Sheridan Inn facts for kids
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Sheridan Inn
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Sheridan Inn
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Location | 856 Broadway (at 5th St.), Sheridan, Wyoming |
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| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | Thomas R. Kimball |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000762 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 29, 1964 |
The Sheridan Inn is a very old and famous hotel located in Sheridan, Wyoming. It was built in 1893 by the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad company. This company was building railways across Wyoming.
A talented architect named Thomas R. Kimball designed the hotel. When it opened, the Sheridan Inn was super modern! It had the first bathtubs and electric lights in that part of Wyoming. People thought it was the "finest hotel" between Chicago and San Francisco. Because of its history, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964.
From 1894 to 1896, the famous Buffalo Bill Cody helped manage the hotel. He used the inn to attract people who wanted to hunt big game in the nearby Big Horn Mountains. Many important guests stayed there. Buffalo Bill also used the hotel's wide front porch to find new performers for his exciting Wild West Show.
About the Sheridan Inn
The Sheridan Inn was designed to look like hotels in Scotland. It is a three-story building made of wood. The inn is 145 feet long and has a special roof called a gambrel roof.
Hotel Features
The hotel has wide porches on two sides, each about 30 feet wide. These porches were built with a slight slope to let rainwater run off easily. Inside, the hotel had 64 bedrooms on the second and third floors. Each bedroom had its own dormer window, which is a window sticking out from the roof.
The dining room was very large and could seat up to 160 guests at once. There used to be barns and stables behind the hotel for Buffalo Bill's transportation company, but they are no longer there. He also ran a stagecoach line from the inn all the way to Deadwood, South Dakota. In 1966, the inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
New Beginnings
In 1967, the inn was in danger of being torn down. But a woman named Neltje Doubleday Kings bought it. She had just moved to the area from New York City. Neltje worked hard to fix up the inn.
In 1968, she reopened the inn's saloon. A year later, the dining room, Ladies Parlor, and a new room called the Wyoming Room were also opened. The inn became a popular place for big parties and community events. Neltje also added a small gift shop and an art gallery inside. She ran the inn for 18 years. After that, she became a full-time artist.
Recent History
Since 1990, a group called The Sheridan Heritage Center, Inc. has owned and managed the inn. This group is a nonprofit organization. They have done a lot of work to restore the outside of the building. They also put in a fire alarm system and made the first floor accessible for everyone.
In 2006, they started a project to raise money for big repairs inside the inn. Many of the old rooms were smaller than what people expect today. The plan was to create 22 larger rooms on the upper floors. The goal was to make the whole building a special "boutique hotel."
However, raising money became difficult. In 2012, the inn faced financial trouble and closed for a short time.
The Inn Today
In October 2013, Bob and Dana Townsend, along with Custom Services, bought the inn. They reopened the ballrooms on the first floor. A new restaurant called Open Range Bar & Grill opened in January 2015, but it is now closed.
The hotel rooms were opened to the public on May 15, 2015. This was the first time people could stay in the rooms in over 50 years!
See also
In Spanish: Sheridan Inn para niños
