March 22, 2020

It turns out the movie Night at the Museum was onto something. The opportunity to spend time at a museum whenever you want—overnight, on the weekends, while you’re “working” from home—is the chance for your imagination to run wild.

These four museums in Wyoming’s Wind River Country have brand-new 360-degree tours available on Google Maps. Wherever you are right now, you can enter these special Wyoming museums and “stroll” through the exhibits to spark inspiration for future outings.

Lander Pioneer Museum

The Lander Pioneer Museum has artifacts from pre-history through the 1920s related to the Lander Valley, Fremont County, and the state of Wyoming. Be sure to spend some time in the Washakie Gallery to gaze at 23 paintings representing the life of Shoshone Chief Washakie.

Lander Pioneer Museum: Preview of Wyoming museums virtual tour.

Museum of the American West

This museum features a number of historic buildings and structures, and when you visit virtually, you get the unique opportunity to see them from above. In addition to the indoor/outdoor aspect of the property, the natural setting with the stream and the views of the Wind River Mountains will sweep you away to a different time.

Dubois Museum

The town of Dubois is adorable and rich in stories. Its museum is no different! You’ll find exhibits stretching from geological artifacts of the Precambrian Era to the timber industry of the 1890s. Don’t miss the hide painting and tours of historical buildings on site.

Riverton Museum

The Riverton Museum is a walk through Western American history, from Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone exhibits to replicas of the earliest stores in town. You can even read an entire wall display account of “Wyoming’s Uranium Pioneers and Politics.”

You may be stuck at home, daydreaming about places to visit. Fortunately, technology is helping us maintain our travel inspiration! Take this time to learn a little bit about Wyoming’s Wind River Country in your pajamas AND in these Wyoming museums. Then, get your jeans and boots ready for an in-person visit in the future!

Posted in Notes From the Field