Category Archives: exhibits

Big News: We’re Launching an Education and Outreach Department!

We have some really exciting news to share—the American Heritage Center is creating a new Education and Outreach Department. If you’ve been following along with us, you know we’ve always been about more than just preserving collections. We want people … Continue reading

Posted in Education & Outreach, exhibits, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Following the Manito Trail: New Mexicans of the Cowboy State

In honor of the beginning of this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th – October 15th), today we look at the history of the Manito Trail and the interdisciplinary Following the Manito Trail exhibit that tells its story. As … Continue reading

Posted in Community Stories, Culture and heritage, exhibits, Uncategorized, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Studying Stan – The Creation of Stan Lee: Beyond the Book

In June 2023, a team of three University of Wyoming student interns began researching the papers of Stan Lee, which are housed at the American Heritage Center (AHC). Their interns’ intention was to create an exciting and informative exhibit about … Continue reading

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Stan Lee and the Comic Book Boom

Beginning the late 1960’s, Stan Lee and Marvel Comics started to reach beyond the audience of just the United States and into global popular culture. Marvel’s characters and stories possessed universal themes and relatable qualities that touched readers from all … Continue reading

Posted in Comic book history, exhibits, Fan Culture, Marvel Comics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stan Lee: A Legacy of Learning

A-listers, cutting-edge CGI, chaos, quips, and post-credit scenes—that is 21st-century Marvel Entertainment in a nutshell. Churning out one blockbuster production after another, Marvel has established itself as a live-action media mogul persistently setting the pace for family action movies over … Continue reading

Posted in Biography and profiles, Comic book history, Education, Entertainment history, exhibits, Interns' projects, Literacy, Pop Culture, popular culture, Stan Lee, Superheroes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Railroad Romance and Reality: Unpacking the Legacy of Railways in America

Documents and photographs found in the American Heritage Center’s collections can be used to explore the ways in which railways have been and are perceived in American society. Examples of these are in an AHC virtual exhibit titled “The Art … Continue reading

Posted in Economic History, exhibits, Railroad History, Toppan Rare Books Library, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Western history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

American Heritage Center Exhibit Celebrates Buddy Ebsen, 1908-2003

Do you remember the TV comedy series The Beverly Hillbillies? How about the mystery series Barnaby Jones? More recently the series King of the Hill? No doubt you’ve seen the classic films The Wizard of Oz or Breakfast at Tiffany’s. … Continue reading

Posted in Actors, Biography and profiles, exhibits, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Check Out the American Heritage Center’s Virtual Exhibits!

2020 was a banner year for new American Heritage Center virtual exhibits. Take a look this selection of what we’ve been working on this past year. “Stampede” by Jerry Palen During the course of its 43 year run, “Stampede” became … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, cartoons, Digital collections, exhibits, found in the archive, Photographic collections, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Butch Cassidy and Beyond: Inside Wyoming’s Historic Territorial Prison

As buildings sprung up in Laramie, the former “Hell on Wheels” town, a new imposing stone structure shadowed the landscape. With construction starting in 1872, the Territorial Prison opened its doors to inmates in January 1873, while construction still continued. … Continue reading

Posted in architectural history, Current events, events, exhibits, found in the archive, Laramie 150th Anniversary, Livestock industry, Local history, Outlaws--West (U.S.), Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tracing Tracks: Laramie’s Railroad History

On May 4, 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad reached Laramie, bringing with it new people, and within a few days, regular train service to Laramie. A “Hell on Wheels” tent town soon became a bustling city with permanent structures. Over … Continue reading

Posted in announcements, Current events, Digital collections, exhibits, found in the archive, Local history, Railroad History, Transportation history, Uncategorized, Western history, Westward migration, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment