Our museum gift shop recently added many beautiful items from artist Mary Cunningham, former Kaycee resident for many years. We hope you stop in and take a look. These are perfect for gifts or just to treat yourself.
Beautiful Day on the Bozeman Trail Tour
We enjoyed a beautiful day on Powder River east of Kaycee seeing the sites of the Bozeman Trail and other early frontier sites. Thank you to all who attended in support of the museum, and all the landowners, speakers, and volunteers who made the day possible. Thank you!
Johnson County War Tour a Success
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2023 Johnson County War tour, and thank you to all the landowners, volunteers, and speakers who made it possible. It was a fun day and we really appreciated meeting everyone and all the support. Thank you!
Bozeman Trail Tour
The Bozeman Trail passed through the Powder River area east of Kaycee for only a short time, but this area was the stage where early explorers, travelers, trappers, the US military, the Indian Wars, 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 14, 2024.
Some of the famous sites and events explored on this guided historical tour include:
- 1834 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 $95 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.
Questions? Please contact the museum at 307-738-2381 or at [email protected]
If you would like to be notified about the tour for next year in 2025, please complete a Tour Notification Form
Please note: Dogs are not allowed on the tour for any reason.
The Hole in the Wall Ranch: A History
The museum 
had a great turn out for the presentation by historical author Tom Rea on March 5th. The presentation covered everything from the ancient peoples that once inhabited the famous valley to the more recently famous, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We will continue with some additional related tidbits and stories on Facebook if you would like to learn more. If you would like to purchase Rea’s book, please contact the museum at 307-738-2381. We appreciate all of our followers and supporters!
New Displays at the Museum
If you have not been to the museum in a while, you may want to visit and see two of our newest displays.
One of the new display cases features the role of rodeo in Kaycee, and local rodeo stars such as Deke Lathum, Larry Sandvick, and Chris Ledoux. Artifacts in the display include chaps worn by Larry Sandvick while winning rodeos as well as artifacts associated with the Deke Lathum Memorial Rodeo and Chris Ledoux’s career.
The second new display case reorganizes and better displays all of the items associated with many of our local pioneer women. There are many small personal items that are now much easier to view, as well as unique jewelry, pins, and dresses. There are several beautiful quilts, and artifacts belonging to many other early local women.
Group Museum Tours
This tour will provide a fascinating overview of Kaycee area 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. Tour must be scheduled two weeks in advance. Please contact Laurel for more information at 307-738-2381 or [email protected].
Johnson County War Tour
The Johnson County War Tour on August 17, 2024 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 sit
es 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 4th 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 begin in Kaycee at 9:00 AM (with an AM check-in time of 8:30 AM) and ends at approximately 4:00 PM. Lunch is included the ticket price of $100, which must be purchased in advance due to limited space on the bus.
Questions about the tour? Please contact us at 307-738-2381 or [email protected]
Please note: Dogs are not allowed on the tour for any reason.
The 2024 Johnson County War tour is FULL. If you would like to be notified of the 2025 tour date, you may complete our Tour Notification Form
If you cannot make this year’s tour, but would like to be notified of the 2024 tour date, please complete the Tour Notification Form
2022 Hole in the Wall Tour a Success
Thank you to all our tour attendees and volunteers for making our annual Hole in the Wall tour a success and an enjoyable day. The weather was absolutely perfect. Thank you everyone!
And for those who wanted our 34 year old recipe for coleslaw that was served at lunch, here it is:
Lunch at the Hole in the Wall
Cole Slaw for 50-60 people
5 heads cabbage, grated or sliced fine
5 green peppers
5 onions (medium)
set aside
5 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
5 cups Oil
2 1/2 cups Sugar
10 TBLSP. honey
10 tsp. salt
5 tsp. celery seed
Bring these ingredients to a boil, boil for a few minutes then pour over the slaw. DO NOT STIR until cool.
Video Digitization Project at the Museum
With support from the Wyoming State Historical Records Advisory Board, the museum recently preserved digitally 40 VHS and audio cassette tapes in a digital format. This short example clip shows Bob Winingar speaking about his Dad in WWI, along with museum interviewer Sandy Dixon and Brock Hanson reads a short poem written by Bob’s Dad.