Quarter Circle A Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
The Brinton Museum
|
|
 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Big Horn, Wyoming |
|---|---|
| Area | 611 acres (247 ha) |
| Built | 1893 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001961 |
| Added to NRHP | August 10, 1976 |
The Brinton Museum is a special place in Big Horn, Wyoming. It is a museum and a historic ranch called the Quarter Circle A Ranch. You can find it about 2 miles southwest of Big Horn.
The ranch was first built in 1893 by William Moncreiffe. He was a businessman who came from Scotland. Later, in 1923, a man named Bradford Brinton bought the ranch. He made it much bigger and added many things. Bradford Brinton loved collecting art and historical items. He was especially interested in the history of Native Americans. After he passed away in 1936, his sister, Helen Brinton, turned the ranch into a museum. This way, everyone could see his amazing collections.
The Brinton Museum today still has Bradford Brinton's original collection. This includes art, old documents, books, and furniture. You can see these items in the new museum building and in the original Brinton Ranch House. The museum also often shows new art from the 1800s, 1900s, and 2000s.
Contents
Discovering the Brinton Museum Today
The Brinton Museum opened its Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Building in June 2015. This new building holds one of the most important collections of Western and American Indian art in the United States.
What Art Can You See?
The museum features artworks by famous artists like Frederic Remington and Charles Marion Russell. You can also see art by Thomas Moran, Edward Borein, and Winold Reiss. The museum has the largest collection of art by Hans Kleiber in the world.
Exploring the New Building
The new building has four art galleries. There is also a museum store where you can find unique gifts. If you get hungry, you can visit the Brinton Bistro. It offers places to eat both inside and outside. From the bistro, you get amazing views of the Bighorn Mountains.
The John and Adrienne Mars American Indian Gallery
A special part of the museum is the John and Adrienne Mars American Indian Gallery. This collection was first put together by the Gallatin Family. Highlights from this collection were shown at the Art Institute of Chicago for over 45 years. The full collection has more than 100 pieces of American Indian art and artifacts. About 60 of these are always on display at the Brinton Museum.
The Ranch's History and Features
Bradford Brinton's sister, Helen Brinton, started the Brinton Museum in 1960. It first opened to the public in June 1961 as the Bradford Brinton Memorial. Her goal was to share Bradford's collections with everyone. These collections included art, old papers, books, and furniture from the early 1900s.
What Else Is at the Ranch?
Today, the Brinton Museum shows its old and new collections. You can see them in the original Brinton Ranch House. They are also displayed in the new Western, American Indian, and modern art galleries. The Quarter Circle A Ranch also has beautiful gardens and a greenhouse. There is also the Little Goose Creek Lodge.
The ranch has several buildings from the 1900s. One is the Carriage Barn. It holds an old car, a J.I. Case truck, and different farm tools. There is also a saddle barn filled with horse riding gear.
A National Historic Place
The Quarter Circle A Ranch was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 10, 1976. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
