The National Trails Interpretive Center
Casper Wyoming

High on a hill, next to the Casper Events Center and with a clear view of the city of Casper, Casper Mountain and the Platte River Valley sits the newest additional to the city. The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center spectacularly addresses the history of the pioneer trails that crisscrossed the Casper area in the 1800's. It is a $12,000,000 non-profit, joint venture between the city of Casper, the Bureau of Land management and generous private donors. Scheduled to open in the summer of 2001 this multi-media project, first proposed in 1992, has finally developed into a wonderful hands on experience for all visitors and locals alike.

History has revealed that during the mid 1800's, Casper was the only spot geographically in the land west of the Mississippi where six of the main, westward pioneer trails merged. The Oregon, California, Mormon, Bridger and Bozeman Trails, along with the famous Pony Express route, all converged together in this part of Wyoming. Add to that numerous Native American trails and it is clear that this was a very significant area of the west's history. To say that this area was a crossroads was, quite figuratively, very true!

This center of living history is really much more than a museum as so many of the exhibits and displays are interactive. Visitors can relive the experiences the brave immigrants encountered on their grueling travels across the prairies and the formidable Rocky Mountains. Simply, this means the simulated wagon rides and river ford crossings can be actually experienced and enjoyed by the visitor. The stone walls of the building are replicas of actual immigrant carvings and engravings found on many nearby rock walls. Specially selected stones were taken to the engraver's studio where the designs taken from photographs were transferred to the stones and engraved using air operated engraving tools. The center is filled with relics of a past so relevant both to the people of Wyoming and those from other places interested in just what challenges these early pioneers of the west faced trying to make new lives for themselves and their families.