There are treasures all over Wyoming if you just know where to look. Each year as the snow begins to melt my cabin fever seems to push my wanderlust into overdrive. To take the edge off my desire to flee to faraway places I took a short drive over to Douglas, Wyoming. There are a few great spots to visit in and around Douglas but it was the off-season and the weather was still a bit chilly so I was looking for an indoor place to explore. The Wyoming Pioneer Memorial Museum turned out to be the perfect place to spend a chilly spring afternoon.
I love the flow of this museum as it tells the story of pioneers who settled in Wyoming. My one critique would be that their text blocks were overly long with relatively small font. I usually try to read most of the exhibit signage when I visit a museum, but these were just a little bit longer than I would prefer. So plan accordingly so that you don't miss any of the great information this spot has to teach you about Wyoming's history.
Otherwise, I really appreciated their attention to detail, desire to show off local history, and the number of artifacts they had to tell that story.
These overalls are one of my favorite pieces in the museum. I had visited the museum once before when I was in grade school, but this was the only piece I remembered from that visit. I think it's the shocking size of them especially when I was a little kid.
On the lower level of the museum, they had this amazing display of all these handcrafted local dresses from the pioneer families of the area. The wedding dress displays were amazing, but I loved the inclusion of everyday wear as well.
Remember, what I said about finding treasure? Tucked away in their exhibit on local Native American history this little museum in Douglas has on display the tipi from Dances With Wolves. If you haven't watched this Western, I would highly recommend it. It's a great story and an interesting study in film for the beginning of the Revisionist Western Era.
Afterward, I took a quick walk around outside the museum to a couple of historic buildings that are also a part of the museum. I believe they are also opened up for viewing during specific events throughout the summer. Overall, this was a fun little museum and I would totally recommend a visit if you ever find yourself in the Douglas area.
Happy Trails, friends!
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