1. Jackson Town Square and the Antler Arches
Go ahead, take the antler-arch photo. The four arches framing Jackson Town Square might be Jackson’s signature sight and when you stand underneath that tangle of antlers, you’ll get a real appreciation for their size. The first arch went up in 1953, starting a tradition that’s become part of the town’s identity.
In summer, a stagecoach ride around the square gives you a taste of traveling through town before cars took over. Come during the holiday season and you’ll find the arches dressed in lights, which is reason enough for another photo.
You can also browse the surrounding shops or head down East Broadway to the Jackson Hole Historical Museum. If you’re coming back for an evening out, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar faces the square. Check who’s playing and make a night of it.
2. Jackson Hole Historical Museum
Western movie fans, we’d send you straight to the Shane cabin at the Jackson Hole Historical Museum. Built for the classic film shot in Jackson Hole, this log saddle and tack cabin now explores the valley’s Hollywood connections. You get to step inside a piece of movie history while learning how Jackson became part of the West people saw on screen.
There’s plenty to investigate in the main galleries, too. Old photographs put faces to the valley’s past, while artifacts reveal what life here involved. Bring the kids along, as well. The drawers with objects they can touch give curious hands something to do.
If you’d rather explore outside, the museum also offers seasonal guided downtown walking tours focused on historic buildings and the people behind them.
You’ll find the museum at 175 E. Broadway Ave.
3. A Taste of Jackson’s Dining Scene
Bring an appetite to Jackson. A chocolate croissant filled with dark Valrhona chocolate at Persephone Bakery is reason enough to look forward to breakfast. And if savory is more your style, the prosciutto and sharp white cheddar croissant is a surefire way to start the day off right.
For dinner after a day of exploration and working up your hunger, try Snake River Grill. Their New American menu puts a flavorful spin on classics. The steak tartare pizza is a tempting place to start, with garlic aioli and capers, while the potato rösti comes topped with smoked salmon. Pair your order with their log-cabin setting and you’re in for a meal you’ll remember long after the last bite.
Prefer sharing a few plates over wine? Bin22 combines a bottle shop with a restaurant serving European-style small plates at communal tables. Come with friends so you can order more from the menu and try whatever caught your eye on someone else’s plate.
4. Scenic Floats and Whitewater on the Snake River
On a guided Snake River float, you get to spend a few hours watching the Tetons instead of watching the road. Your guide handles the raft, leaving you free to take in the mountains and look for wildlife along the banks. For Teton views, we’d recommend a route through Grand Teton National Park.
South of Jackson, Snake River Canyon brings the whitewater. You’ll paddle through rapids and take your share of the splashes, so expect to get wet. If you like being part of the action, we’d put this high on your summer list.
Local rafting outfitters offer trips on different stretches of the river. They can help you choose the perfect journey for your interests, ages and skill levels.
5. Jackson Hole Aerial Tram
You don’t have to hike up a mountain to see the Tetons from 10,450 feet. The Jackson Hole Aerial Tram carries you from Teton Village to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain in about 12 minutes, climbing more than 4,000 vertical feet along the way. Step out at the top and you can look across the surrounding peaks and down into Jackson Hole, with the valley spread out far below.
Give yourself time on the Grand Teton Skywalk viewing platform. Seeing the mountains at eye level is a different experience from admiring them through the windshield and you’ve got a 360-degree view to explore.
If exploring makes you hungry, grab some waffles at Corbet’s Cabin. Order one with brown sugar butter and enjoy breakfast at an elevation most restaurants can’t offer. Pack a warm layer for the summit, even if you left Teton Village in a T-shirt.
6. Snow King Mountain and Its Observatory
You can look across Jackson from Snow King’s summit, then look far beyond Wyoming through the observatory’s telescopes. When the sun goes down and the sky grows dark, you can explore a whole new world in the stars.
One of our favorite things about Snow King is the Observatory & Planetarium. You reach it by gondola and once you arrive, astronomy educators can help you find your way around the night sky. Depending on the season and conditions, telescope viewing might bring the moon’s surface or a distant galaxy into focus. You don’t need to know your constellations to appreciate what you’re seeing and the expert staff are there to answer the questions of the cosmos that inevitably follow.
Book a night experience for telescope viewing. Evening planetarium shows are a separate option, with indoor presentations that don’t depend on clear skies.
