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Casper is an oil town in central Wyoming and its second biggest city after Cheyenne.
Overview of Casper, Wyoming
Casper began as a frontier outpost and ferry station on the North Platte River in the 1840s. Pioneers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails would use one of the many ferry services to cross the river. Louis Guinard built a bridge in 1859, making travel easier.
The government also built a military garrison, known as Platte Bridge Station, to protect telegraph and mail service in the area. It was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William O. Collins (1809–1880), the namesake of Fort Collins, Colorado.
More troops arrived after Native American attacks increased in 1864. In July 1865, Collins renamed the post Fort Caspar after his son, Lieutenant Caspar Collins (1844–1865), who was killed nearby in a battle against the Lakota and Cheyenne three months earlier. Troops were ordered to abandon the fort in 1867 in favor of Fort Fetterman downstream.
The town was settled in 1887 and incorporated a year later. It was originally known as Strouds, after homesteader Joshua Stroud, but Casper, derived from Fort Caspar, was favored. Why is it spelled differently? A mere typo.
Philip Shannon struck oil in 1887, forever changing Casper’s fate. Major oil fields developed in the early 1900s, and the Chicago and North Western Railway arrived in 1911. By 1913, the city had a hospital, schools, library, theatres, hotels, and banks, and by the 1920s, it was known as Wyoming’s oil capital.
Today, Casper is still an economic hub based on the oil industry, but it’s also known for outdoor recreation, Western heritage, and a growing cultural scene.
Downtown Casper, Wyoming
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word “Casper” is Casper the Friendly Ghost. So when I drove through the small but attractive downtown and found it seemingly devoid of people, “ghost town” immediately popped into my head. It wasn’t a great first impression for a late Friday afternoon.
We took a quick walk down 2nd Street, which is lined with several buildings constructed in the early 20th century. After peeking into the windows of some shops and restaurants, we sat down for lunch.
Rialto Theatre
The Rialto Theatre, at the corner of 2nd and Center Streets, was the building that caught my eye the most. It was built as a movie theatre in 1921 by Henry Brennan. The 800-seat venue, originally called the New Lyric Theater, was sold to E.J. Schulte the following year. He hired local architects William Dubois and Leon Goodrich to remodel the building, and it began to show talkies in 1928. In 2024, the Rialto reopened as an event venue with a focus on stand-up comedy, music, and family-friendly shows.
Fort Caspar
The Fort Caspar Museum is one of the major cultural sites in Casper. It features a museum that tells the city’s history and a replica of old fort that gave it its name. It’s open daily in the summer and Tuesday through Saturday in the winter, while the fort is closed in the winter. Admission is current as of April 2025:
- From May 1 to September 30, admission is $4 for adults, $3 for kids age 13-18 and seniors age 62+, $2 for kids age 6-12, and free for kids under 6.
- The rest of the year, admission is $2 for adults, $1.50 for kids age 13-18 and seniors age 62+, $1 for kids age 6-12, and free for kids under 6.
Museum Exhibits
The museum covers the area’s Native Americans and beginnings as a ferry crossing. It then moves on to its military outpost days in the mid-19th century.
From there, you’ll learn about the oil boom and how it has shaped the present. Several artifacts from the city’s early days are on display.
Replica of Fort Caspar
Behind the museum is a replica of Fort Caspar, which stood nearby. The path passes by a pair of tipis before entering the grounds of the fort.
The fort was reconstructed in 1936 with additional features added in the 1980s. It follows a floor plan drawn by Lieutenant Caspar Collins in the 1860s and the buildings were erected close to their original locations. They’re furnished how they may have looked in 1865. As previously mentioned, the buildings are closed in winter.
Buildings of Fort Caspar
The first building you’ll likely enter is the sutler’s store. The sutler was a trader allowed to open a store on the fort grounds. It served as a social center and gave the soldiers a chance to purchase goods not usually available in the commissary.
The telegraph office allowed the post to communicate. The initial reason the troops were sent there was to guard the transcontinental telegraph line. Sergeants responsible for the operations of the fort lived in the attached day room, while the infantry barracks housed infantry soldiers when they arrived in 1865.
The mess hall served as the kitchen and dining room for all soldiers stationed at Fort Caspar. In the attached barracks lived the cavalry troops who established the fort in 1862. Soldiers of Company G of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry were stationed there from the fall of 1863 through the spring of 1865, when the infantry arrived to support them.
The commissary provided soldiers with basic food rations, uniforms, and equipment. Laundresses washed uniforms, but may not have been stationed at Fort Caspar until it expanded.
Lieutenant Henry C. Bretney of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, who commanded the post from the fall of 1863 to the summer of 1865, lived in the lieutenant’s quarters, while the captain’s quarters housed the captain of the 6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry. Major Martin Anderson of the 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, the commander in July 1865, lived in the major’s quarters.
Finally, the blacksmith shop served both the soldiers at the fort as well as pioneers heading west along the trails.
Where to Eat in Casper, Wyoming
We had lunch on 2nd Street.
The Sandwich Bar (Permanently Closed)
The Sandwich Bar is a fun place that has a build-your-own sandwich concept. You choose the bread and toppings from several different fresh ingredients and pay by weight. There’s no complaining if your sandwich is bad — you made it yourself! They also serve excellent soups.
Friendly Reminder to Fill Up Your Tank
One important note — if heading towards Independence Rock and Rawlins or Lander, make sure you have at least a half tank of gas. You won’t find services until you reach Muddy Gap about 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) away.
