Tours Archives - Hoofprints of the Past Museum

Small Group Tours

March 22, 2021 by Laurel Foster

The Museum offers several different small group tour options:

Outlaw Country: Explore the beautiful and historic Barnum/Hole in the Wall region where famous outlaws fought the law and hid from the law at the turn of the 20^th century. Your knowledgeable museum guide will show you the historic sites along the way to the Hole in the Wall Valley and point out other cultural and geographic points of interest.

Johnson County War Tour: Whether you are curious or knowledgeable about this historic range war in 1892 this tour offers you the chance to visit the key sites where it took place and experience the beautiful countryside of Johnson County at the same time. Your knowledgeable museum guide will provide as much background or as little as you want about the event and point out the historical sites along the way to the historic TA Ranch.

Bozeman Trail & Fort Reno Tour: The Bozeman Trail, established in 1863, overlaid previous Indian, trader, and exploration routes, but the increased flow of emigrants along the trail through the recently claimed ground of the Sioux provoked Indian attacks on the settlers. In response, the U.S Military constructed a series of forts along the trail to protect travelers, such as Fort Reno, but conflict along the trail only escalated, culminating in the final battles of the Plains Indian Wars. Your knowledgeable guide will take you through this volatile period in Western history, pointing out the Bozeman Trail, various battles along the trail, and the site of Fort Reno.

Private Museum Tour: This tour will provide a fascinating overview of local western history, from the Native Americans through the Outlaw Period while showcasing some of the museum’s most priceless artifacts. Tour will be guided by the museum curator beginning at 9:00 at the museum and ending at approximately 10:00 a.m. Tour must be scheduled two weeks in advance and price is $50 per person (minimum of 2 persons required). For large group rates, please contact the museum.

Small Group tour Details:

Tour dates should be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance by contacting the museum at 307-738-2381 or Laurel at 307-251-0981. Certain dates may not be available depending on guide schedule. Last minute additions to the schedule will be considered but to secure a date it is best to schedule well in advance.
Scheduled tours begin at 9:00 am at the Hoofprints of the Past Museum in Kaycee, Wyoming and include a quality lunch.
Tour Price: $115 per person or a $350 minimum per tour. Transportation will be provided by tour attendee(s) and must be an all-wheel drive vehicle.

Bozeman Trail Tour

April 4, 2019 by Laurel Foster

In 1878 English cattleman Moreton Frewen named the area on Powder River where he located his 76 Ranch headquarters “Sussex” after his home county in England. But decades before Frewen marked the beginning of the Cattle Boom in Wyoming, the Sussex area East of Kaycee was the stage where early explorers, travelers, trappers, the US military, and even missionaries played their part in Western expansion.

The fascinating and little known history of these people and events will shared by knowledgeable local historians as you travel by bus eastward from Kaycee through the Powder River Country. The tour will be held on September 10, 2022.

Some of the famous sites and events explored on this guided historical tour include:

1836 Portuguese Fort of Antonio Montero, trapper
German Lutheran Mission Station where missionaries attempted to minister to natives
The Bozeman Trail
The Townsend Wagon Train Fight along the Bozeman Trail
US Military Cantonment Reno and Fort Reno sites
Cattle Baron Moreton Frewen’s “Castle” site at 76 Ranch Headquarters
Notable Homestead Sites and Community Sites

Tour Cost is $85 per person, which includes lunch at Fort Reno, and begins in Kaycee at 9:00 AM. Registration is required in advance and space is limited on the bus, so sign up early.

Overlooking the Townsend Wagon Train Fight in beautiful Powder River Country East of Kaycee.

