Wyoming's Most Historic Towns

Wyoming's history is defined by the Oregon Trail era, the cattle frontier, the transcontinental railroad, and the persistent ranching culture that still shapes the state.

Fort Laramie
The most important outpost on the Oregon Trail and the most significant military post in the pre-Civil War West. Fort Laramie served as a fur trading post (from 1834), a US Army post (1849–1890), and the site of multiple treaty negotiations with the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho nations — including the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, which established the Great Sioux Reservation. Fort Laramie National Historic Site preserves 21 original buildings; the officers' quarters and "Old Bedlam" (the original bachelor officers quarters, built 1849 — the oldest standing building in Wyoming) are open for tours.

South Pass City
A gold rush settlement from 1868–1872 that once had 2,000 residents — now a ghost town and state historic site. South Pass City was the site of Wyoming's first women's suffrage legislation (1869) and the home of Esther Hobart Morris, who became the first female justice of the peace in the US. The restored buildings, including the hotel, saloon, and assay office, give a vivid picture of Wyoming's brief gold rush era.

Cody
Founded in 1896 by Buffalo Bill Cody (William F. Cody), who designed it as the eastern gateway to Yellowstone. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West — five museums in one complex — is one of the finest Western history and art institutions in the US: the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, and the Natural History Museum. The Cody Nite Rodeo runs nightly from June through August.

Cheyenne
Wyoming's capital since 1869. The Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration (the "Daddy of 'em All" rodeo, founded 1897) is the largest outdoor rodeo in the world, drawing 200,000+ visitors each July. The Wyoming State Capitol and the Governor's Mansion are fine examples of late 19th-century government architecture.