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 cool place to learn about history! It's located in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, a town in Wyoming. The museum is inside an old building that used to be the town's power plant and fire station. Its main goal is to save and share the history of the 'Frontier crossroads' area, which is the eastern part of Laramie County, Wyoming. They do this through fun exhibits and learning programs for everyone.
Contents
Discovering the Past: Texas Trail Museum History
The Texas Trail Museum started in 1986. The people who created the museum needed a place to show off all the historical items they had collected. They talked with the town of Pine Bluffs.
How the Museum Got Its Home
On September 16, 1986, the town agreed to help. They leased the "Old Power Plant" building to the museum. The museum, which is a non-profit group, pays just one dollar ($1.00) each year for the building. This helped the museum open its doors and start sharing history.
Exploring the Museum: What You Can See
The museum is a big place, covering about 4.5 acres! It has several buildings and outdoor displays. You can see many items from the 1800s and 1900s.
Main Exhibition Hall: Old West and Local History
The main building is where you'll find lots of interesting things. It has artifacts from the Old West. There's also a gift shop where you can find souvenirs. You can learn about the history of nearby towns like Pine Bluffs, Albin, Burns, Carpenter, and Egbert.
Historic Buildings and Transportation
- Agriculture and Transportation Building: This building shows how people farmed and traveled long ago.
- Saint Mary's Catholic Church: You can visit this old church that was moved to the museum complex.
- Muddy Creek School: This is the very first one-room schoolhouse from southeastern Laramie County. Imagine learning in just one room!
- Bowser Homestead Cottage: This small house shows how early settlers lived when they first moved to the area.
- Brodine-Walker Boarding House: This house was run by families who rented rooms to railroad workers and travelers.
Railroad and Other Cool Displays
The museum has a special section for railroad history.
- You can see a real Union Pacific Railroad caboose.
- There's also a switchman's shack and a telegraph shed.
- Inside the Agriculture and Transportation building, you'll find a display of Plains Indian artifacts.
- Kids can even play inside a real teepee!
- There's an amazing collection of barbed wire.
- Don't miss the 1938 Fire Truck that Pine Bluffs used to fight fires.
Power Plant History
The museum building itself has history! You can see the twin diesel engines. These engines provided electricity for Pine Bluffs from 1937 to 1960.
Visiting the Museum: Hours and Fees
The Texas Trail Museum is open during certain times of the year.
- It's open seasonally, from May 1st to September 30th.
- Hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- On Sundays, it's open from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
- The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
There is no entrance fee to visit the museum. However, donations are always welcome and help keep the museum running!
