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Fort Laramie was a major frontier post in the West and a stop along the Oregon Trail, now preserved as a national historic site in Wyoming.
Overview of Fort Laramie National Historic Site
As a kid, I always enjoyed playing the old Oregon Trail computer game. It was a fun and educational way to learn about settlers and hardships in the West. I remember getting to Fort Laramie was one of the milestones in the game. I had no idea where the fort was located and didn’t know much about it other than it was a stop on the Oregon Trail. When the opportunity came up to visit the fort in person, I jumped on it.
History of Fort Laramie
Fort Laramie was originally built in 1834 by explorer and mountain man William Sublette (1798–1845), along with fur trader Robert Campbell (1804–1879), at the confluence of the North Platte and Laramie Rivers. They established it as a trading post for their fur company. The American Fur Company purchased it in 1836 and in 1841, rebuilt it out of adobe and renamed it Fort John after one of its partners, John Sarpy. Although they used Fort John in official correspondence, the company commonly called it Fort Laramie and the name eventually stuck.
Fort Laramie quickly became a routine stop for pioneers traveling west on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails. Looking to capitalize on this migration, the owners began selling them supplies. The increase in travelers, however, soured relations with local Indian tribes, who began to attack the wagon trains crossing into their territory.
Fort Laramie under the US Army
The attacks prompted the US Army to purchase the fort on June 26, 1849. The 6th Infantry arrived on August 12 of that year, and the army built a new headquarters, stables, barracks, officers’ quarters, a bakery, and other structures. They continued to supply and protect emigrants.
Although it was never under serious threat of attack, Fort Laramie played an integral role in relations with Native Americans. In the first Treaty of Fort Laramie, signed on September 17, 1851, multiple tribes agreed not to attack wagon trains in return for a $50,000 annuity and the right to build forts and roads on their lands. The treaty was almost immediately broken, and only one payment was ever made.
The second Treat of Fort Laramie, signed between April 29 and November 6, 1868, ended Red Cloud’s War. Oglala Lakota leader Red Cloud (c. 1822–1909) had been angered by the construction of three forts along the Bozeman Trail, which ran through his territory, and began raiding them. The treaty established the Great Sioux Reservation and ownership of the Black Hills as well as the removal of the forts. It was broken in 1874 when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. Many soldiers from Fort Laramie fought against Crazy Horse (c. 1840–1877) and Sitting Bull (c. 1831/1837–1890) during the Great Sioux War of 1876.
Decline and Preservation of Fort Laramie
With the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad, the Fort Laramie declined in importance. After the death of Sitting Bull, hostilities with Native Americans ended, and the last soldiers left on April 20, 1890. The government auctioned off the buildings to private citizens and the grounds were opened to homesteaders on October 5, 1891.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established Fort Laramie National Monument on July 16, 1938, setting aside the land to preserve its structures. It was redesignated as Fort Laramie National Historic Site on April 29, 1960.
Visiting Fort Laramie National Historic Site
Admission to the Fort Laramie National Historic Site is free (as of April 2025) and it’s open year-round. Allow at least two hours to experience it to the fullest. Ranger-guided and living history programs are offered from late May through early September. Nearby, you can visit Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site.
Fort Laramie Visitor Center / Commissary Storehouse
The best place to start your visit to Fort Laramie is the visitor center. It’s housed in the old commissary storehouse, which was built in 1884. Two large rooms were used for food storage — one for meat and the other for flour and grains — while three or four smaller rooms were used for offices and canned goods storage. It also had a partial cellar with a trap door and hand-operated elevator. A commissary officer and sergeant ran operations, issuing rations and other food items.
Inside is a museum chronicling the history of the fort, displaying several artifacts unearthed during excavations as well as a replica tipi. I recommend taking the time to watch the informative 18-minute film — it can be played on request. You’ll also find a bookstore.
