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Explore the Past. Discover the West.

Experience History at the Sheridan County Museum

 Located in the shadow of the Bighorn Mountains, the Sheridan County Museum interprets a regional perspective on the history of the American West. The Museum’s exhibits investigate the culture, industry, communities, agriculture, and geography that shaped the region’s rich historic and cultural heritage. Throughout the Museum’s exhibit gallery, visitors have the opportunity to experience history through artifacts, historic photographs, maps, and interactive exhibits.

One of the Museum’s most popular exhibits is “Crazy Horse, Crook, and the Battle on Rosebud Creek”. This exhibit explores the Battle of the Rosebud, which occurred on June 17, 1876, just eight days prior to Custer’s defeat on the Little Bighorn. According to historian and author Neil Mangum, “One cannot fully understand the Battle of the Little Bighorn without having a firm foundation of knowledge about the Rosebud fight and its aftermath.” The Rosebud exhibit, currently the only of its kind, features a touch screen kiosk filled with photos, narration, animated maps, lists of participants, and accounts of the battle, as well as details of Crook’s activities at “Camp Cloud Peak” in Sheridan and Big Horn. Two life-sized and life-like museum figures show a typical Lakota warrior and one of Crook’s sergeants. Bernard Thomas’ studio and historical art is featured, along with illustrations of the Crook campaign by Robert C. Wilson. Artifacts from Mark Badgett’s Bozeman Trail collection round out the exhibit and highlight the trail’s use by the military and local Indians.

Visitors to the Museum can also explore the regions ranching and rodeo history in the exhibit “Ranching & Roughstock: The Western Lifestyle Through Art and Photography”. The exhibit includes works by area and regional artists and photographers including Bill Gollings, Don Diers, Jessamine Spear Johnson, Bernard Thomas, Hans Kleiber, Elsa Spear Byron, George Ostrom, and J.W. Winingar Jr. Other exhibits interpret the colorful commerce of the area including the 68-year story of the Sheridan Brewing Company plus the history of moonshine production in the area, the role of the railroad, the unique industry of the Tongue River Tie Flume, and the once prosperous underground coal mines.

Children and families are encouraged to explore the museum through the Junior Curator program with a free children’s museum guide and activity book. The program offers children a unique opportunity to visit the exhibits and complete a variety of fun activities. Children who participate in the program become a Sheridan County Museum Junior Curator and receive their choice of a Junior Curator patch or bookmark. Tidbit Tuesday, another very popular children’s program at the Museum, is a free summer program that provides children and their families with an opportunity to explore history together. The program offers participants a chance to enjoy a read aloud story followed by a fun project on the Museum’s porch. Tidbit Tuesdays are recommended for children ages 5 to 10, though children both younger and older are welcome. All participating children, however, must be accompanied by an adult or responsible teenaged sibling or babysitter. The Museum also offers Young Archaeologists, a weeklong history camp that explores the past and provides participants with an opportunity to apply archaeological concepts as they investigate Plains Indian shelters using primary data sources such as maps, artifact illustrations, historic photographs, and oral histories. Young Archaeologists is open to children entering grades 4 through 7. For more information on any of the Museum’s education programs, including dates and fees, contact the Museum or visit the website at www.SheridanCountyHistory.org.

In addition to their exhibits and education programs, the Museum offers a variety of special events. This summer’s events include:

June 2-3: Community Appreciation Weekend at the Sheridan County Museum with free admission, discounts in the Museum store, and refreshments.

July 11-15: Rodeo Reduced Admission Days. $2 Museum admission or bring your 2012 Sheridan WYO Rodeo ticket/stub for a free admission.

August 3: Sheridan County Museum’s 5th Annual Brewing Up History Beer Tasting.

More details about each of these and other special events can be found on the Museum’s website.

