American Heritage Center

American Heritage Center Come discover History at the American Heritage Center, the University of Wyoming's archives, and rare books library.

"The Wyoming Trip made national news. I remember being at a friend's house at 5th Street and Park Avenue when we happene...
06/01/2026

"The Wyoming Trip made national news. I remember being at a friend's house at 5th Street and Park Avenue when we happened to catch Walter Cronkite on CBS Evening News mispronouncing my name as he told the nation about our planned trip. But still I didn't know what I was in for."

In 1976, at the age of 12, Wyomingite Manus Hand and his family embarked on a journey across the United States and Canada to present honorary citizenship in the state to towns, counties, townships, and cities named "Wyoming." Now, fifty years later, he shares his memories of the trip, including a presentation to the Wyoming Bicentennial Commission, running out of gas in the middle of Times Square, and a brief glimpse of President Ford during a tour of the White House by Dick Cheney.

Read the story at https://bit.ly/3Rz2bhC, see memorabilia from the 26 Wyomings in "Voices of Wyoming: Our Stories of America" at the AHC, and stop by the University of Wyoming Foundation for photos of the trip in "Wyoming’s Ambassador: Manus Hand Travels America."

Pictured: The Hand family in the West Wing with then-White House chief of staff Dick Cheney, 1976.

We're happy to announce that registration for our August teacher workshop is now open! If you're a K-12 educator, you're...
05/29/2026

We're happy to announce that registration for our August teacher workshop is now open! If you're a K-12 educator, you're invited to join us for "Where Revolutionary Ideals Become Reality" August 9–11, hosted by the AHC and George Washington's Mount Vernon.

You'll learn how to integrate project-based learning into your classroom to set students up for success in National History Day competitions at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Lodging and travel expenses for those traveling more than 50 miles to attend the workshop will be provided. Meals will be served to all participants during the workshop. Plus, PTSB credits will be available! Sign up at https://bit.ly/4fKRFh5.

This week, we're installing three new exhibits at the Marian Rochelle Gateway Center, home of the University of Wyoming ...
05/22/2026

This week, we're installing three new exhibits at the Marian Rochelle Gateway Center, home of the University of Wyoming Foundation. Stop by to see them the next time you're around campus for a look at some fascinating historic photography!
• Floor 1: All-American Wyoming Cowboys Milo Komenich and Kenny Sailors
• Floor 2: Wyoming’s Ambassador: Manus Hand Travels America
• Floor 3: Marching for Wyoming and America: University of Wyoming’s Military Training

Our very own Wyoming History Day Coordinator Bryce Mittelstadt ran into Allison Wickens of George Washington's Mount Ver...
05/21/2026

Our very own Wyoming History Day Coordinator Bryce Mittelstadt ran into Allison Wickens of George Washington's Mount Vernon at the National Summit on Civics Education in Philadelphia. This must be fate, because Allison has been planning a teacher workshop for the AHC!

If you're a K-12 educator, you're invited to join us August 9–11 for two and a half days of hands-on learning where you get to be the student. You'll learn how to integrate project-based learning into your classroom to set students up for success in National History Day competitions at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Lodging and travel expenses for those traveling more than 50 miles to attend the workshop will be provided. Meals will be served to all participants during the workshop. Plus, PTSB credits will be available! Stay tuned for signup information.

Our acclaimed "Life Between the Rails" exhibit and oral history project now has a permanent home at the Lincoln Communit...
04/29/2026

Our acclaimed "Life Between the Rails" exhibit and oral history project now has a permanent home at the Lincoln Community Center!

Come see the exhibit at the LCC's Cinco de Mayo event this Saturday. At 2 p.m., AHC historian Tana Libolt will introduce the exhibit, followed by a talk with project interviewee and UPRR veteran Roy Sanchez, who will speak about his experiences working for the railroad. Roy was the first Latino to be hired to work in train and engine service in Laramie, joining as a brakeman in 1973.

We're hard at work getting set up for our exhibit "Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America." Come see the results for y...
04/16/2026

We're hard at work getting set up for our exhibit "Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America." Come see the results for yourself at our opening reception on April 23 at 5:30 and learn how communication and storytelling have shaped Wyoming's identity throughout history.

As part of the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority - DDA program to create original banner designs for downtown Chey...
04/15/2026

As part of the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority - DDA program to create original banner designs for downtown Cheyenne, a number of historic images from AHC collections have been made available for artist use! If you're thinking about participating in the contest and all you need is a little inspiration, the photos the DDA selected are preeettty coooool (just saying 😉).

After months of research, planning, and preparation, the AHC is pleased to invite you to the opening reception for "Wyom...
04/09/2026

After months of research, planning, and preparation, the AHC is pleased to invite you to the opening reception for "Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America" on April 23!

Created in conjunction with the United States’ 250th anniversary, "Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America explores how communication has shaped Wyoming’s past and present. Drawing from photographs, letters, newspapers, and media held at the American Heritage Center, the exhibit highlights the many voices that have contributed to the state’s identity and invites visitors to reflect on how stories are shared—and remembered.

The reception will feature guest lecturer Robyn Lopez, a faculty member in Native American and Indigenous Studies at the University of Wyoming. Her talk, "Repositories of Knowledge: Archiving Indigenous Language and Culture for Preservation and Revitalization," will explore the links between academic researchers and Indigenous communities through archival collections, examining relationships between these communities through time and discussing ways in which these relationships have functioned.

We can't wait to see you there!

We're excited to announce that "Turning the Pages of America" is now on display at the AHC! Take a literary road trip to...
04/03/2026

We're excited to announce that "Turning the Pages of America" is now on display at the AHC! Take a literary road trip to explore America's diverse views and lived experiences with one book for each of the 50 states. Fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, and photo books all appear here, with dates ranging from 1627 to 1963.

Wyoming’s featured book is "Women of Wyoming" by Cora M. Beach, which highlights significant and influential women from Wyoming such as Nellie Tayloe Ross and Grace Raymond Hebard. Other books include "Up from Slavery" by Booker T. Washington (Alabama), which traces Washington's journey from a childhood in slavery to his founding of the Tuskegee Institute, and "As Maine Goes" by Alta Smith and Esther Dunham, whose photos of the state encapsulate its essence and scenery.

"Turning the Pages of America" was curated by Laurel Carr, an intern at the Toppan Rare Books Library and Museum Studies minor who assembled the exhibit for her internship project!

You saw the previews. Now, see it in person. “Nellie: The First Woman Governor at America's Milestones,” is officially o...
04/02/2026

You saw the previews. Now, see it in person. “Nellie: The First Woman Governor at America's Milestones,” is officially on display at the AHC.

Drawing primarily from the Nellie Tayloe Ross papers, the exhibition examines Ross's life and career through key moments in American history. Born in 1876 during the nation's Centennial, Ross became the first woman governor in the United States in 1925 and later served for two decades as Director of the United States Mint. She lived to see the nation's Bicentennial in 1976.

Items on display include photographs, her Oath of Office, a scrapbook documenting her inauguration, the certificate signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointing her to the Mint, and a coin bearing her likeness.

"Nellie Tayloe Ross is a central figure in Wyoming and American history," said Kail Moede, exhibit curator. "In curating this exhibit, I wanted to frame her life through key national milestones, especially as the country approaches its 250th anniversary. To highlight Nellie is to highlight Wyoming's place in American history. The exhibit, designed to reflect her scrapbooks, brings those connections together."

“Nellie: The First Woman Governor at America's Milestones" runs from April 2026 through April 2027 in Gallery One.

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2111 E. Willett Drive
Laramie, WY
82071

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

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