Below are our most popular must-see highlights at the museum.
Must-See
Main Building (Upper Level)
Main Building (Lower Level)
Annex
* Please note that the Annex is closed October through April and during inclement weather.
1890 Square Grand Piano
Square pianos are an important part of musical history. They were used by the great pianists of the 18th and 19th centuries as well as the average citizen. In the late 1800s, Square Grands increased in length, from an average of 6′ during the 1830s to 1850s to about 7′…
Read StoryEmery Hotel
Emery Hotel. A landmark from the 1900s through the 1940s. The business consisted of a hotel, cafe, bar & lounge, and taxi service.
Read StoryAndersonville
The land where Thermopolis is currently located was once Indian Reservation. During that time, Thermopolis was located about six miles north of its current location. Across the Big Horn River from “Old Town” Thermopolis was a village known as Andersonville, named after three Anderson brothers who homesteaded the area. One…
Read StorySheep Wagon
The Sheep Wagon was invented by James Candlish, a blacksmith, in 1884, at Rawlins, Wyoming. It made a snug, compact home that could be easily moved from place to place as the sheep grazed across the range during the years. The wagon displayed here was used for many years in…
Read StoryHonoring Dub McQueen
Cottonwood Creek Rancher, Dub McQueen, was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame. A display about Dub is located in the downstairs gallery of the museum giving stories about his life, and exhibiting some of his memorabilia such as his saddle and chaps. Dub’s life ended prematurely when he…
Read StoryPrize Saddle
In 1914, Rufus Rolan won this saddle in the Bare Back Bucking Contest Championship of Montana Miles City Roundup. Nothing more is known about Rufus or how his prize saddle became the property of George Bain, the General Manager of the LU Sheep Company. The saddle was made by the…
Read StoryEsther at the Well
“Esther at the Well” Painting When artist, Jennie Sue Hank passed away, “Esther at the Well” went to Jennie’s oldest sister, Jessie (Hank) McManigal. Jessie and her husband Frank S. had a daughter, who died in infancy, but no other children. Frank had a sister, Effie (McManigal) Edwards, who died…
Read StoryHole-in-the-Wall Bar
Belly up to the original bar where outlaws from the Hole-in-the-Wall gang once used to visit, including the infamous Butch Cassidy! Though spirits are no longer served to patrons, it is a great place to sit and imagine the sights, sounds and smells that once surrounded this icon from the…
Read Story