The Sheridan County Museum is open from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. daily in May, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. June 1^st through Labor Day, and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. daily September 1 through December 24^th. The Museum is located at 850 Sibley Circle in Sheridan, Wyoming, just off I-90 at Exit 23. Admission fees are: $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors (60 and over), $2.00 for students. Veterans, active military, Blue Star families, and children are free.

The Sheridan County Museum is owned and operated by the Sheridan County Historical Society. The mission of the Museum is to: maintain the collections and exhibits pertaining to the history of Sheridan County and the closely related surrounding area and communities; to develop and implement education plans for both children and adults to help educate our citizens on the rich historic and cultural heritage of our area; and to responsibly care for the artifact collections which are held in trust for the benefit of the present and future citizens of Sheridan County.

For more information, phone the Sheridan County Museum at 307-675-1150 or visit the Museum’s website at www.SheridanCountyHistory.org.

Are you enticed by history and mansions? Then look no further than Sheridan Wyoming. Not only is it full of old-time ranching lore and frontier battle sites, Sheridan is home to Wyoming’s premier historic house museum, the Trail End State Historic Site.

Since its construction in 1913 and its opening as a museum in 1982, built by cowboy-turned-politician John B. Kendrick, Trail End displays an elegantly different aspect of both Wyoming’s colorful ranching history and Sheridan’s rich western heritage.

For modern day visitors, Trail End offers a fun and educational experience. Combined with rooms full of original furnishings and artifacts, its many exhibits and displays examine life in Sheridan during the years 1913 to 1933, mostly through the eyes of its original owners, the Kendrick family.

Displays are designed to look as if a family member had just left the room. In the master bedroom, evening clothes are laid out on the bed, all ready to be put on before heading out for a night on the town; cut flowers and a vase sit by the kitchen sink, ready to be trimmed and arranged; material and patterns are scattered about the maid’s bed, ready to be turned into a new summer frock on the nearby treadle sewing machine.

New at Trail End this year is a whole-house exhibit entitled The Ad Made Me Buy It: The Power of Advertising in the Early 20th Century. According to Site Superintendent Cynde Georgen, putting the exhibit together involved a particularly entertaining round of research. “We have illustrated the exhibit with advertisements from magazines in the Trail End collection. It was fun for us to flip through the pages of a 1913 magazine – McCall’s or Sunset, for example, and see ads for many of the same products we purchase today: from soup and corn flakes to automobiles and batteries. The ads were very colorful, but sometimes a little strange. You wouldn’t find an ad today for a “pneumatic bust enhancer” or a “proven weight gain program!”

The Ad Made Me Buy It will be on display at Trail End throughout the 2012 season, which continues through Thursday, December 14th. The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan, just minutes from the historic Main Street District, Kendrick Park, the Sheridan County Rodeo grounds, and the Historic Sheridan Inn.

Spring and fall hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. daily, seven days a week. Summer hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. begin June first and continue through the end of August. The site will be open the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as all day on the Fourth of July.

Admission is $4.00 for adults ($2.00 discount for Wyoming residents), with children seventeen and under admitted free (when accompanied by an adult). The site is nearly one hundred percent handicapped accessible. Trail End is a component of the Division of State Parks & Historic Sites, Wyoming Department of Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information, phone Trail End at 307-674-4589, or visit the Trail End website, www.trailend.org.

“From the first boot kicked off, ‘til the last tailgate shuts, the most fun you’ll have anywhere.”

Do you love the excitement of rodeo…then you will want to visit beautiful Sheridan, Wyoming during WYO Rodeo week  Friday, July 6th to Sunday, July 15th.

You’ll be in for a treat as the 82nd Annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo, a member of the Million Dollar Tour of Professional Rodeos, is one of the best professional rodeos in the country.

Each of four nightly, Wednesday through Saturday, performances starts off with the traditional roar of the cannon signaling the start of the show!

The Championship Indian Relay Races are the very first event and an event you will not see anywhere else. You’ll be left breathless with excitement – and that’s only the beginning.

Bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie down roping, bull riding, single steer roping and women’s barrel racing follow, each exciting in their own regard. You will watch the very best of the professional rodeo contestants compete at the WYO Rodeo on world championship quality stock provided by Sankey Pro Rodeo.

In addition to the evening performances, slack performances are held every morning from Tuesday through Saturday in order to give all of the 500+ competitors a chance to compete in their respective events. Admission to slack performances is free.

Wednesday is when the WYO carnival opens for business. It’s a large carnival and features the best rides and all the carnival delicacies like cotton candy and funnel cakes. The carnival is open each night of the rodeo performances and is located next to the rodeo arena at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.  Wednesday is also designated as Kid’s Night at the rodeo. Admission is reduced for Kid’s 12 years old and younger!

If you’re a golfer, the 6th Annual Chris LeDoux Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on July 6th and 7th at the Top 100-ranked Powder Horn Golf Course. This two-day tournament is open to the public, with a limited number of teams, and includes a practice round, BBQ, auction and live entertainment Friday.

The events surrounding rodeo week are plentiful! The Boot Kick Off on Saturday, July 7th is a favorite. Visitors literally “kick off” the festivities by actually kicking off a boot in a contest designed to see who can fling their boot the furthest.  (Hint:  Wear a loose boot!) Winners get braggin’ rights and prizes. It’s a family affair with lots of vendors and good music for your dancing and listening enjoyment. The celebration will be held on the Sheridan College campus and is free and open to the public.

Sheridan, Wyoming was recently honored as the #1 Small Town for Cowboy Charm by Western Horseman Magazine. This historic town was plotted in the early 1880s and remains an authentic cowboy destination.

Sheridan has always been proud of its western traditions and frontier heritage. In recent years, the town has received a number of honors and distinctions highlighting its work in historic preservation, small-town hospitality, and adventurous offerings.  In 2011, Sheridan was named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Top Place to Live in the West by American Cowboy, and a Top Town for Sportsmen by Outdoor Life.

“History and cowboy collide in this northern Wyoming town where rough riders and legendary craftsmen share the main street with modern-day cuisine and historic saloons” writes Western Horseman staff.  “The West’s best cowboy destinations often are not along the Interstate or near a major airport . . .” Sheridan is one of “10 small towns that continue to honor their horse, cattle and cowboy heritage.”

Hidden away in the Big Horn Mountains, Sheridan shares her modern and historic charms with visitors.  A central destination in Sheridan, the Historic Main Street District, displays 46 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mint Bar remains a favorite cowboy watering hole, and the King’s Museum draws attention for its namesake, internationally-recognized leather craftsman and saddle maker Don King. Sheridan’s most famous cowboy resident, Buffalo Bill, once co-owned the Sheridan Inn and held auditions for his traveling show. Just outside of town, forts and battle sites display the challenges of early frontier life. Reenactments and interpretive centers explain how cowboys fought and survived when the west was still being tamed.

While history is preserved in Sheridan, the new west can be seen here as well. Modern parks, downtown sculptures, summer street festivals and concerts, and championship golf courses are just a few new west additions. In recent years, hang gliding and snowmobiling have joined hunting and fishing as favorite outdoor pursuits in the area.  In its 82nd year, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is a perfect example of classic cowboy traditions combining with creative new events like bed races and the boot kick-off.

Western Horseman Magazine was established in 1936 and is one of the oldest horse publications in the world.

Yeehaw! Come and visit the King of  Cowboy Towns – #1 Small Town for Cowboy Charm by Western Horseman magazine!  Sheridan was just honored by one of the oldest horse publications in the world, Western Horseman,established in 1936.

“Sheridan, Wyoming – King of Cowboy Towns – History and cowboy collide in this northern Wyoming town where rough riders and legendary craftsmen share the main street with modern-day cuisine and historic saloons” writes Western Horseman staff.  “The West’s best cowboy destinations often are not along the Interstate or near a major airport . . .  10 small towns that  continue to honor their horse, cattle and cowboy  heritage.”

