Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lakeway Learning Center, the science center occupies almost 10,000 square feet and offers
young visitors numerous opportunities to discover, inquire, experiment, and learn. There
are live animal displays (children can visit with an African pygmy hedgehog, an African
bullfrog, ferrets, exotic birds, and even a python) and more than 60 interactive exhibits.
Wright Museum
Located 35 miles south of Gillette in the small town of Wright, the
Wright Museum
(104
Ranch Ct., 307/464-1222, 10am-5pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-2pm Sat. May-Sept.) houses a small
collection of artifacts from the surrounding area. The museum's collection has been largely
amassed from the donations of residents. On display are vintage clothes, kitchen and bath-
room furnishings from old homesteads, tools, saddles, and even a prostitute's “dresser box”
with her personal items (including a gun). The town was established by the Atlantic Rich-
field mining company, and so there are many exhibits and interpretive materials dedicated
to the mining industry. During the summer, visitors to the museum can sign up for tours of
a local coal mine to witness the process firsthand.
Most of Gillette's large-scale events take place in the massive facility known as
Cam-Plex
(1635 Reata Dr., 307/682-0552,
www.cam-plex.com
)
, which hosts concerts, conventions,
expos, sporting events, public ice skating, and good ol' Wyoming rodeos. Visit the website
to see what events are scheduled when you're in town.
Rodeos are held almost every weekend during the summer at Cam-Plex. The
PRCA
Rodeo,
which takes place in late July or early August, is quite popular, and the
National
High School Rodeo Finals
in July are also a huge draw. Almost 6,000 people descend on
Gillette for this annual weekend event.
If you head out to the
Gillette Thunder Speedway
(Hwy. 51, 307/689-8203,
www.gillettespeedway.com
)
, there are stock-car races almost every Saturday night during
the summer; check the website for the current schedule.
In the winter, the
Powder River Symphony Orchestra
(307/686-5767,
www.prsymphony.org
)
performs concerts at Cam-Plex, and there are a host of holiday craft
fairs as well.
