Cheyenne Depot Museum, Cheyenne, WY

The Cheyenne Depot Museum is in the old Union Pacific Depot and has been recently renovated. The depot is in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming and was designed in 1885-1886 by a firm in Boston by the name of Van Brunt & Howe. Construction on the depot began in 1886 through 1887; the building features a massive stone exterior for the foundation and walls. Cheyenne was brought to life during the Transcontinental Railroad race.

The museum follows the story of the Union Pacific Railroad and the construction of the depot. Visitors to the museum can see the Union Pacific Main Rail Yard from a new building that has been constructed by the west end of the depot. The second floor of the museum features an interactive museum for children of all ages.

Guests of the museum can travel through the subway behind the building just as the passengers used to get to the platforms. The floor of the museum is a map of the Transcontinental Railroad from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Promissory Point, Utah. The floor is made up of granite and other stones.

Visitors to the museum will find it on 15th Street in Cheyenne, WY where the street intersects with Capital Ave. The railroad still passes through the depot although no passenger trains stop at the depot. The lobby is decorated in the 1929 Art Deco form and has been restored to its former glory. There is a Clock Tower and two single story buildings on the east and west sides. Tours of the museum last about one hour. The address of the Cheyenne Depot Museum is 121 West 15th Street, Cheyenne.

The museum features cultural arts events every Tuesday from September through May. The Depot Plaza has also been renovated and is the place to have a picnic supper in the summer. They have a concert in the plaza on Friday nights in the summer. When the Cheyenne Frontier Days is in full swing you can find a concert nearly every night.

The building is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Visitors to Cheyenne that enjoy trains can also visit the Big Boy Steam Engine at 17th and Morris Avenues in Holliday Park. This train is the largest steam train in the world. Union Pacific retired the train from service in 1956. The museum has a wooden replica on display.

Visitors to the museum can enjoy a meal at the Cheyenne Depot Museum at Shadow's Pub and Grill. Guests can watch as the trains go past the station. The trains will load a new crew or add more cars as diners watch.

More trains are scattered around Cheyenne such as the one called Engine 1242. This locomotive was built in 1890 and was in service until 1954. The train resides in Lions Park at Carey and Lions Park Avenues.