Spend a Day in Cheyenne

Looking for the perfect way to experience the spirit of the West in just one day? Whether you’re passing through or planning a full itinerary, this snapshot gives you a taste of Cheyenne’s rich history, vibrant downtown, and wide-open charm. Here’s how to make the most of a day in Wyoming’s capital city.

Go downtown to the restored Cheyenne Depot.  A National Historic Landmark, the depot has been painstakingly restored to its original glory and is once again a center of activity in the community.  Tour the Art Deco lobby and visit the Cheyenne Depot Museum which chronicles the railroad and its relationship to Cheyenne.

In the depot, purchase tickets for the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley which provides a 90 minutes overview of the community and its history, the second week of May through September.  The tour includes stops at various attractions all over Cheyenne. 

Upon returning to downtown, spend some time at a couple of true western stores.  Try the Wrangler for jeans, boots, hats, and other western apparel or Westward for its unique Western goodies and incredible local artwork.

After you've enjoyed the sights in town, head south nine miles to the Terry Bison Ranch for a horseback ride or a train ride into the middle of the bison herd that calls the ranch home. The ranch is open year-round, so you can always be assured to have a good time.

Back in town, be sure to check out Big Boy 4004, the world's largest steam locomotive (1.2 million lbs.), which is located at Holliday Park.  It was designed especially for the rugged Cheyenne to Ogden, Utah, run.

End your day watching the Western skits and escapades of the Cheyenne Gunslingers at 6:00 pm in downtown Cheyenne in June and July.

Then catch the Old-Fashioned Melodrama at the Historic Atlas Theater where you can cheer the hero and hiss the villain in July.

Build Your Perfect Cheyenne Itinerary

Our interactive itinerary builder makes it easy to plan your Cheyenne adventure based on your time, interests, and travel style. Whether you're into cowboy culture, outdoor escapes, this tool offers curated suggestions and customizable options to help you decide what you want to explore. Choose your favorites, map your route, and get ready to discover the best of Cheyenne!

Day Trips from Cheyenne

North -- Oregon Trail Country

(Approximately 9 hours for a full round trip)

Travel north on I-25 and turn east on Hwy 26 to Guernsey (98 miles). Near Guernsey, tour the Oregon Trail Ruts, perhaps the best visual remnant of the Oregon Trail remaining today. For a distance of several hundred yards is a trail of wagon ruts worn down by thousands of wagon wheels in the limestone. Nearby is Register Cliffs, where early travelers carved their names into the soft limestone.

Next, travel east (13 miles) on Hwy 26 to the Fort Laramie National Historic Site. Fort Laramie’s mission was to protect weary travelers crossing Wyoming on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails between 1849 and 1890. Continue east on Hwy 26 (48 miles) and visit Scottsbluff National Monument, another major site along the Trail routes. Return west on Hwy 26 and turn south on Hwy 85 back to Cheyenne.

Expanded Tour Options

Go north on Hwy 85 to the premier attractions of Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, the Black Hills, and Devils Tower National Monument .

East -- Eastern Crossroads

(Approximately 9 hours for a full round trip)

Turn north on Hwy 385 and west on Hwy 92/26 (53 miles) to the Chimney Rock National Historic Site, a famous landmark for weary travelers along the trails cutting through the region. Continue on Hwy 92/26 to Scottsbluff, NE (19 miles) and view the Scotts Bluff National Monument (308) 436-9700 x0. Continue on Hwy 26 and turn south on Hwy 85, at Torrington back to Cheyenne.

Expanded Tour Options

Travel on I-80 to the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument (222 mi.) in Kearney, Nebraska. This eight-story bridge spans the Interstate Highway and is the region’s newest major attraction. The Monument includes interactive exhibits and films chronicling the great westward migration of settlers in the 1800s.

West -- The Wyoming West

(Approximately 9 hours for a full round trip)

Take a trip back in time traveling west on I-80 (25 miles) to the ancient rock formations at the Vedauwoo Recreation Area. Sightsee, hike, or mountain bike in these awesome formations. For more outdoor options, enjoy the beautiful solitude of Curt Gowdy State Park just east of Vedauwoo.

Continue your trek to Laramie (20 mi.) and tour the University of Wyoming Geological Museum which is dominated by dinosaurs native to the Wyoming region – Brontosaurus, Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, and many other animal and plant fossils. Limited hours, so please call ahead.

Next visit the Old West at the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site. Beautifully restored, the site features a frontier prison that once held the notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy. Receive a "convict identity" and take a self-guided tour (or guided tours offered on Friday through Monday) of the prison grounds. Then visit the prison Broom Factory and watch the volunteers make brooms just as the convicts did in 1892.

Continue west on the Snowy Range Road (Hwy 130) which was the second road in the nation to receive scenic byway designation. This highway takes you up to 10,000 feet in the beautiful Rocky Mountains where you will see its fast-moving streams, deep alpine lakes, rugged wilderness, dramatic mountain ranges and abundant wildlife. Visit the quaint small towns of Centennial and Saratoga, where you can soak in the Saratoga Hot Springs.

Expanded Tour Options

While in Laramie, visit the University of Wyoming Art Museum which offers rotating exhibits from its collection of more than 6,000 works of art. The Museum includes an outdoor sculpture terrace and museum store. Free.