the olden days but it is just not the same compared going to the Encampment one.

Saratoga has a way of making one fall head over heels for the place. You're not the first to do it,…read moreand won't be the last. So if you want to learn more about your new fling and how she became what she is today you need to learn about her past. You don't need to do a background check, you just need to pay a visit to the Saratoga Museum. It's not a huge city museum so adjust your expectations. But for where it is and what it has this is an interesting place. You'll leave knowing more about Saratoga than you ever imagined. Friendly staff, great exhibits, and at a reasonable price that helps the locals preserve their past is what you'll find here. If in Saratoga when they're open, take the time to check it out.

Love this wonderful museum! So beautiful and wonderful memories from the past! If you are in the…read morearea you need to stop in and it will be a place you will always want to come back to over and over again!

A quaint off the path museum that has interactions and real exhibits. my family of 4 loved this…read moreplace! The buildings and memorabilia are exception and it's free! Buy something from the gift shop and donate some money!

The Medicine Bow Museum is a labor of love by the tiny community of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. It is…read morehoused in the old railroad depot, manned by volunteers and stuffed full of old foots of the town that inspired the classic western, "The Virginian". They have lots of info about the plays. Movies and TV shows that have been based on the book over the years. They even have the author's 1916 log hunting lodge, which was disassembled and brought here from the Jackson Hole area by the local Lions Club.

A worthwhile stop along Highway 30 in historic Medicine Bow. Owen Wister wrote 'The Virginian'…read morewhile staying here. The historic Virginian hotel, named for the book opened in 1911, and is across the street from the Medicine Bow Museum. The museum located in the old Depot is filled with interesting displays including info on 'The Virginian' and various tv shows and movies based on the book. Owen's cabin is located next to the depot.

If it wasn't for the fact that there are every bit of 278 people in this little hamlet, you could…read morebe forgiven if you completely by-passed this Historical Museum on the outskirts of the burgeoning metropolis known as Centennial, Wyoming. The roar of the dense traffic (an average of about 5-7 cars per hour) could lead you to worry as to whether crossing the oncoming lane of traffic on a narrow country lane is a safe bet. Well, worry no longer even though there are no actual plans to add a traffic light, additional stop sign, or even a blinking yellow crosswalk to this picturesque town. After an approximate 25 mile drive from Laramie, the mountains start getting bigger in your windshield - well, because they are getting closer. As you come down into the entrance of the valley, you begin to get the idea that you could actually live and retire here. Before you decide to do that, you really need to stop at this museum located at the entrance to the town just wear the signs warn the deer, elk, and occasional tourist to slow down to about 30. Warning: Not slowing down will cause you to miss the museum, the ice cream shop, the coffee drive-thru, the steak houses, the tavern, the little store, and might even get you a ticket from the lone policeman who sits in his patrol car just past the steak restaurant on the left. Be warned as it is definitely a speed trap and Barney Fife will stop you and throw you in the clink for trying to destroy this pristine haven with your Co2 emissions. It does not matter that it probably emits less than the flatulent cow herds scattered around town. Back to the museum that is on the left hand side of the road, DON'T MISS IT! It is run by volunteers who also recommend that you don't miss it. The people of the town don't want you to miss it. In fact, if Centennial had a mayor, they would probably campaign on the promise to bring more traffic to the Nici Self Historical Museum. So, DON'T MISS IT! Seriously, the museum is free but does accept donations to help keep the doors open, so contribute as much as you feel you can. The museum continues to add quaint exhibitions that show you things like the history of the town, the history of the mine which is now closed, and the ranching heritage of past generations. There are several very large ranches in the area that are still in operation. The exhibits also include items like a clawfoot metal bathtub, uniforms and outfits from over 100 years ago, an old train caboose, old fire engines, horse-drawn wagons, a nice wood-working shop exhibit, and even a distant relative of Mater of "Cars" fame sits ready to take on the next winter with his skis and tracks. Having been a funeral director in the past, it was also of interest that there is only one grave in this entire area and it is located at the museum. The grass is fairly well kept and it is fenced off, but no other cemeteries. The caretakers did not even seem to know why this is because many old towns even have some semblance of a Boot Hill. While you can probably see everything in less than an hour, you could easily spend closer to 2 hours reading all the interesting pieces of trivia and the history of the hardy generations who came to live where very few were willing to live at the entrance to some of the most beautiful country in the world. From their website: https://niciselfmuseum.org/ Nici Self Historical Museum 2734 Highway 130 Centennial, Wyoming 82055 Open Thursday through Monday, noon to 4 PM, Memorial Day through Labor Day Open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 PM in September

Great place for every family and history buff. Well restored, maintained historic items in many…read morebuildings and on the grounds. Helpful staff was there on Memorial weekend. The staff at the gift shop next door can also provide info if needed. Great places to eat, visit, shop in this small historical town, Awesome for family! Make sure you stop at this museum! The caboose is in the best shape I have ever seen for one this age. Way to go to the people who volunteer to keep this place going for others to enjoy!

The Dinosaur Fossil Cabin Museum, often referred to as "the oldest cabin in the world", is outside…read moreof Medicine Bow, Wyoming. It's made of thousands of dinosaur fossils. The actual museum is closed but theres a lot to see and pretty views of the bluffs if you just get out and walk around for a bit. It's located eight miles east of Medicine Bow, on US Route 30. This starter cabin turned fossil museum is constructed of approximately 26,000 dinosaur bones extracted from the nearby Como Bluff dig site. It was designed by Thomas Boylan, an entrepreneur who hauled out the dinosaur bones and together with his family completed the Fossil Cabin in 1933. Thomas had apparently been collecting dinosaur bones for seventeen years when he realized his entire pile of bones came from various species and there appeared to be no complete specimen, so he decided to use his collection as building material. In 1938, Robert Ripley, of Ripley's Believe It or Not dubbed it "the oldest cabin in the world" and judging by the primary building material, he wasn't exaggerating one bit. It gained a lot of attention after that and it brought a lot of customers to Boylan's neighboring gas station, but after he died, and Interstate 80 was built, business started to go downhill. The Fossil Cabin was sold to the Fultz family who managed it as a fossil museum. Inside visitors could admire and in some cases purchases various dinosaur bones, petrified sea-life, and other things that appeal to dinophiles. Unfortunately, Fossil Cabin is currently closed to the public, pending acquisition of a new manager. According to Lindsay, a mom of two who was waiting for her daughter's school bus, said the woman who owned is passed away. It's difficult to sell because there is no running water. It has to be hauled to the location. Today the Fossil Cabin Museum still houses a collection of dinosaur bones, petrified sealife and many other curios of interest to rockhounds and dinophiles. The buildings sit on the back of a ridge, which is encrusted with shark's teeth, petrified clams and other unusual fossils. Boylan also constructed a large stone house nearby, which was built in the approximate dimension of the giant Diplodocus which at the time, was the largest dinosaur ever uncovered at the nearby site. He could explain to the touring visitors about how large this beast was when living by the height and breadth of the house. The museum housed additional artifacts from the dig and other geological phenomena from around the area.

At this time you can see the building as it is being prepared to be moved but the site is in…read moredisarray. You really can't get close but still cool to see. We visited June 16 th 2021. Lots of construction equipment around and a fence controlling the area. The building is boarded up. Directions to the location we had were sketchy at best. I would love to see it opened up in all its glory again.