When visiting, you will realize why this jewel was added to Sheridan’s tourism  crown, or perhaps more appropriately to our cowgirl and cowboy hats! Check out the feature article and  historic downtown rodeo parade photo, that leads into the other exceptional cowboy  towns featured in the Western Horseman Special Travel February issue, hot off the press, or on STT’s website at www.sheridanwyoming.org/news/awards/

Couples searching for romance and adventure will find both in the Old West style of Sheridan, Wyoming!
Nestled beneath the Bighorn Mountains, this historic town offers couples a blend of wild western history with modern adventure.
Here is a sampling of the possibilities for you as couples.

* Learn about the Old West during a historic trolley tour of the historic Main Street District and have a drink with the ghost of Buffalo Bill  at the 118 year old  Sheridan Inn.
* Get the adrenaline pumping while riding snowmobiles or horses along trails and across alpine meadows in the majestic Bighorn  Mountains.
* Glimpse true cowboy culture at Kings Saddlery & Museum with its cowboy and Indian memorabilia year-round or during the huge, week-long 82nd Sheridan WYO Rodeo in July.
* Embark on life’s big adventure and get married amidst fields of Poppies, Forget-me-nots, and Indian paintbrush in summer or below gold and terracotta leaves in  autumn.

A number of packages currently featured in Sheridan include a “Wine and Roses” or honeymoon package through the Wingate by Wyndham and a “Special Occasion” package with the Holiday Inn and snowmobiling the Bighorns through the Best Western Sheridan Center. Other accommodation options from B & B’s and cottages to campgrounds are available as well.

No matter the season, Sheridan is ready for romance and adventures.

Just outside of town in the Big Horn Mountains there are over 300 miles of groomed trails interspersed with powder-covered alpine meadows perfect for snowmobiles. The Best Western Plus in Sheridan and Bear Lodge Resort have put together a snowmobile package which includes one night accommodation, sled rental, insurance, breakfast, and helmet. The Holiday Inn is also inviting snowmobilers to join the fun.

“The Bighorn mountains have over 50 inches on Hunt Mountain road area and 6 to 12″ at the lodges” reports Rick Young owner of Lodges of the Northern Bighorns. ”According to state trail workers we have the best snow in Wyoming… It is the best snow for this time of year that I have seen since 1996!  Although not a base yet, 100% grooming of the trail system is scheduled to begin Monday; December 19.”

Aspiring artists can capture the peace and tranquility of the mountains while snowshoeing or cross-country skiing former logging trails. A warming hut on the Sibley Lake trails is perfect for an afternoon picnic. Adventurers looking to bring along a canine companion may prefer to skijor the nearby Cutler Ski Trails.

After a day in the snow, warm up in one of Sheridan’s many fine restaurants, night spots, or lodging properties and then Blaze Trails in the historic downtown for a unique history and shopping experience.

“We love Sheridan!” says Darron Campbell when he stopped
in to visit during his ‘Sheridan Stay’ winnings. Darron enjoyed 3-nights lodging at
the luxurious Wingate Inn overlooking Sheridan and 3-nights lodging at Bear Lodge Resort
in the majestic Bighorn Mountains.

The warm and friendly locals will welcome you too, into our historic community where spectacular, snow-capped peaks of the Bighorns backdrop Sheridan’s rolling hills.  Visitors enjoy embracing The West at its Best…  where cowboys work and play!

Darron,our latest winner from Henderson, CO and Sonya, STT staff

Win this fabulous Sheridan vacation, worth $1,023, which may be enjoyed between
February –May 1, 2012, and includes:

• 2 nights lodging at the Sheridan Cottages  decorated with a combination of charm and elegance, while enjoying the #2 Distinctive Destination in the Nation
• 2 nights lodging at Bear Lodge , with many amenities including restaurant, lounge and pool located in the Bighorns
  *  Breakfast buffet both mornings
  *  Snowmobile the Big Horns with 20% discount for 4 sleds

Register now to win and come to Sheridan Wyoming and our majestic Big Horn Mountains – Voted #1 Western Town and #3 Town for Outdoorsmen in America!

