Gillette

Gillette is a coal mining town with a population of about 30,000. Because of the coal, oil, and natural gas production, the city calls itself the energy capital of the nation.

History

Gillette started as a tent city called Donkey Town in the 1890s, when a railroad line was built. For Edward Gillette's surveying work, the company who owned the line named the town after him. The early days of Gillette were rough, with over a dozen saloons and no church. There are stories of cowboys burning down the jail they were in to flee, a shootout downtown that killed a man, and outlaws in a showdown with officers. Despite all that, it never reached "Wild West" levels of violence and outlaws.
After law and order took hold in Gillette, it became a quiet and small ranching town, until major coal mines were developed in the 1970s. A major boom happened and the rough days returned. The majority of the housing during that time was mobile homes until the city stepped in. They focused on turning Gillette into a city based around families, and succeeded in restoring order.
Throughout its history, Gillette has been a launching point or a place to rest along a journey. Photographer William H. Jackson and painter Thomas Moran went to Devil's Tower in 1892 by horse-drawn wagon, using Gillette for their round trip. Today the city still promotes itself as a good place to stay when traveling between the Black Hills and Yellowstone National Park.

Culture

Gillette is a blue-collar city where you will find tradesmen, coal miners, and a few large sunburned men sporting bushy beards. Mixed in with them are the occasional ranchers, clean shaven with their cowboy hats and shiny belt buckles. Women also dress casually, many still in their work hoodies and nurse scrubs. Suits are so rare that most of the lawyers and politicians don't wear them. Ethnic clothes are almost only worn by foreign tourists.
Politically, Gillette is one of the most Republican places in the country. Bumper stickers read "if you don't like coal don't use electricity" and signs with coal trucks tell residents to stay strong. People openly discuss their dislike of Democrats while also being cautious of some Republicans. A small streak of libertarianism runs through the region due to the culture of independence much of it from those who live out in the county such as the ranchers that want the government to leave them alone. The Green Party has no official presence in the state and Democrats will find themselves massively outnumbered.
In the early 1980s a writer for Playboy famously said "No one comes to Gillette for the hell of it." He wrote of drug abuse, hard work and even harder drinking, and transplants vs natives. Times have changed, but in some ways what he wrote still lingers on. Even the visitor center promotes the city as a stop rather than a destination. If you ask someone where they are from it most likely wont be Gillette. Drugs are a problem visitors will never encounter apart from the rare gaunt-faced creature licking their lips through missing teeth with serious skin problems. They remind everyone the billboards against meth are there for a reason.
With the mining related jobs, ranch history, and western ideas, come the trucks, and not of the small Japanese kind. A car feels small, sandwiched between all the pickups, SUVs, haul trucks, and semi-trucks on the road and in the parking lots.

Climate

Windy, cold, and dry. These are the words visitors use to describe Gillette. Keep water handy if you are from a humid climate and always have winter clothes for any season besides summer.

By car

Located between the Black Hills of South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park, Gillette is an excellent place to stop if you are traveling I-90 East or West. Highway 59 connects the town with Montana to the north and Douglas, Wyoming, to the south.
Watch out for deer on the road especially at night and early in the morning. Sometimes there are carcasses on the side of the road from previous collisions. The saying about a deer in the headlights is real. They will stare at the lights and not move. The pronghorn seen everywhere usually don't stop and get out of the way.

By bus

• Greyhound

  address: 106 N Hwy 14-16
  Outdoor bus stop only.

By plane

The airport is spotless, maintained, and completely empty if a plane isn't coming. While not worth seeing by itself if you do fly in take a minute to look around at the art on the walls and the nature scene displays. There's a cafe, ATM, and car rentals in the terminal.
Flying directly to Gillette is expensive. If you plan to rent a car or have a ride, a cheaper option is to fly to Casper, Wyoming or Rapid City, South Dakota. Casper and Rapid City are about 2 hr away by car.

• Gillette-Campbell County Airport

  address: 2000 Airport Rd
  Gillette-Campbell County Airport has non-stop service on Delta to Rock Springs and Salt Lake City and United to Denver. All parking including long-term is free.

A simple town layout, but if you are still lost, use your phone or ask a local (they are very friendly!)
'Grid' Downtown is marked by

• N-S roads being named, for famous people in the area, as well as Gilette Ave.
• W-E roads are numbered, and called streets. The numbering amplifies with increasing south distance from Gilette Ave, and matches the address code as well. The numbering ends around 15th Street.

