Texas Trail Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Location | 201 West 3rd Street Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, United States |
| Type | History museum |
The Texas Trail Museum is a fun place to explore the history of the American West! It's located in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, inside a building that used to be the town's power plant and fire station. The museum's main goal is to protect and share the heritage of the "Frontier crossroads" area, especially Eastern Laramie County, Wyoming. They do this through cool displays and educational programs for everyone.
Contents
How the Museum Started
Finding a Home for History
The Texas Trail Museum was created in 1986. The people who started it needed a place to show off all the old items they had collected. They talked with the town of Pine Bluffs, just before the town's 100th birthday celebration.
A Special Lease Agreement
On September 16, 1986, the town agreed to help. They leased a building called the "Old Power Plant" to the museum. This building is on the northwest corner of Market Street and Third Street. The best part? The museum only pays one dollar ($1.00) per year to use it!
What You Can See at the Museum
Exploring the Museum Complex
The museum is a big place, covering about 4.5 acres. It has several buildings and outdoor displays for you to explore.
- Main Exhibition Hall: This is where you'll find old West artifacts. It also has a gift shop and displays about the history of nearby towns like Pine Bluffs, Albin, Burns, Carpenter, and Egbert.
- Agriculture and Transportation Building: Here, you can see items related to farming and how people traveled long ago. It also has a large collection of barbed wire.
- Saint Mary's Catholic Church: This is a real church building that was moved to the museum complex.
- Muddy Creek School: This was the very first one-room schoolhouse in southeastern Laramie County. You can imagine what school was like back then!
- Bowser Homestead Cottage: This small house shows how early settlers, called homesteaders, lived.
- Railroad Displays: Learn about trains with a real Union Pacific Railroad caboose. There's also a switchman's shack and a telegraph shed.
- Brodine-Walker Boarding House: This house was run by local families. They rented rooms to railroad workers and travelers.
Amazing Artifacts and Displays
The museum complex shows items from the 1800s and 1900s. You can see a 1938 fire engine, which was used by the town of Pine Bluffs. There are also huge diesel engines that provided electricity for Pine Bluffs from 1937 to 1960.
You can even see a teepee! This type of teepee was used by American Indians who lived in the area a long time ago. Many teepee rings (circles of stones where teepees once stood) have been found in the Bluffs south of town. Inside the Agriculture and Transportation building, there's a tipi that kids can play in!
Plan Your Visit
The Texas Trail Museum is open during certain times of the year. You can visit from May 1st to September 30th.
- Days Open: Wednesday through Saturday
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Sundays: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Closed: Monday and Tuesday
There is no fee to enter the museum. However, donations are very helpful and appreciated! The museum is located along the famous Lincoln Highway.
