Welcome to the Elk Mountain Museum.  A local museum dedicated to preserving the story of this quaint little town, the surrounding ranches and the ghost towns around us.  From the time the trappers of the Ashley-Smith expedition first traveled through here in 1825 and on through to today, the Medicine Bow Valley and the settlements here have played an integral and important role in opening the way for travelers making their way across America.  With The Crossing Station here as early as 1860 and the Grand View Hotel here since 1905, Elk Mountain has been a place of rest and refuge on the journey for many weary travelers.  Nearby Fort Halleck was commissioned to protect travelers moving along the Overland Trail and served the area well for about four years.  Although Elk Mountain was never an end of track town as the Union Pacific Railroad blazed through the Wyoming Territory, the people here played a crucial role in supporting the coal mining and timber industries vital to the railroad's success.  As people came to work these industries, some families stayed and settled right here.  Many of them immigrated from Finland, Sweden and other European countries, bringing with them a rich diversity of cultures and traditions.  Look no farther than our old Finn Swim Sauna to see one such Finnish tradition, or any number of our old barns or buildings to see an example of their craftsmanship.  There are currently only three known family names with eight generations of family in Wyoming.  One of those families is right here in Elk Mountain and still operates the original family ranch. 

 

Elk Mountain's tradition of opening the way and making the journey possible and pleasant continues with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and South Central Emergency Medical Services being stationed here in town and working to keep the roads safe and passable.  

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While some of the original settlements of this area are now ghost towns, the Town of Elk Mountain has managed to adapt through the changing times and needs of the transportation industry and still plays an important part in helping people get to where they are going.  

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Come and discover Elk Mountain's rich and exciting story of how the West was won and meet the tenacious, brave,  visionary characters that made it happen.  Welcome to the Elk Mountain Museum.  We're glad you're here!