By car

Gillette is best navigated by car. Parking in the city is free and street parking is plentiful while all business areas have parking lots. One-way streets are rare. Rentals are available at the airport and near the downtown area.

• Avis

  phone: +1-307-682-8588
  address: 2000 Airport Rd Ste 143

• Enterprise

  phone: +1-307-686-5655
  address: 603 E 2nd St

• Hertz

  phone: +1-307-686-0550
  address: 2000 Airport Rd Ste 145

• Rent-A-Wreck

  phone: +1-307-363-4388
  address: 513 E 2nd St
  Regular car rentals despite the poorly chosen company name.

By bike

While some bike lanes and paths do exist they are better used for recreation in the summer than as a main form of transportation. When it snows the plows push the snow on to the side of the road sometimes blocking both bike lanes and sidewalks. The bike paths are not always cleared during winter and even when they are the snow can melt in the day and freeze at night creating sheets of ice.

By taxi

Taxi service in Gillette is slow because of the distances they take passengers. It can take up to an hour before they pick you up. Since the services don't give an exact time you will be waiting outside in the heat or snow for a while.

• Festival of Lights

  phone: +1-307-686-5187
  address: Saddlehorn Rd
  Feeling the holiday spirit? Then this massive drive-through Christmas lights display is for you. It has dozens of animated displays, a light tunnel, and many thousands of lights. A short range radio station is setup at the park that plays Christmas music so don't forget to tune in.

Art

Gillette has over 110 sculptures across the city picked by the Mayor's Art Council and even more at Mount Pisgah Cemetery. Several buildings have large murals including one downtown and another on one of the L&H buildings. On the outskirts of town two water towers in Sleepy Hollow have been painted based on the story Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

• Avenues of Art

  address: on Gillette Ave downtown and 4-J from Lakeway Rd to Boxelder Rd
  While large sculptures and statues are spread across the city many pieces are concentrated on the Avenues of Art. The highest concentration is on 4-J and on Gillette Ave. The 4-J sculptures are best seen by using the bike and foot paths. The sculptures downtown are best seen by walking. The quality varies as much as the subject matter does.

• Heritage Center Art Gallery

  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  The quality of art in the gallery can vary greatly, but since it is right around the corner from the ticket office it is worth a quick look if you happen to already be at the CAM-PLEX. Other than events you will find it empty so you can look at the art in peace. If you enter the Heritage Center on the door next to the Energy Hall directly on the left are pamphlets, maps, and other things for visitors.

• Sculpture Walk

  address: 804 S Emerson Ave
  The county cemetery district has a similar program to the Avenues of Art for artists to showcase their work for sale while also buying pieces for permanent display. While there are a few scattered sculptures across the grounds the Sculpture Walk pieces are at Inspiration Garden in the southern part of the cemetery. Quality ranges from good to a small Stonehenge replica made of old coal bucket shovels.

History

• Campbell County Rockpile Museum

  phone: +1-307-682-5723
  address: 900 W Second St
  The Rockpile was a landmark for cowboys and now it's a landmark for the museum built next to and named after it. This quiet museum has a mix of homesteader, cowboy, railroad, farming, coal mining, Indian, geology, and local history. Has a few hands on displays with old items. A back room in the main building is used for rotating exhibits and the empty space there in front of the covered wagons is for events and talks. Don't forget to walk outside to the annex building to see the larger displays and old school houses.

• Energy Equipment ParkA large outdoor display of retired coal mining, oil drilling, and agricultural heavy equipment. You can take your photo with a coal haul truck from Jacob's Ranch Mine the size of a house or dragline buckets you could drive a car into. The plaque for one of the tires says it was the largest tire in the world in the early 1990s. Unfortunately many of the pieces of equipment now have graffiti. Also, watch where you step because people don't clean up after their dogs.

• Gillette Post Office

  address: 301 S Gillette Ave
  Philatelic (stamps, postal history, and postal related) fans can see the old Gillette Post Office in the downtown area. It is the only place in Gillette on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. You can also check out the local brewery inside.

Overlooks

• Overlook Park

  address: 2901 Goldenrod Ave
  One of the highest points in the city for a great view of Gillette during the day and at night.

A common complaint by some locals and many transplants is there is nothing to do. That depends on what you enjoy and are willing to try especially those from big cities.

• CAM-PLEX

  phone: +1-307-682-0552
  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  The CAM-PLEX event center hosts RV and motorcycle rallies, many rodeos including the National High School Finals, concerts, gun shows, car shows, flea markets, fireworks displays, conferences and the county fair.

