The Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne is welcoming the summer season with a lineup of fresh exhibits and programming designed to highlight art, archaeology, and Wyoming’s cultural traditions, Wyoming News Now reports.
According to Melisa McChesney, Curator of Community Engagement, the museum continually works to keep exhibits engaging and new.
“We like to keep things fresh,” she said, noting the museum’s effort to serve both residents and tourists.
Painting with Paper, currently displayed near the museum’s welcome desk, showcases the creative efforts of participants in the museum’s Creative Aging program. The collection includes portraits by individuals who often don’t identify as artists.
“All of them came in nervous, and they came out making beautiful pieces of art,” McChesney shared.
This exhibit will remain on view through the end of July.
Another highlight is Threads Through Time, part of the museum’s annual Archaeology Awareness partnership with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. This year’s exhibit focuses on bone artifacts, with a particularly notable item: a 13,000-year-old bone needle. Threads Through Time will be on display through the end of the year.
Upstairs, visitors will find an artist gallery spotlighting traditional folk artists who preserve skills such as dressmaking and saddle-making. These exhibits aim to support the continuation of Wyoming’s cultural heritage by showing how knowledge is passed down to younger generations.
Outside the museum’s front entrance, guests can now view Wyoming’s replica of the Liberty Bell, which had been in storage since 2018. McChesney noted that every US state has its own replica, and the museum is proud to have Wyoming’s version now publicly accessible.
The museum is also preparing for Civic Season 2025, a summer-long program that celebrates American identity and history. The initiative invites visitors to reflect on the nation’s past and future through a variety of educational events and community activities scheduled throughout June and July.
McChesney emphasized that while the museum draws tourists, it’s ultimately a space meant to serve Wyoming residents.
“It really exists for our people—the people of Cheyenne, the people of Wyoming. We want them to be able to enjoy this museum and take pride in it and feel like it belongs to them,” she said.
