Cheyenne is Wyoming’s capital and largest city and best known for the mega-rodeo Cheyenne Frontier Days, held every year. Located in the southeast of the state, the city was founded by the Union Pacific Railroad chief engineer back in 1867 and is very popular with railway enthusiasts and lovers of the outdoors.
Perhaps the best way to get an overall view of Cheyenne is to hop aboard the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley; definitely the easiest and most informative way to see the city, with good onboard guides. The Greenway is the highlight of the tour, a busy array of paths linking city parks and gardens.
Activities and festivals happen year-round in Cheyenne and include the Oktoberfest, The Goblin Walk, the Christmas Parade and the hugely popular Cheyenne Frontier Days. In addition, outdoors types can go skiing in the nearby Medicine Bow National Forest or Colorado Rockies in the wintertime, while history buffs should head for Fort Laramie and Como Bluff Dinosaur Graveyard.
Highlights
State Capitol Building: this National Historic Landmark dominates Cheyenne and was actually completed before the state of Wyoming came into being.
Union Pacific Railroad Depot: also a National Historic Landmark, the Railroad Depot is home to the Cheyenne Depot Museum and the Snake River Pub & Grill.
Cheyenne Frontier Days: affectionately known as the ‘Daddy of ‘em All,’ this outdoor rodeo is the world’s largest outdoor rodeo with concerts and parades during the last ‘Full Week in July’.
Old West Museum & Store: featuring horse-drawn carriages and CFD rodeo exhibits, the museum is on the grounds of Cheyenne Frontier Days, in Frontier Park.
Historic Trolley Tours: popular narrated, 90-minute tour of historic Cheyenne with the option of going by horse-drawn carriage.
Terry Bison Ranch: located just south of Cheyenne and featuring more than 2,000 bison, horses, camels, llamas, ostriches and many other colorful animals.