• Campbell County Recreation Center

  phone: +1-307-682-8527
  address: 250 Shoshone Ave
  The modern looking rec center has a pool, basketball courts, tracks, and so on; the same you would find at any recreation center or gym. The unique feature is the huge 42 foot tall climbing tower that mimics parts of Devils Tower.

• Lakeway Learning Center

  phone: +1-307-686-3821
  address: 525 W Lakeway Rd
  What started out as a mall was bought by the Campbell County School District and turned into the Lakeway Learning Center many years ago. While the center is for the local students it does have public hours where anyone can visit for free. One of the former shops is a children's science center called the Adventurarium. Throughout the indoor courtyard and Adventurarium are whisper dishes, displays of local wildlife feces, optical illusions, and live and stuffed animals. Many of the exhibits are interactive including a large electronic monitor that slides over a virtual human body showing it scanned with a CAT scan, MRI, x-ray, and gamma radiation. It's best for younger kids as adults will find the only real joy available at the science center is watching your children having fun.

• Dalbey Memorial Park

  phone: +1-307-689-8369
  address: 900 Edwards St
  Where there is water there is life and with a little help from the city transplanting and stocking it becomes the Gillette Fishing Lake with year round fishing including ice fishing. Besides the water there are several large shelters, a few playgrounds, and restrooms. For sports there are several baseball fields, a football field, a large disc golf course around the lake, a spot for horseshoes, and canoes are allowed on the lake. Signs warn of high bacteria counts so don't plan to swim in it or let your pets in the water. Fishing in Wyoming requires a license which is sold at Rocky Mountain Discount Sports, Sportsman's Warehouse, CBH CO-OP, and Walmart.

Annual events

• Brew Fest

  address: Gillette Ave
  Regional and local breweries show up and offer their beer right on the street with live music playing in the background. You can hold your craft beer in one hand and play oversized Jenga or cornhole with the other because drinking is allowed in public for the outdoor event. Or use that free hand to get some food from local vendors.

• Campbell County Fair

  phone: +1-307-687-0200
  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  Rodeos, bands, animal shows, dog race, tractor pull, and pig wrestling are just a few of the things you can find at the fair. The fair is mostly geared towards two types of people; local ranchers and children. The two meet when the families occasionally wander away from the free stage entertainment through the barn areas to see prize pigs, rabbits, sheep, rams, cows, chickens, goats, ducks, and turkeys. If you didn't grow up on a ranch then inside the Central and East Pavilion is a peek into their world. There is a reason farm kids don't have as many allergies as city kids and you will find out once you step through those doors and all the sawdust, a dozen species of animal hair and feathers, and smells that cling to you for hours being blown by high powered fans hits you like a brick. If you can get past that then walk through the pens and crates, maybe even stop for a show or get a free sample of sheep. While the ranchers are friendly they aren't there to entertain you and go about their business.

• Charity Chili Cook-off

  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  Local businesses, groups, the college, and others try to win your vote with samples of chili and salsa. The Central Pavillion is over 40,000 square feet and it is completely filled with over 30 booths and a large crowd. While orderly the lines are long so spend time talking to locals while waiting. Booths are sorted by last year's rankings; booth number 1 will be the previous year's winner. The quality of the chili starts off great then tapers off to just good. Beer is available at extra cost and a few booths have offered free beer tickets for stunts such as eating a whole ghost pepper. Money from the event goes to local charities such as the YES House and Council of Community Services.

• Cupcake Wars

  address: 2101 S 4-J Rd
  Inspired by the TV show, Cupcake Wars has over a dozen booths of homemade cupcakes each with its own theme and flavor. Tastes range from unbelievably good to finding out what happens when you let small children put whatever ingredients they want into it. After a massive sugar rush vote who had the best booth and taste. Water, plates, and napkins are in the center on tables. Even though there is no seating you have to eat it there because they don't allow anyone to wander the library stuffing cupcakes.

• Donkey Creek Festival

  address: 300 Sinclair St
  Named after the creek next the Gillette College this two-day-long festival that stretches from the Gillette College Technical Center to the concert behind the Gillette College main building. Vendors line most of the area from the college to the technical center selling yard statues, knick knacks, and overpriced snacks. Depending on the year there is a disc golf tournament, car and motorcycle show, 5K run and walk, Avenue of Art reception and exhibit, and laser tag, but the big draw is the free concert. The concert is calm with adults lounging in foldable outdoor chairs baking in the sun and children playing up front at the stage. A beer garden near the stage allows drinking in the gated area with a close view of the bands playing. Signs encourage photography, but ban video recording.

