American Heritage Center

08/31/2026

“I was so silly. I thought that movies were just done as the script goes. So I memorized the whole thing, my part and everyone else’s. I knew the whole movie word for word before I ever came out here, which I found hilarious once I saw how movies were made—out of sequence and everything. You open a door one week, and you walk through the door three weeks later" —Dolly Parton, on her experience filming 9 to 5.

The Queen of Country passed away last week after a lifelong career of singing, songwriting, acting, and philanthropy. The AHC is lucky enough to have press kits from 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias that feature photos and interviews with Parton, including a 7-inch vinyl record with a recording of Parton discussing her interest in moving into dramatic roles. Read more below 👇

We miss you, Dolly!!

08/26/2026

Happy Women's Equality Day! We're proud of Wyoming's status as the Equality State, the first state (technically, territory) to guarantee women the right to vote and hold office.

The AHC is especially privileged to hold the papers of the great Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman governor in the United States. You can learn more more about Ross' contribution to women's history, Wyoming, and the nation by visiting our exhibit "Nellie: The First Woman Governor at America's Milestones," which uses the nation's 100th, 150th, and 200th anniversaries to trace Ross's life from her early childhood through her years in public service.

Included in the exhibit are photographs from throughout Ross' life, her Oath of Office, a scrapbook documenting her inauguration, the certificate signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointing her to the Mint, and a special coin bearing her likeness.

08/21/2026

Thought we might share the rest of the photos from the back-to-back drawing session during our teacher workshop because they are just too good to keep to ourselves.

(Thank you George Washington's Mount Vernon and University of Wyoming Art Museum for showing us how fun this can be!)

08/14/2026

Our teacher workshop was a huge success. Educators from across Wyoming (and even as far as the east coast!) became the students as they learned how to integrate experiential and project-based learning into the classroom.

We practiced sound mapping at the Wyoming Women's History House, waltzed around while learning about embodied history; toured the State Capitol, Archives, Museum, and civics lab; visited the High Iron traveling boxcar, drew back-to-back at a UW Art Museum lunch and learn, and studied the practices that set students up for success in National History Day competitions.

Thank you to our educators for attending, to George Washington's Mount Vernon for hosting with us, and to all of our partners for lending their knowledge, resources, and time to this workshop.

Wyoming Women's History House
Wyoming Department of Education
Wyoming State Archives
Wyoming State Museum
University of Wyoming Art Museum
Wyoming History Day
National History Day

08/07/2026

We're super excited to have hosted this workshop!

07/23/2026

Next time you're at the AHC, make sure to grab one of our new Ziggurat bookmarks, inspired by the AHC's 4,500-year-old Sumerian tablet. The tablet, part of the Toppan Rare Books Library, is an administrative record of supplies and livestock received by a temple in the city of Girsu.

And yes, the text below the logo does in fact say "American Heritage Center" in cuneiform.

07/20/2026

Last call for registrations! Signups for our August teacher workshop with George Washington's Mount Vernon, "Where Revolutionary Ideals Become Reality" close this Friday.

Registration is open to all K-12 (and aspiring K-12) teachers, librarians, and educators looking to bring project-based civics learning into their classrooms. Upper-elementary educators especially are encouraged to come!

Lodging and travel expenses for those coming more than 50 miles to attend the workshop will be provided, and PTSB credits are available. If you're not a teacher, share this with friends who are! Registration link in comments👇

07/14/2026

As cultural artifacts, cookbooks respond to the needs of communities in specific times and places. Through all of this, some dishes emerge as iconic symbols of what it means to be American. One such dish is macaroni and cheese, which we celebrate today with National Mac & Cheese Day.

For over 2,000 years, macaroni and cheese has indelibly managed to link people across time, class, race, and culture. It's no surprise, then, that it shows up over and over across cookbooks in the Toppan Rare Books Library. Read about the history of this delicious dish through medieval recipes, wartime rationing, and Laramie church cookbooks on our blog.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of America, the American Heritage Center staff curated an exhibit called Wyoming Voices: Our Stories of America to showcase the ways in which people across W…

07/13/2026

Our very own Kail Moede will be presenting this Friday on digitization of historical materials! It'll be an informative talk for anyone interested in digitization, even if you don't work in the archives space.

Ready to bring your historical collections into the digital age without breaking the bank?

Join the Roving Archivist Program (RAP) for this month’s Quick Tips session: "Digitization Basics for Archives."

This free webinar is designed specifically for beginners, staff, and volunteers with limited budgets and no prior technical experience.

Featured Speaker: Kail Moede, Assistant Digitization Supervisor at the American Heritage Center, will break down practical, low-cost workflows for digitizing and preserving your collections.

What we will cover:

- Project Planning: How to set realistic goals and timelines before you scan.
- Tools & Standards: Budget-friendly hardware/software choices and basic FADGI guidelines.
- File Management: Best practices for metadata, file naming, and secure long-term storage.
- Media Tips: Handling paper documents and photographs, plus key considerations for audio-visual formats.

Event Details:
- Date: Friday, July 17
- Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM MDT
- Location: Online via Google Meet
Learn more and get connection details at rovingarchivist.wyo.gov/connect/quick-tips or email us with questions at [email protected].

07/03/2026

Congratulations to all the Wyoming students who competed in the 2026 National History Day competition! Read all about the contest linked in the comments, and watch Enrique and Peyten's travelogue about the contest!

Wyoming History Day

Follow two students as they travel to the National History Day comp...