To find out more about the tour or register, you may contact the museum at 307-738-2381 or register here:

Bozeman Tour Registration Form

Name*
First Last
Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
Phone*
Email*
Bozeman Trail of Powder River
Price: $85.00
September 10, 2022
Total
$0.00
Release of Liability
Release of Liability
In consideration for being allowed to participate in the Historical Tour conducted by Hoofprints of the Past Museum, of 344 Nolan Ave., Kaycee, Wyoming, 82639 at the museum and all areas where the tour is conducted I agree for myself and (if applicable) for my traveling companions, to the following:

1. AGREEMENT TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. I agree to observe and obey all written rules and warnings regarding the tour, and further agree to follow any oral instructions or directions given by Hoofprints of the Past Museum, or the employees, representatives or agents of Hoofprints of the Past Museum for the duration of the tour. I also agree as directed on the tour registration and confirmation letter, not to bring a dog on the tour.

2. ASSUMPTION OF THE RISKS AND RELEASE. I recognize that there are certain inherent risks, known and unknown, associated with participation in the tour, and I assume full responsibility for illness, personal injury or death to myself and (if applicable) my travel companions, and further release and discharge Hoofprints of the Past Museum for illness, injury, death, loss or damage arising out of my or my companion’s participation in the museum’s historical tour, in all areas where the tour is conducted, whether caused by the fault of myself, my companions, Hoofprints of the Past Museum or other third parties.

3. INDEMNIFICATION. I agree to indemnify and defend Hoofprints of the Past Museum against all claims, causes of action, damages, judgments, costs or expenses, including attorney fees and other litigation costs, which may in any way arise from my or my companion’s participation in the Hoofprints of the Past Museum’s historical tour.

4. FEES. I agree to pay for all damages to Hoofprints of the Past Museum, other tour attendees, and owners of property upon which the tour is conducted, caused by any negligent, reckless, or willful actions by me or my companions.

5. APPLICABLE LAW. Any legal or equitable claim that may arise from participation in the above shall be resolved under Wyoming law.

6. NO DURESS. I agree and acknowledge that I am under no pressure or duress to sign this Agreement and that I have been given a reasonable opportunity to review it before signing. I further agree and acknowledge that Hoofprints of the Past Museum has offered to refund any tour registration payment I have made if I choose not to sign this Agreement.

I HAVE READ THIS DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTAND IT. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT BY MARKING THIS RELEASE, I VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS.

To receive notification for this tour’s date in 2023, please complete a Tour Notification Form

Please note: Dogs are not allowed on the tour for any reason.

Hole in the Wall Tour

January 15, 2016 by timminer

Our annual Hole in the Wall Tour on June 4, 2022 traces the steps of the Outlaw Era from the sympathy towards rustlers and outlaws that resulted from the Johnson County War through the famous Hole in the Wall Fight.

The tour begins in Kaycee at the KC Fight site, then the site where the Hole in the Wall gang hid from the posse after the Wilcox Train Robbery. It then follows the Old Barnum Road to the location where Kid Curry of the Hole in the Wall gang shot Sheriff Deane before traveling into the famous Hole in the Wall Valley. Here the numerous stories of fact regarding local outlaws are related by knowledgeable authors and local historians. Site stops include overlook of the Hall Cabin where Champion was first ambushed, the entire valley, the homestead site of Alex Ghent, horse trader and friend of the outlaws, the real Hole in the Wall site, where a picnic lunch is enjoyed, before finally traveling to the Hole in the Wall Gap on the Red Wall.

Hole in the Wall Valley

The tour is an important fundraiser for the museum, and costs $100 per person. This includes continental breakfast, a nice lunch, and a day in the famous Hole in the Wall country. Even if you are not a history buff, you will experience beautiful scenery and a unique day that few have the opportunity to share. If you would like to know more about the tour, please contact the museum at 307-738-2381 or email info@hoofprintsofthepast.org

At this time the 2022 Hole in the Wall Tour is FULL. Please contact the museum directly at the phone or email above to be placed on a waiting list.

To try and attend next year’s tour, please complete our tour notification form by clicking on the link below. You will receive a notification in the mail with next year’s tour date in January 2023. Tour Notification Form

Please note: Dogs are not allowed on the tour for any reason.