• Gillette Gun Club Gun Show

  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  Every year the gun club hosts a weekend long gun show at the CAM-PLEX. The building it is hosted in is 42,000 square feet and the vendors use most of it. Wyoming is extremely gun friendly. No permits are required at the state level to purchase and own a gun nor register with the state, but federal laws still apply.

• New Years Eve Buck & Ball Rodeo

  phone: +1-605-545-7865
  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  Every year the CAM-PLEX hosts the Buck & Ball rodeo. See cowboys from around the region ride bucking broncos and bulls. After the rodeo a ball is held with live country music until the new years starts.

• Show & Shine

  phone: +1-307-686-5667
  address: 211 W 2nd St
  The Frontier Auto Museum hosts a one-day small classic car show in front of their museum. As a bonus their museum is free to visit that day. If you love free car show, it is worth a look.

• Pyrotechnics Guild International 2019 Convention

  address: 1635 Reata Dr
  PGI has picked Gillette again for their next yearly convention, but as fireworks enthusiasts, they go all out for several huge fireworks shows. More than some generic 4th of July show, these fireworks are custom designs that push the limits.

Golf

• Bell Nob Golf Course

  address: 4600 Overdale Dr
  18-hole par 72 championship course operated by the county.

• Gillette Golf Club

  address: 1800 Country Club Rd
  18-hole course.

The old advice of locals has always been to travel to Rapid City, South Dakota or Casper, Wyoming to shop. While still true, that advice isn't as strong as it used to be as more shops have opened up over the decades it has been repeated.
Besides some lack of shopping options one of the major problems Gillette has is overall poor customer service. Every city has places with good and bad service, but Gillette on the whole has a lower bar for what is acceptable service. Another is higher prices because of the higher cost of living in the area with some shops charging even more than the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP or sticker price) for products.
The major shopping areas are along East and West Lakeway Rd, South Douglas Hwy (Hwy 59), E 2nd St, and S Gillette Ave in the downtown area. Most of the local shops with unique or regionally made goods are downtown.

• Seconds on the Avenue

  address: 203 S Gillette Ave
  Every thrift store is unique, though Seconds on the Avenue stands out for its good prices, varied inventory, and its charitable goal. This non-profit is part of the larger Council of Community Services and money spent helps the local area. Items are mostly priced by type rather than individually which can lead to better deals. While some of the items are clearly junk many are still in very good or like new condition. Seconds on the Avenue stocks clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, housewares, electronics, toys, books, music, video games, and the more unique items such as an occasional fine doll or large electric organ.

• Gillette Avenue

  phone: +1-307-689-8369
  address: Gillette Ave
  The downtown area has a variety of local businesses, cafes, restaurants, and bars. Prices are higher than the chain stores around the city, but they sell things you won't find elsewhere. Some of the buildings are traditional architecture and there are several statues and a mural in the area. Before you go ask the Campbell County Rockpile Museum for their free walking tour pamphlet that explains the history of each building.

• Walmart Supercenter

  phone: +1-307-686-4060
  address: 2300 S Douglas Hwy
  The Gillette Walmart is the same as other supercenters except smaller. It started as a regular Walmart and expanded into a supercenter without enough space. Avoid busy hours because it is packed. Don't take the south entrance from Powder Basin Center because it has a narrow harsh turn. The severely dented barricades can attest to that. As with any Walmart it is a combination of a grocery store, general goods store, pharmacy, deli, and tire center. It sells cooked hot food during the day. The pharmacy and deli are not open 24 hr. Several other shops are inside including a salon, check cashing, and fast food. If you only need a big selection and lowest prices this is the place to go, but if you want anything beyond that try other stores.

Gillette is known for coal not food. Despite that there are several local restaurants and cafes worth eating at.

• Humphrey's Bar & Grill

  phone: +1-307-682-0100
  address: 408 W Juniper Ln
  Humphrey's Bar & Grill has a wide selection of beer, big portions for lunch and dinner, and a few unique food creations.

• Pizza Carrello

  phone: +1-307-363-1743
  address: 601 S Douglas Hwy
  The formerly mobile Pizza Carrello now has their own restaurant with a bar that looks new and clean. They still use a wood fired oven which makes pizzas that have a completely different flavor compared to anywhere else in the city, but at a higher price. While the alternative crowd is still visible families and couples are also showing up. You can also find Pizza Carrello at seemingly every event with their mobile oven.

