Cheyenne Depot Museum

The Cheyenne Depot Museum (cdm) is an educational institution and the steward of the Cheyenne uprr Depot, a national historic landmark. Built in 1886 by the union pacific railroad, it is the last remaining grand railroad station on the transcontinental route, designed by famed architect henry van brunt. Since becoming the cornerstone for Cheyenne, it remains a popular destination for those living in the region, as well as for national and international tourists. The operations and maintenance of this historic treasure requires full and part time staff to keep it operational. The cdm provides tours for Wyoming elementary students who, as part of their core humanities curriculum, learn about the transcontinental railroad. Our tours put faces to the historical figures they learn about in the classroom. Objects bring to life the timeline they study in books. The lobby has a large-scale floor map of the transcontinental railroad line from omaha, ne to promontory summit, ut. The third graders love to line up on the rail line and walk the route while recounting what they know about the creation of the railroad. Their excitement is contagious. The cdm is the heart of historic downtown Cheyenne and contributes to the humanities through the Museum itself, but also by providing rental space in the historic building. Cheyenne artwalk uses the space during special events. The winter farmers' market provides space for local craftspeople to sell their products. A local non-profit provides dinner every christmas eve to the homeless population. Cdm also collaborates with the state Museum and city botanical gardens on dia de los murtos celebration. These are only a few examples of the community events supported by cdm. Depot days, an annual event typically held in may, brings visitors from around the world. The plaza in front of the cdm is home to myriad events in the summer, bringing together locals and visitors to enjoy diverse cultural events and concerts. Cdm participates in the summer music program, fridays on the plaza. Other cultural events include oktoberfest and celtic festivals.