Don’t miss the original wall preserved behind glass. Private W.B. Mooney of Company F, 7th US Infantry, signed his name there in the late 1880s.
Buildings at Fort Laramie
Because some of the buildings were occupied by private citizens, much of the fort is intact. 11 have been restored, 8–9 are standing ruins, and the rest have been lost. You can visit them by following the loop trail around the site. Tours are self-guided, and the trail has interpretive panels along the way to explain many fine details about the site.
Calvary Barracks
Walking north, you’ll start the cavalry barracks, built in 1874 to accommodate additional soldiers during the Indian Wars. It was the largest building at the fort and also housed infantry soldiers. The veranda was added in 1883.
The mess hall, kitchen, cook’s room, storage room, library, wash room, armory, and orderly room were all downstairs. Soldiers slept in the two large dormitory-style rooms upstairs, each housing about 60 soldiers or one company.
Hospital
The ruins of the hospital are outside of the main complex a short walk north. It was built in 1873 and had a capacity of 12 beds. There was also a kitchen, dining room, isolation room, and surgeon’s office.
Pony Express Monument
Back to the main path, continuing in a counter-clockwise direction, you’ll pass the ruins of the post trader’s house, built in 1863, before reaching a monument to the Pony Express, dedicated in 1961 by the National Pony Express Centennial Association. Fort Laramie was a major post on the Pony Express route between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, from April 1860 to October 1861.
On the back are two plaques commemorating the Transcontinental Telegraph and its arrival at Fort Laramie on August 5, 1861. The fort was a major station on the line until May 1869. Soldiers protected the line, made repairs, and operated remote repeater stations between Julesburg, Colorado — 150 miles to the east — and South Pass, Wyoming — 300 miles to the west. The plaques were dedicated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on August 5, 1990.
Post Trader’s Store
Next is the post trader’s store. Built in 1849, it was a profitable civilian-run business dealing with soldiers, locals, Native Americans, and pioneers heading west. The stone section was added in 1853, serving as an office and living quarters for the post sutler.
In addition to the store, enlisted soldiers and civilians could get alcohol at the canteen on the north side, while the officers’ bar was on the south side. A post office also operated out of the building for a short time.
Lieutenant Colonel’s Quarters
From there, the path continues down Officers’ Row, starting with the lieutenant colonel’s quarters, built in 1884. It housed Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Sheridan Burt, who served twice at Fort Laramie. He lived there with his wife, Elizabeth, while their two children, Edith and Reynolds, attended school in the East.
During school vacations, Edith would stay in her bedroom upstairs. Reynolds, who lived in the house as a 14-year-old in 1888, was instrumental to the building’s restoration as a firsthand primary source. He gave the National Park Service a vivid description of its furnishings.
Post Surgeon’s Quarters
The post surgeon’s quarters, built in early 1875, was where most patients were treated before they moved to the hospital.
The surgeon was often the most educated person at Fort Laramie, responsible not only for medical care, but also for daily weather records, collection and preparation of scientific specimens, and information requested by various institutions. In 1880, the surgeon treated over 529 medical issues there.
Old Bedlam
The two-story white building affectionately known as Old Bedlam, was built in 1849 and is Wyoming’s oldest documented building. It served many purposes over the years, including post headquarters, administration building, and the bachelor officers’ quarters. The building was named for the noise coming from the evening parties that were often hosted there, which people compared to the Bethlem Royal Hospital, also known as Bedlam, in England.
Old Bedlam was extensively restored and depicts two time periods. The north side of the lower floor represents the mid-1850s while the south side shows the late Civil War years, under the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, a decade later.
The upstairs represents the housing of Colonel William O. Collins (1809–1880), who served as commander during his service at Fort Laramie. His son Caspar (1844–1865) is the namesake of Fort Caspar, which eventually became the name of the city of Casper.
Officers’ Quarters
Three ruined buildings rounding out Officers’ Row. They were built in 1881 to replace older buildings. The one nearest Old Bedlam was the commanding officer’s quarters while the other two were duplexes housing lower ranking officers.
