Located in central Wyoming's Casper, the Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center (thenic.org) is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Established in 1906, the AAM makes sure that museums remain an important part of society and represent America's varied landscape and history. The museum's permanent collection includes more than 6,000 pieces, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and textiles. The Conrad Schwiering Studio collection, its largest, contains the artist's sketches of the Wyoming landscape, as well as personal items and furniture. The Discovery Center offers hands-on art and educational programs for adults and children.
Ulrich's Fossil Gallery (ulrichsfossilgallery.com) sits on a 7,200-foot elevation in the southwestern Wyoming town of Kemmerer and features a large collection of fossilized fish, plants and invertebrates from local quarries and the Green River. Museums and private collectors from around the world purchase fossils from the gallery. The proprietor, Carl Ulrich, focuses on using his collection of fossils as both learning and educational objects. Visitors get to channel their inner paleontologists on Ulrich's Fossil Gallery quarry trips. The gallery provides the digging and excavating tools and transportation. Visitors must make reservations for quarry trips.
The Cowgirls of the West Museum (cowgirlsofthewestmuseum.com) is located in southeastern Wyoming's Cheyenne and the only American museum only dedicated to the history of women of the West. The museum tells stories of pioneering women who helped build the West and the obstacles they faced alongside cowboys. Next to the museum, the Cowgirl Emporium contains antiques, artwork, handmade jewelry, clothing and items made by Wyoming artisans. The emporium also gives you a taste western cooking with its "Cowgirl Up in the Kitchen" cookbook. The Cowgirls of the West Museum is free and open to the public.
South Pass City Historic Site (southpasscity.com) in central Wyoming features 20 structures dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. South Pass City structures include a blacksmith shop, a saloon, a butcher shop, log cabins, a schoolhouse, a hotel and a store. The site also features gold mines. The John & Lida Sherlock House sits on a lot once occupied by a hotel that burned down in 1877. The Sherlock family, the most prominent family in the city at the time, constructed a home on the site. At one time, it was the only home with its own well. The Gold Mining Interpretive Center showcases artifacts representing the Old West and the gold mining industry.