Johnson County War Tour

August 12, 2015 by Laurel Foster

The Johnson County War tour on August 13, 2022 allows attendees to travel by bus the approximate route of the “Invaders” in their fateful attack on the “Rustlers” in April 1892, learning about the war and stopping at various sites of historical significance along the way.

Stops include the KC Cabin Fight site, where Nate Champion made a heroic stand against overwhelming odds, Plunkett’s Horse Ranch where the Invaders changed horses, the Smith homestead site where a near ambush of the Invaders almost occurred, the historic 28 Ranch where Invaders rested their horses, and the TA Ranch where the final battle occurred. The tour will also stop at the assassination sites of John. A. Tisdale and Ranger Jones, whose murders occurred in the months leading up to the war, foreshadowing the events of 1892.

The historical guides narrating the journey are John W. Davis and Brock Hanson. Davis is a lawyer and author of “Wyoming Range War” which relates the Johnson County War from a legal vantage using a large number of public documents from the period. Brock Hanson is a 4^th generation local historian whose family lived through the war and documented the historic events with interviews of the various people involved in the war.

The tour will be held on August 13, 2022 beginning in Kaycee at 9:00 AM (with an AM check-in time of 8:30 AM) and ends at approximately 3:00 PM. Lunch is included the ticket price of $90, which must be purchased in advance due to limited space on the bus.

The Hoofprints of the Past Museum is a 501(3)c non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing Kaycee and Johnson County history.

Space is limited, so please register soon. You may call the museum at 307-738-2381 to register or complete the registration form below:

JC War Tour Registration Form

Name*
First Last
Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code
Phone*
Email*
Johnson County War Tour
Price: $90.00
August 13, 2022
Total
$0.00
Release of Liability
Release of Liability
In consideration for being allowed to participate in the Historical Tour conducted by Hoofprints of the Past Museum, of 344 Nolan Ave., Kaycee, Wyoming, 82639 at the museum and all areas where the tour is conducted I agree for myself and (if applicable) for my traveling companions, to the following:

1. AGREEMENT TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. I agree to observe and obey all written rules and warnings regarding the tour, and further agree to follow any oral instructions or directions given by Hoofprints of the Past Museum, or the employees, representatives or agents of Hoofprints of the Past Museum for the duration of the tour. I also agree as directed on the tour registration and confirmation letter, not to bring a dog on the tour.

2. ASSUMPTION OF THE RISKS AND RELEASE. I recognize that there are certain inherent risks, known and unknown, associated with participation in the tour, and I assume full responsibility for illness, personal injury or death to myself and (if applicable) my travel companions, and further release and discharge Hoofprints of the Past Museum for illness, injury, death, loss or damage arising out of my or my companion’s participation in the museum’s historical tour, in all areas where the tour is conducted, whether caused by the fault of myself, my companions, Hoofprints of the Past Museum or other third parties.

3. INDEMNIFICATION. I agree to indemnify and defend Hoofprints of the Past Museum against all claims, causes of action, damages, judgments, costs or expenses, including attorney fees and other litigation costs, which may in any way arise from my or my companion’s participation in the Hoofprints of the Past Museum’s historical tour.

4. FEES. I agree to pay for all damages to Hoofprints of the Past Museum, other tour attendees, and owners of property upon which the tour is conducted, caused by any negligent, reckless, or willful actions by me or my companions.

5. APPLICABLE LAW. Any legal or equitable claim that may arise from participation in the above shall be resolved under Wyoming law.

6. NO DURESS. I agree and acknowledge that I am under no pressure or duress to sign this Agreement and that I have been given a reasonable opportunity to review it before signing. I further agree and acknowledge that Hoofprints of the Past Museum has offered to refund any tour registration payment I have made if I choose not to sign this Agreement.

I HAVE READ THIS DOCUMENT AND UNDERSTAND IT. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT BY MARKING THIS RELEASE, I VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS.

If you cannot make this year’s tour date and would like to be notified of the 2023 tour date, please complete the Tour Notification Form

Please note: Dogs are not allowed on the tour for any reason.