The Best 12 Things to Do in Cheyenne, Wyoming
1. Wyoming State Capitol
- Where: 200 W 24th St
- Best for: History lovers, architecture fans, first-time visitors
- Plan for: 45–90 minutes
Start here if you like places that feel like the historic heart of a city. The Wyoming State Capitol is a standout Cheyenne landmark, built in the late 1800s in a Renaissance Revival style. It’s grand, sandstone-heavy and it makes you look up.
The self guided tour here is great because you can follow your own curiosity and stop to read every plaque at your own pace. Meanwhile, more visual learners can go for the art, the stained glass and the details that quietly remind you this building has seen a lot of history.
2. Terry Bison Ranch Resort
- Where: 51 I-25 Frontage Road
- Best for: Families, animal lovers, classic Wyoming photo seekers
- Plan for: 2–3 hours (longer if you stay overnight)
Terry Bison Ranch Resort is where the West really starts to look exactly like many first-time visitors imagined it would. The bison train tour is the reason people come, and it delivers. You’ll see the herd up close in open country, then spend the rest of the visit wandering the grounds at your own pace.
There’s more here than the tour, too. Explore by horseback, take a self-guided walking tour and stay overnight in a cabin or RV spot. It’s a great fit for families, and for anyone who wants wildlife and Wyoming history in the same afternoon.
3. Cheyenne Botanic Gardens
- Where: 710 S Lions Park Dr
- Best for: Families, slower-paced travelers, anyone craving something green
- Plan for: 1–2 hours
Cheyenne has plenty of history and grit, but the Botanic Gardens (open Tuesday–Saturday year-round, Open Tuesday–Sunday in the summer) show the softer side. It’s green, calm and a surprisingly nice way to spend an hour or two, especially if the weather outside is cold, windy or unpredictable. Plus, admission is free, which makes it an easy yes.
The Paul Smith Children’s Village is a standout for kids, with playful details like the wetlands area, a sheepherder wagon and a tucked-away garden space that kids can treat as their own discovery. And if the adults need a quieter stretch of the day, take a meditative stroll through the labyrinth, or stop by the Peace Garden, which is exactly what it sounds like.
4. Curt Gowdy State Park
- Where: 1264 Granite Springs Rd
- Best for: Outdoor-first trips, active travelers, stargazers
- Plan for: Half-day to full day
Curt Gowdy State Park is the quickest way to trade city streets for water, trails and mountain views. It’s close enough for a half-day and good enough to justify a full one.
Once you’re out there, you forget Cheyenne’s only a short drive away. Three reservoirs set you up for boating and fishing. The rest of the park fills in around that with hiking, horseback riding, camping, an archery range and an IMBA-recognized trail system with more than 35 miles of well-marked mountain, all with the Laramie Mountains in the background. Stick around after dark and you’ll understand why people talk about the night sky out here.
WYResponsibly tip: Wyoming State Parks offer something to explore in every season. Before heading out in colder months, check current conditions, dress for changing weather and make sure ice, roads and trails are safe for your plans.
5. Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility
- Where: 2025 Co Rd 238
- Best for: Cold War history fans, travelers who like offbeat stops
- Plan for: 1–2 hours
This is one of the stranger, more memorable stops near Cheyenne. The Quebec 01 Missile Alert Facility makes Cold War history feel very real, very quickly, offering a hands-on look at a chapter of history most people only know in the abstract.
The only accessible Peacekeeper Missile Alert Facility left in the world, this historic site and Cold War relic was built as a launching facility for actual nuclear weapons. A self-guided tour takes you through control rooms and artifacts from the site’s military past. It’s fascinating, a little eerie and completely different from the rodeo-and-railroad version of Wyoming most people picture.
Travel tip: This facility is only open to the public in the summer, so plan accordingly if it’s high on your list of places to see.
8. Chronicles Distilling
- Where: 1506 Thomes Ave
- Best for: Couples, friend trips, travelers who like a relaxed tasting stop
- Plan for: 45–90 minutes
Chronicles Distilling is a good place to slow down for a bit, especially if you’ve been walking downtown.
The owners are brothers, and the family connection shows up in how personal the whole place feels. If you’re curious, try a house spirit like Spit Shine corn whiskey or Tart Lemon vodka. Non-alcoholic options are available too, which makes it easier for mixed groups.
9. Wyoming State Museum
- Where: 2301 Central Ave
- Best for: Families, first-time visitors, anyone who likes context and story
- Plan for: 1–2 hours
The Wyoming State Museum is one of the best indoor things to do in Cheyenne. It’s free and it’s genuinely worth popping into. Plus, it fits naturally into a downtown day, and it’s especially welcome when the weather shifts.
Exhibits cover Wyoming’s landscapes, history and culture, with space for local art and rotating spotlights. The hands-on pieces are a plus for kids, but they’re also just a nicer way to move through a museum without feeling like you’re reading a textbook.
10. Cowgirls of the West Museum and Emporium
- Where: 205 W 17th St
- Best for: Culture-focused travelers, history fans, thoughtful souvenir hunters
- Plan for: 45–90 minutes
The Cowgirls of the West Museum and Emporium (open Tuesday–Saturday) tells the story of the West without treating women like a footnote. From Annie Oakley to Ruth Roach to Sacagawea, Western women embodied the region's spirit and set the stage for women’s rights across the country.
Stop into the museum to hear their stories, and take in some of the clothing, housewares and other artifacts that these women likely used in their daily lives. Then, browse the gift shop in the same building and find the perfect Wyoming souvenir.
11. Cheyenne Depot Museum
- Where: 121 W 15th St
- Best for: Railroad history fans, museum people, curious first-timers
- Plan for: 1–2 hours
Cheyenne doesn’t exist without the railroad. The Depot Museum makes that story easy to understand, not in a grand-sweeping way, but through photos, artifacts and documents that show what early life here looked like.
It’s housed in the Historic UPRR Depot, a National Historic Landmark that connects Cheyenne to the Transcontinental Railroad, and the building itself does some of the storytelling. For anyone who likes origin stories, this is one of the most satisfying things to do in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
12. The Wrangler
- Where: 1518 Capitol Ave
- Best for: Shoppers, Western-style browsers, anyone who likes a classic local stop
- Plan for: 30–60 minutes
It’s not enough to see what cowboy life is like. Sometimes you have to look the part to really feel it. If you’re visiting downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming, The Wrangler is sure to lasso you in. Appropriately marked by a colorfully-painted cowboy boot on the street outside, The Wrangler is a massive three-story Western goods retailer with a reputation for having everything you could want to outfit yourself (and then some).
They’ve got hundreds of cowboy hats, fresh styles of boots in vibrant shades and Carhartt gear for those cold mornings out on the ranch. Plus, more than a few things you didn’t know you’d want to try on.