Captain’s Quarters
Around the corner on the south side of the parade ground are the captain’s quarters, built in 1870. It was originally intended to serve as the commanding officer’s quarters, who decided to stay in his current quarters. Instead, the structure was converted into a duplex by building a partition wall, splitting it in two.
In 1890, after the fort was decommissioned, Mrs. Thomas Sandercock acquired the building and operated a post office until 1902. Her family continued to live there until it was purchased by the state of Wyoming in 1937. Behind the building was the site of old Fort John.
Administration Building
Walking around to the east side of the parade ground, you’ll reach the administration building, constructed in 1885. The Fort Laramie Headquarters were located here as well as a theatre and school. It hosted all entertainment and social activities, religious services, and lectures. After the fort was decommissioned, the building was sold at public auction and stripped of its timber to be used as construction material.
Old Guardhouse
Just behind is the old guardhouse, built in 1866. The upper floor contained the guard’s quarters. Soldiers on 24-hour shifts, in full dress uniform, would rotate at guard stations around the fort.
The prison was on the lower floor and included two solitary confinement cells in the corner reserved for serious offenders. Soldiers were held there for even the simplest offenses, such as having a dirty uniform, before appearing before a court martial. Conditions were abysmal — there was no furniture, heat, or light — and it often went well over its capacity of 40.
Infantry Barracks
Back to the path you’ll see the foundations of two infantry barracks. The barracks on the east side of the parade ground was built out of adobe in 1866 to house two companies of soldiers, or 120 men, while the barracks on the north side of the parade ground, built in 1867, housed three companies, or 180 men. Mess halls and kitchens were in separate buildings behind the 1867 barracks.
New Guardhouse
The new guardhouse, built in 1876 atop the first guardhouse built in 1854, stands at the corner of the two infantry buildings. It replaced the old guardhouse after many complaints of overcrowding and sanitary issues. The prison held offenders of all types and today displays an original 12-pound mountain howitzer, a mountain Hotchkiss, and several wagons. Down the hill behind the building are the ruins of the latrine, which was built in 1886 and drained sewage into the Laramie River.
Vegetable Garden
In the open field behind the new guardhouse, you’ll see the vegetable garden and corral just beyond. During my visit, there were two tents set up next to the garden and tipis in the distance. From this area, you can get close to the Laramie River.
Bakery
Finally, before completing the loop at the commissary storehouse, you’ll see the bakery. Built in 1876, it produced up to 700 loaves of bread per day. The ruins of another bakery building are just behind.
Fort Laramie Bridge
East of the fort is the Fort Laramie Bridge, officially the North Platte River Bridge and often called the Old Army Bridge. Spanning 400 feet (121.9 meters) across the North Platte River, it was crucial to the transfer of troops and supplies, especially during conflicts with Native Americans.
The North Platte River — much wider and more treacherous in the 19th century — was a dangerous obstacle to overcome for travelers heading west. The water level was often high, making it impossible to cross for many months of the year. In 1850, a ferry service was established, but there were many accidents and crossings were too slow to accommodate growing demand.
In the 1870s, the Wyoming Territory’s congressional delegate, W.R. Steele (1842–1901), convinced Congress to fund construction of a bridge to improve the supply route to Cheyenne. The King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio, built the triple-span bridge between August 1875 and February 1876 at a cost of $15,000.
After the fort closed, the bridge carried vehicle traffic until 1958 and was donated to the National Park Service in 1961. It’s the best preserved King patent tubular bowstring iron bridge still in existence as well as the oldest military bridge west of the Mississippi. Today, only one span crosses the river.
Confluence Trail
The Confluence Trail, which opened in 2021, is a 1.6-mile (2.6 kilometer) lasso loop to the confluence of the Laramie and North Platte Rivers. The trailhead is at the bridge parking lot.