Nothing says “It’s December!” like snowflakes, figgy pudding and Father Christmas. We can’t absolutely promise the snow, but you’ll find Father Christmas and plenty of figgy goodness at the Trail End Guilds’ annual Holiday Open House!
A local holiday tradition for nearly thirty years, the Open House is scheduled for December 2, 3 & 4.

Trail End – a 14,000 square foot mansion overlooking Sheridan’s Kendrick Park – shows off its holiday finery from Thanksgiving through mid-December. Seven ornately decorated trees – including several nine-foot beauties – stand throughout the house, from the Drawing Room to the Ballroom. Windows and staircases are draped with garlands while potted poinsettias enhance nearly every horizontal surface.

In the mansion’s historic kitchen, Trail End staff and volunteers will serve up tasty seasonal treats. This year, hot-spiced cider is paired with delicious Figgy Pudding – a holiday tradition at Trail End for two decades.

Father Christmas has once again consented to make an appearance at the Holiday Open House. With his snowy beard, long red coat and carved wooden staff, Father Christmas is ready and willing to talk to your little ones about all their Christmas dreams and wishes. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all encouraged to bundle up the kiddies and bring them around for a visit.

Always a popular feature of the open house, this year’s live musical performances vary from organ music to Celtic tunes to chamber music – and everything in between.  With a different act featured each hour, the Holiday Open House is a showcase for the best in local talent. Hours are 4 pm to 7 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is two dollars for adults. Children are admitted at no charge, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Trail End will close during the winter months, from December 15, 2011 through March 31, 2012, to allow staff time to update the site’s interpretive displays. The current exhibit, “No Time For Boredom,” will be replaced by “The Label Made Me Buy It: Advertising and Consumerism in Early the Twentieth Century.” Using artifacts and images from the Trail End collections, as well as period magazines, newspapers and correspondence, this entertaining exhibit will show visitors how creative advertising and the rise of national brands helped usher in our current Age of Consumerism.

Trail End is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue. Parking for the Open House is available on Delphi, Clarendon and Victoria Streets. Limited handicapped parking is available in the circular drive between the Kendrick Mansion and the Carriage House Theater. A modern elevator provides access to the upper and lower floors for the mobility challenged.

The Trail End State Historic Site is operated by the State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails Division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information on Trail End, the Holiday Open House or the Trail End Guilds, please phone 307-674-4589, or log on to www.trailend. org.

Stroll the Wild West

 Does your Christmas shopping begin with fireworks, carolers, musicians, a beautifully decorated downtown, pictures with Santa and homemade chili? How about rides on a trolley, carriage, hay wagon or miniature train?

No? Then you need to come to Sheridan the day after Thanksgiving!

This year will mark our 16^th anniversary of Christmas Stroll. On Friday, November 25, from 4:00 to 8:00pm, Main Street in our historic downtown will be shut down to vehicle traffic to allow visitors, locals, families and friends to stroll downtown to do some Christmas shopping.

Christmas Stroll is a great time to get your shopping done early. Sheridan’s downtown has a mix of specialty gifts, clothing, shoes, home decorations, crafts, sporting goods, kitchenware, bath products, art, furniture, antiques, books and of course western wear. Think of how many people on your Christmas list fit in those categories.

To keep with Sheridan tradition, be sure to pick up your collector Stroll button! Each button features a unique number. If the number on your button matches the winning button number posted in a participating store, you win a gift from that store! Over 80 stores participate, so that is 80 chances to win! And as if that wasn’t good enough, if you win at a store, you are entered into the Grand Prize drawing for $1,000. Now that’s a Merry Christmas!

If you want to experience a true family-friendly town shopping experience, we will see you in Sheridan on November 25. For more information on the Christmas Stroll, call the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce at 307-672-2485.