A Jolly Trolley Ride in Cheyenne, Wyoming: History, Hauntings & Hilarity

It’s been interesting to watch my first article about Cheyenne, “So You Think You Know Cheyenne, Wyoming?” circulate the interwebs. Some of the comments are a reminder of how many of us tend to become jaded about our own hometowns. Whether you agree with me or not about Cheyenne, I think the city is swell and has a lot to offer visitors.

One of Cheyenne’s major assets is its colorful past. When you get to town, just look up at the amazing architecture in downtown. The buildings here are a reminder of the city’s rich history; and it’s a history that should be celebrated.

Nowhere is this history more celebrated than on the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley Tours. Ryan and I hopped this 90-minute trolley tour during our visit. Lucky for us, our conductor, Brenda Badgley, grew up in Cheyenne, and so in addition to all the historical facts, she gave us personal tidbits about growing up in the town in the 60s.

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For instance, her story about kids riding the escalator at the downtown JC Penny’s is priceless. At the time, it was the only escalator in the State of Wyoming.

The tour starts at the Cheyenne Train Depot, an epic city landmark. The tour includes stops at the various museums around town and allows people to jump off and tour them (the riders catch the trolley when it comes back by in around about 90-minutes).

The tour also includes lots of entertaining stories about the history of Cheyenne and I’d bet that even longtime Cheyenne residents will learn a thing or two on this tour. For instance, I learned that there were no trees in the area until the town was founded. The hundreds of beautiful trees you see throughout the town would not be there without the help of the original residents who planted and faithfully water them using leftover water from activities such as washing dishes or laundry.

One of my favorite stories on the tour was that of the haunting of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Not only is the building architecturally interesting, the story is a real good one.

I have to commend Conductor Brenda on her storytelling skills. It’s a real gift and she has it. Our packed trolley was all smiles and chuckles throughout the tour.

Visit CheyenneTrolley.com to learn more about this affordable outing in Cheyenne. It’s not just for history lovers, but for story lovers, architecture lovers and more. The trolley runs through September, so you’ll need to get to Cheyenne before summer is over.

Thank you to Visit Cheyenne for hosting us on this trip.