In fact, it’s easy to spend an entire day here, as there’s plenty happening on Snow King Mountain while the sun is shining, too. Ski above town in winter or race down the mountain on the Cowboy Coaster, an alpine coaster that can reach speeds of 25 mph.
7. A Guided Wildlife Tour
Spotting an animal is exciting. Having time to watch it and someone who can explain what it’s doing makes a wildlife encounter worth getting up early for.
Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures takes visitors into Grand Teton National Park with naturalist guides who know the animals’ habitats and seasonal movements. Binoculars and spotting scopes let you study what’s happening from a respectful distance. You might find yourself watching how an animal feeds or moves through the landscape, with your guide pointing out behavior you would’ve missed on your own.
If wildlife is one of your main reasons for coming to Wyoming, we’d book a full-day outing. They’ll typically start near sunrise and give you time to stay with a sighting rather than hurry off to the next attraction. Just remember, the animals in Wyoming tend to run on their own schedules and make their own plans, so no particular species is guaranteed.
8. Winter Wildlife at National Elk Refuge
Oh what fun it is to ride in a horse-drawn open sleigh! At National Elk Refuge, seasonal sleigh rides take you onto the refuge to observe the herds in their winter habitat. Seeing so many elk together can be awe-inspiring and gives you an appreciation for the migration that brings them back to the valley each year.
Elk are typically visible from mid-December through early April. If they’re high on your wish list, this is the season to come. By late spring, they’re moving toward their summer ranges.
You can also explore Refuge Road, looking for bighorn sheep around Miller Butte. Keep binoculars handy and stay on the road or in designated pullouts. In summer, come for birding and walks along the pathway, with a stop at the visitor center to find out what’s been spotted nearby.
9. National Museum of Wildlife Art
If you’ve spent the morning searching the landscape for wildlife, you’ll find plenty to hold your attention at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Animals are the focus here, with a collection that includes the largest collection of work by Carl Rungius in the United States.
The outdoor Sculpture Trail is also worth your attention. Richard Loffler’s Buffalo Trail and Bart Walter’s Wapiti Trail place sculpted animals against the hillside, with National Elk Refuge below. You can walk around the works and see how their shapes change against the landscape.
The trail is free to explore. If you’re curious about wildlife art but unsure about spending an afternoon in a museum, start outside. You may find yourself wanting to see the galleries, too.
10. Jackson Hole Rodeo
There’s a lot riding on a few seconds at the Jackson Hole Rodeo. A rider trying to hang on to the bull beneath them for eight seconds gives the whole grandstand something to follow, while barrel racing puts speed and tight turns at the center of the competition. Even if you don’t know the finer points of scoring these events, we bet you’ll still be up and out of your seats cheering everyone on.
Make room for a rodeo night if you’re visiting Jackson in the summer. Watching the riders compete gives you a firsthand look at a sport with deep roots in Wyoming and there’s considerably more suspense than you’ll get from a Western on your hotel television. You can even go behind the scenes with “Behind the Chutes,” a VIP experience that gets you up close and personal with the animals, the riders and all the thrills that come along with them.
Performances take place at the fairgrounds on Snow King Avenue, generally from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Check the schedule for your dates and bring a layer for the outdoor stands.
11. Live Music at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar
Pull up a saddle at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a night of fun and entertainment. This is the spot to go for live music in Jackson. Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson have played its stage and the bar continues to host live entertainment steps from Town Square.
There’s a dance floor if you feel like doing a little boot-scooting of your own, but watching the dancers can be entertainment enough if you’d rather stay put.
Check the lineup for regular music nights and ticketed headline shows. Some evenings have a cover charge and everyone entering must be 21 or older with valid physical ID.
12. Astoria Hot Springs
After a day of hiking, a night of dancing or just a whole lot of sightseeing, the prospect of warm water and a seat beside the Snake River can be hard to beat. Astoria Hot Springs, south of Jackson, beyond Hoback Junction, offers several pools to settle into, with different temperatures and river views.
Head to the River Pool if you want a quiet soak overlooking the water. It shares a designated quiet area with the Waterfall Pool, while the larger Leisure Pool gives friends and families room to soak together. There’s also a cooler children’s pool and a cold plunge for anyone who wants a bracing change of temperature.
Reserve a session before driving out, particularly for weekends and evenings. And don’t plan a Wednesday soak — Astoria closes on Wednesdays for cleaning and maintenance.