• Prime Rib Restaurant and Wine Cellar

  phone: +1-307-682-2944
  address: 1205 S Douglas Hwy

• Roberto's

  phone: +1-307-682-3850
  address: 10698 S Douglas Hwy
  On Highway 59 just south of Gillette, this little cafe offers simple, cheap, delicious Mexican and American food.

Groceries

Gillette is a hub for groceries in the area because of the distance to nearby cities.

• Albertsons

  phone: +1-307-686-7352
  address: 2610 South Douglas Hwy
  Albertsons has the best seafood section in town and high prices on everything to match. A sushi maker works in their deli and makes amazing sushi rolls that are sold ready to go in containers. It is the only supermarket with a liquor license. Also inside the store is a staffed Wells Fargo branch a small Starbucks.

• Don's Supermarket

  phone: +1-307-687-1086
  address: 2610 South Douglas Hwy
  Don's is the only local supermarket in Gillette. They have friendly staff and retro style counters and signs from several decades ago. While the owners probably don't consider that a selling point it really feels like stepping back in time.

• Smith's Food & Drug

  phone: +1-307-682-1103
  address: 906 Camel Dr
  Go to Smith's for the best stocked and kept produce section or if you need 24 hr service and are averse to Walmart, but don't expect friendly service or low prices.

Desserts

• Alla Lala Cupcakes and Sweet Things

  phone: +1-480-205-9879

• Breanna's Bakery

  address: S Gillette Ave
  Doughnuts, cookies, and fudge. Also sells a variety of regular breads. Prices are slightly higher than chain store bakeries, but worth it for the better taste.

• The Ice Cream Cafe

  phone: +1-307-686-8110
  address: 202 S Gillette Ave
  If there was a noticeable class system in Gillette then the Ice Cream Cafe would be in the higher middle class. As with Breanna's Bakery the prices are a bit higher than chains, but completely worth it for the taste. Once you have decided on ice cream calories don't seem to matter so skip the small premade cake cones and go straight to their big chocolate dipped waffle cones with a marshmallow stopper at the bottom to prevent leaks. After that it is just a matter of selecting one or more of several flavors of ice cream. The Ice Cream Cafe always seems to have customers, but the line is never long.

• Boot Hill

  phone: +1-307-686-6404
  address: 910 N Gurley Ave

• Bryan's Place

  address: Rozet, Wyoming
  Rozet is one of those places you can see along the road if you don't blink. There is a bar there called Bryan's Place and only one reason to go - the topless women. This little known strip club is the only one in the area and is just a few miles outside Gillette.

• Jake's Tavern

  phone: +1-307-686-3781
  address: 5201 S Douglas Hwy

• Rustic 13

  phone: +1-307-686-3000
  address: 2009 S Douglas Hwy

• Sundance Lounge

  phone: +1-307-685-2231
  address: 1020 E Hwy 14-16

Gillette has over 2,000 hotel rooms, many motels, and a few campgrounds one of which is in the middle of the city. There are usually plenty of rooms even during summer events. Prices go up and down in the same cycle as the boom and busts come and go.

Hotels

• Best Western Tower West Lodge

  phone: +1-307-686-2210
  address: 109 N US Hwy 14-16

• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites

  phone: +1-307-686-9576
  address: 1908 Cliff Davis Dr
  Must be 21 or over to check in.

• Home2 Suites by Hilton

  phone: +1-307-257-7040
  address: 1120 Boxelder Rd

• La Quinta Inns & Suites

  phone: +1-307-686-6000
  address: 450 E Boxelder Rd
  Completely nonsmoking, pool, and free wireless internet.

• National 9 Inn

  phone: +1-844-709-0799
  address: 1020 E Hwy 14-16
  Amenities include large cable TV, daily newspaper, guest business center, room service, 24-hour coffee bar, outdoor heated pool (seasonal), high speed internet, in-room microwave, and refrigerator. Restaurant, lounge.

Motels

• Arrowhead Motel

  phone: +1-307-686-0909
  address: 202 S Emerson Ave
  Laundry, coffee, fax, WiFi, copy service, and small pets allowed.

• Motel 6

  phone: +1-307-686-8600
  address: 2105 Rodgers Dr
  WiFi, pets allowed, and laundry.

RV parks

• Green Tree's Crazy Woman Campground

  phone: +1-307-682-3665
  address: 1001 W 2nd St
  Free WiFi, 50 amp hookups, trees, hot tub, and sauna.

• High Plains Campground

  phone: +1-307-687-7339
  address: 1600 S Garner Lake Rd
  65 lots, propane, laundry, gas, full hookups, tenting, pull throughs, and groceries.

