Activities and Events
The Trails Center offers a variety of programs and living history demonstrations for all ages. Check the monthly schedule below for dates or click the links to view our summer program posters. Details about regularly offered programs are listed below the calendar. Please call ahead to confirm that a program is still scheduled, as changes to the schedule may occur.
2026 Stories with Seymour 2026 Pioneer Trail Treks 2026 Free Summer Programs
Activity Calendar
- May
May 12, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
May 16, 11 a.m. - The Early Oregon Emigrants: 1841-1846
What motivated the earliest overlanders to leave behind all that was familiar and set out for the far Pacific Northwest, to start their lives anew? We will learn from archival resources that illuminate some answers to that fundamental question, and a bibliographic handout will encourage participants to explore their own family heritage.
May 23, 11 a.m. - Steamboats on the Frontier
Learn how steam power, and river-going vessels that relied on it, were developed to operate efficiently on the Western rivers in the mid-to-late 19th Century. Historic photographs illustrate the evolution of the specialized craft that were vital to opening the frontier for commerce and military operations.
May 30, 8 a.m. - Pioneer Trail Trek
County Roads 308-319
- June
June 5, 11 a.m. - Pioneer Trail Basics
June 6, 11 a.m. - John Colter's Run for Life
June 9, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
June 12 & 13, 9:30 a.m. - 1860's Civilian & Military Encampment
Featuring the Platte Bridge Company re-enactors (FRI: 9:30-5 pm; SAT: 9:30-3:30 pm)
June 13, 8 a.m. - Pioneer Trail Trek
Pioneer Arrival Day at Fort Laramie NHS
June 18, 11 a.m. - Mail to The Far West in the Mid-1800s
Before the Pony Express there were stage lines that carried mail and newspapers to Salt Lake, Sacramento, and Los Angeles for residents of those distant towns that were hungry for word from "the States". Ocean-going vessels played an important role, as maritime carriers vied for profitable contracts with the Postmaster General. Come and learn about these vital communication services that preceded the transcontinental railroad by two decades.
June 19, 11 a.m. - Here Comes the Pony!
Be sure to visit the Trails Center today to see the rapid arrival and departure of riders of the National Pony Express Association, as they relay commemorative mail on the 166th Anniversary Re-ride of the historic Pony Express Trail! Prior to their appearance, this presentation will highlight the dedicated volunteers of the Association and the planning that is necessary to safely complete their round-the-clock, ten-day event!June 19, 1:10 p.m. - Pony Express Annual Re-Ride
June 20, 11 a.m. - The Pony Express Goes Through!
While its operation spanned only 19 months, the Pony Express was an original American endeavor that still resonates passionately in our national heritage today. Based on interviews by Professor Howard Driggs with the last surviving riders in the 1920s and 1930s, this presentation shares details of their experiences as they made history along the 1,966-mile route through the most rugged terrain across the West.June 26, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Ladies on the Frontier
June 27, 11 a.m. - Powder River Expedition into Lakota & Cheyenne Country
- July
July 3, 11 a.m. - Pioneer Folk Music
Featuring national recording artist Hank Cramer (Oregon Trail Songs: 11 am; California Trail Songs: 1pm; Soldier Ballads: 3pm) (Freedom 250 Celebration)
July 4, 8 a.m. - Pioneer Trail Trek
Independence Rock Celebration
July 4, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Pioneer Folk Music @ Independence Rock
Featuring national recording artist Hank Cramer (Freedom 250 Celebration)
July 4, 11 a.m. - Go West Young Nation!
The mean center of America's population continues to trend Westward today, ever since our first census records began documenting that data in 1790. As we celebrate 250 years of our national story, it is the perfect time to honor the pioneers that helped define twelve new states of the republic between 1840 and 1890, all West of the Mississippi River! How were the emigrants organized, and what support did they receive from the General Land Office?July 10, 11 a.m. - The Pony Express Trail: An Enduring Legacy
July 10, 3 p.m. - Firearms of the Old West: Carved in Wood
July 11, 11 a.m. - Firearms of the Old West: Carved in Wood
July 11, 3 p.m. - Hugh Glass and his Wrestle with the Grizzly
July 14, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
July 17, 11 a.m. - Fireworks & Wagons: Celebrating 4th of July at Independence Rock
July 17 & 18, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Civilian Pioneer Encampment
Featuring Kim Merchant (FRI: 10-5 pm; SAT: 9:30-3 pm)
July 18, 11 a.m. - Before the Railroad: Archaeology of the 1860s Laramie Valley
Featuring Dr. Spencer Pelton, WY State Archaeologist
July 24 & 25, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. - 19th Century Blacksmithing
Featuring David Osmundsen (FRI: 10-5 pm; SAT: 9:30-3 pm)
July 25, 11 a.m. - Events of a Fateful Day in 1865
Following the Sand Creek Massacre in east-central Colorado Territory in November 1864, the overland emigrant trail and military outposts that were established to protect the telegraph line became targets for Plains Indian attacks. Learn about skirmishes along the North Platte River that tested the Army's strength, leading to the Battle of Platte Bridge and the Battle of Red Buttes within sight of the Trails Center, on July 26, 1865.
