I made a drive by appearance at the Wyoming Territorial Prison because I didn't have the time or funds to visit the museum. I bet it would be c ool to see though, especially if you're a fan of outlaws, in particularly Butch Cassidy. Wyoming Territorial Prison was built in 1872 and restored and renovated in the 1990s by the efforts of the citizens of Laramie. There were 12 women housed here and more than 1,000 men, the most famous of which was Robert LeRoy Parker "Butch Cassidy". With territorial status, there came a need in Wyoming for a facility to house convicted felons. In 1869, the territorial legislature approved the construction of a prison. The federal government approved funding the following year and two years later the 42 cell facility opened with Deputy United States Marshal Nathaniel. K. Boswell as first warden. Until then convicted felons were housed at the Detroit House of Corrections. Unfortunately, the opening of the new prison did not solve the problem, since the expense of the Laramie facility was greater than shipping the inmates out of the Territory. The Prison charged as much as a $1.00 per day for each prisoner, while after 1878 Nebraska agreed to house inmates in its State Penitentiary for only forty cents. During the period 1882 to 1887 Illinois agreed to house the prisoners for free. Thus, during the period from 1882 to 1887 most inmates went off to Joliet. Indeed, a federal inspection of the Laramie facility in 1884 found only 10 inmates, some of whom were permitted to go into town on Saturday night. Behind the prison on the right is the broom factory. In addition to brooms, the inmates constructed furniture, some of which is on display in the Laramie Plains Museum. To the left of the prison is the horse barn. The barn is now used for a dinner theatre and a museum devoted to the Federal Marshals Service. The small building on the left, is the warden's residence. After 1887, the Penitentiary was overcrowded even with the construction of a new wing. The new wing housed three cells for women inmates and medical facilities. Rules for inmates were strict. They were required, among other things, to bath in the summertime twice a week. In the winter they might be required to bathe only once a week. They laundered and made their own clothes. Among the inmates was Butch Cassidy. Although construction of a new prison at Rawlins was proposed as early as 1886, it was not until 1903 that a new facility was opened. It is an old saw (but not true) that in the distribution of the capitol to Cheyenne, the prison to Rawlins, the lunatic asylum to Evanston, and the University to Laramie, that Laramie had last choice. With the opening of the new facility at Rawlins, the old prison was converted to the Agriculture Experiment Station under Bert C. Buffum as director. The area has now been converted back to a park and museum and includes the United States Marshals' Museum and exhibits as to early ranch life. While at the prison, visitors can check out other sites on the grounds, including the historically furnished Frontier Town, the Warden's House, a Union Pacific boxcar and the Horse Barn Exhibit Hall. read more

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I have been to this museum over 12 times. It is usually a ton of fun to visit and extremely interesting. I usually highly recommend it. Most of the employees are volunteers. If you come here make sure you go to the Butch Cassidy Exhibit. Due to Covid it's difficult to get around the historical site now. I brought a friend here today, in the person at the cash register was kind of rude. Chalk it up to Covid. If you are in LARAMIE... And this place isn't packed... With lines of people trying to get through... I do recommend checking it out! read more

I visited the Wyoming Territorial Park back in 1992 and returned again this year. I missed the 'living history' that the park used to provide, with the wool spinners, the black smith and all the local crafts folk demonstrating and keeping the history alive, but I enjoyed touring the prison again. Nineteen years ago we had a guided tour when the prison restoration was newly started. Now the tour is a self guided tour, allowing you the luxury of setting your own pace and reading as much or little of the history as you find interesting. You're provided with a paper pamphlet that gives you some limited information about each 'station' throughout the tour, but you can learn so much more by reading all the wall signs throughout the prison. I recommend standing and listening to the narrative that is provided in the first jail cell you can enter. There's even more information provided there than from only reading the pamphlet and wall signage. I grew up in Laramie when the Territorial Prison was the University Stock farm and it was very interesting to learn more about my own state history. Wyoming plays a pretty important role in United States history, and the Territorial Park is a great place to learn about it. read more

This is definitely worth the stop if you have time. The guided tour takes about an hour and a half and is extremely informative. You can, however, take a self-guided tour. There are large displays placed throughout the prison explaining what each area is as well as the convictions of some of the prisoners that spent parts of their lives there. Butch Cassidy is the most famous of prisoners they held and there is a separate room dedicated to him. You also will get to check out the processing room, the kitchen, the wardens office, the infirmary and the broom making building. Walking the grounds could easily take a half day of you stopped to read everything. Great way to get a glimpse into the history of the old west! read more

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Fun Prison Museum Tells its story Of the wild west through its prisoners. read more

Definitely worth getting off the freeway for if you are passing through! You can easily spend a full morning or afternoon exploring this place.. The old Wyoming Territorial Prison museum is the most outstanding attraction, which has very good explanations about the colorful history of this place; where people like Butch Cassidy were imprisoned.. There is also the old warden's house, a broom factory, an old church, and a small old west style village where people in costume walk around and do some demonstrations... There used to be theater productions here, don't know if there still are.. An excellent place for both adults and kids if you are at all interested in history.. Kids will probably like seeing the old prison cells.. read more

Great stop, worth the visit! Very interesting, info active, and interactive. Staff was wonderful.

We really enjoyed our visit to the Wyoming Territorial prison. There are signs throughout the museum telling about the prisoners housed here. They had a lot of furnishings to show what prison life would have been like. It was interesting to see what types of crafts the prisoners made. Some of them were very talented. read more