There is little to worry about in Gillette. Violent crime is rare and visitors are not targets. It is safe to go around the city without fear. The only threat to visitors is theft. The best deterrent is to not leave things behind and lock your doors because thieves do check for unlocked car doors.
Ignore the occasional beggars in the summer along Hwy 59 especially near the interstate exits and Walmart. They aren't locals, but drifters passing through. Don't let them sucker you with their cute dogs. Though not perfect Gillette has many social services including a food pantry, thrift store vouchers, food and rental assistance, job training and placement, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, and so on. If after seeing them you still feel compelled to give to charity then give to the local Council of Community Services which runs many of those programs.
The police and sheriff's office respond quickly even to minor problems. Their phone lines aren't busy unless power is out across parts of the city and everyone is calling them. Both wear head cams and record all interactions.

• Campbell County Sheriff's Office

  phone: +1-307-682-7271
  address: 600 W Boxelder Rd

• Gillette Police Department

  phone: +1-307-682-5155
  address: 201 E 5th St

Most of the established family doctors wont see new patients much less visitors. Call around first anyways because they charge less than the walk-in clinics do. Dentists are especially hard to get into and they almost always refer problems such as chipped and broken teeth to the emergency room at the hospital. While there are several pharmacies in Gillette, Walmart is usually the cheapest for prescriptions.

• Campbell County Memorial Hospital

  phone: +1-307-688-1000
  address: 501 S Burma Ave
  For non-emergencies the hospital runs a Walk-In Clinic during the day and unless you have a true emergency it leaves the rest to a several hour long wait at the ER. The cafeteria and cafe are open during the day, but at night you will have to settle for vending machines scattered across the hospital on multiple floors. The hospital has a blood lab, radiology unit with an MRI machine, a heliport for life flights to Denver, maternity, internists, and a psychiatric unit.

• Urgent Care

  phone: +1-307-670-8170
  address: 2201 S Douglas Hwy
  Occupying what was previously a bank, Urgent Care opened recently providing an alternative to the hospital's clinic with longer hours and weekend service.

Religious services

While Gillette isn't an extremely religious place it does offer a diverse range of religious services for a rural community in rural state.

• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  address: 2903 Allen Ave
  This LDS church is the Gillette Stake.

• Enchanted Thyme

  phone: +1-307-228-3140
  address: 801 E 4th Ste 1
  While mostly a new age or Wiccan store they offer paid services for spiritual counseling and crystal reiki healing.

• Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church

  phone: +1-307-267-7189
  address: 610 S Kendrick Ave

• Queresha Masjid

  address: 1410 Country Club Rd
  The first and only mosque in Gillette and one of just a few in the entire state. Operated by the Khan family.

• Trinity Lutheran Church

  phone: +1-307-682-4886
  address: 1001 E 9th St

• St. Matthew's Catholic Church

  phone: +1-307-682-3319
  address: 900 Butler Spaeth Rd
  The Catholic church is part of the larger St. Matthew's Catholic Community.

• Campbell County Convention and Visitors Bureau

  phone: +1-307-686-0040
  address: 1810 S Douglas Hwy
  The visitor's center is a great place for information. Besides being helpful they have many pamphlets and a slick brochure of the area they produce. Coal mine and Durham Buffalo Ranch tours start in their parking lot.

• Campbell County Public Library

  phone: +1-307-682-3223
  address: 2101 S 4-J Rd
  The public library has wireless internet access, a free phone for local calls, a fax machine, photocopiers, a microfilm reader, and a 3D printer. With a library card you can access computers with wired internet, a scanner, and a black and white laser printer. A few paintings and sculptures line the east walls and a reading room north has more art, historical displays, and rare books. The library holds regular hands on events for young children and anime and gaming events for teens.

• Daly Memorial Library

  phone: +1-307-681-6220
  address: 300 W Sinclair St
  The college library is open to the public and uses the same library card system as the Campbell County Public Library. It is much smaller and has less equipment available, but being part of the college gives access to an ATM and a cafe right outside the library. Unlike the county library the computers and internet can be used without a library card. Use the password taped to the top of the monitor to log in.

If you are headed east be sure to visit Devils Tower National Monument on your way into the Black Hills National Forest. Mount Rushmore National Memorial is over-rated, but Custer State Park, the Needles Highway, and the various caves of the Black Hills National Forest are all worth checking out.
If you are headed west take Hwy 16 on into Yellowstone National Park. Watch out for buffalo!