July 31, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Frontier Basketmaking
Featuring historian Jean Smart (NHTIC lobby)
- August
August 1, 11 a.m. - Childbirth on the Trail
Births and deaths were almost daily occurrences on the overland trails, but how were those events documented? This look at childbirths includes remarkable personal accounts of dignity and loss, inspiration and tragedy that characterized the larger experience of weeks and months of passage through the wilderness with little to no specialized medical care.August 11, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
August 22, 8 a.m. - Trail Trek: In partnership with Natrona County Historical Society
August 28, 11 a.m. - Traditional Native American Beadwork Demonstration
Featuring Northern Arapaho Tribal member Sheryl McLaughlin (Pre-registration is required; limited to 10 participants)
August 29, 11 a.m. - Mountain Men: Opening the American West
Featuring Clint Gilchrist, Museum of the Mountain Man executive director
- September
September 5, 8 a.m. - Pioneer Trail Trek
Devil’s Gate – A Birdseye View
September 5, 11 a.m. - We Made It to Oregon! Now What?
Just getting to your destination after four months was a challenge that posed life-threatening situations almost every day, but then how would you survive when all of your provisions had been depleted along the journey to Oregon, and you had no means of bartering for their replacement? Come and discover the conditions that newly arrived emigrants faced and how they flourished in the far Northwest, having to "start from scratch"!September 8, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
September 11 & 12, 9:30 a.m. - Fur Trade Era Living History Event
Featuring The Platte Bridge Company re-enactors (FRI: 9:30-5 pm; SAT: 9:30-3:30 pm)
- October
October 13, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
- November
November 1 - Wyoming Public Media 2025 Photo Contest Winners
Winners will be on display in the Trails Center for the entire month of November 2026. Stop by to take a look!
November 10, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
- December
December 8, 10 a.m. - Storytime with Seymour
December 12, Times TBA - Holiday on the Homestead
featuring model train displays, live performances, and a variety of hands-on activities for the whole family
Routinely Offered Programs
Storytime with Seymour Antelope: Bring your little ones for a fun and engaging experience with the BLM’s beloved mascot, Seymour Antelope! Children will enjoy interactive story time, creative crafts, and the chance to make new friends. Snacks and a special take-home activity will be provided while supplies last.
Pioneer Trail Treks: Trail Treks are driving trips conducted by a BLM guide during the summer months, with numerous stops at historic sites along the trails. Depending upon the route a Trail Trek can last four to eight hours. All Trail Treks depart at 8:00 a.m. from the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center parking lot unless otherwise noted.
Please bring sack lunches, drinks, sunscreen, and wear appropriate clothing. Be prepared for inclement weather throughout the day. Transportation to these sites will not be provided and carpooling is encouraged! 4-wheel drive and high clearance vehicles are recommended.
Registration is required to participate. For more information and/or to register, please contact Jason Vlcan at 307-261-7783.
Summer Series: Take a deep dive into an aspect of life on the historic trails by joining us for guest speakers, illustrated presentations, musical performances, or re-enactments. This series typically occurs on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer! Please call ahead for details at 307-261-7700.
Holiday on the Homestead: Held every year on the second Saturday in December, this free holiday season event for the whole family includes historical reenactments, live musical performances, craft-making activities, Pony Express riders and horses, and more!
Thursday Table: Each Thursday from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., knowledgeable student docents will be available to explain and demonstrate about topics ranging from bison to children's games to cleanliness on the trail. This program will happen weekly, dates TBA.
Wyoming Public Media 2026 Photo Contest Winners will be on display in the Trails Center for the entire month of November 2026. Stop by to take a look!