Arts & CultureHistoric Sites

An important part of experiencing Sheridan is exploring the history & culture of the American West. Visit one of our many historic sites for a glimpse into Sheridan’s past that help tell the story of the present and the future.

Sheridan County’s frontier attractions are legion. Across the region you’ll find legendary battlefields that shaped the history of the American west, as well as little-known sites nestled into the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. At an elevation of over 10,000-ft, you’ll find the Medicine Wheel, while south of Sheridan, in Johnson County, you’ll find the Hole-in-the-Wall, a remote pass long used by the infamous Hole in the Wall Gang and Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch. These outlaws ran with the likes of the Logan Brothers, Jesse James, Kid Curry, and Black Jack Ketchum. Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, and other desperadoes met at a log cabin in the Hole-in-the-Wall country which has been preserved at the Old Trail Town museum in Cody.

Years before the City of Sheridan was established, a trapper named George Mandel built a cabin and post office near the forks of Goose Creek; that cabin still stands today, and can be viewed at Whitney Commons in downtown Sheridan.

The arrival of the Burlington & Missouri Railroad in 1892 transformed Sheridan into the region’s industrial and commercial center; both of Sheridan’s train depots still stand today.

Buffalo Bill Cody famously held auditions for his Wild West Show on the lawn at the Sheridan Inn; many icons and outlaws of the old west wandered through Sheridan in his time, and they continue to explore today.

Just 30 minutes south of Sheridan you’ll find the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and Interpretive Center, with the Fetterman Massacre and the Wagon Box Fight in close proximity. Driving north into Montana you’ll discover the Rosebud Battlefield and the Little Bighorn National Monument, both within an hour of Sheridan.

Consider booking a custom tour with a local outfitter to truly immerse yourself in the history of these formative battles. Annual reenactments and events are presented by WYO State Parks; Fort Phil Kearny hosts a series of annual reenactments that bring the history of these engagements to life.

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