American Heritage Center

American Heritage Center
American Heritage Center
The American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming houses manuscripts, rare
books and university archives. With over 95,000 cubic feet of documents and artifacts
across 5,000 collections, the AHC is one of the nation’s largest non-governmental
archives. We are dedicated to making history and cultural heritage accessible to the
UW community and the public.
Explore the Collections
Search Finding Aids
Digital Archives
Main Page
LEARN MORE
American Heritage Center Home
About the AHC
AHC Virtual Resource Hub
AHC Zoom Consultations
Collections
News
Copyright Information
Education & Outreach
Exhibits
Giving to the AHC
Grants and Fellowships
Remote Research and Discovery
Research Services
Simpson Institute
Site Map
The AHC
Toppan Rare Books Library
University Archives
Contact Us
Previous Featured Collections
AHC Chat Bot
AHC Events
LEARN MORE
About the AHC
Annual Reports
Faculty and Staff
Board of Advisors
Copyright Information
AHC Virtual Resource Hub
AHC Zoom Consultations
LEARN MORE
Popular Research Topics
Discover Our Collections
Collections by Subject Area
Digital Collections
Anaconda Geological Documents
Copyright Takedown Request
LEARN MORE
2025 News
Copyright Information
LEARN MORE
Education and Outreach
Instructional Support
Programs
Exhibits
LEARN MORE
LEARN MORE
Grants
Alan K. Simpson Fellowship
George A. Rentschler Fellowship
Majewski Research Fellowship
Peter K. Simpson Fellowship
Women in Public Life Fellowship
Travel Grants
Teaching and Research Grants
Undergraduate Research Awards
Graduate Student Research Awards
Remote Research and Discovery
LEARN MORE
Research
Publication Form
Products of Research
Citing Archival Materials
Digitization Services
Digitization Request Form Confirmation
How to Use the Archive
Visitor Information
Digitization Requests
Reproduction Request Form
Research Request Form
How to Visit
LEARN MORE
Simpson
Simpson Family
Oral History Program
Site Map
The AHC
LEARN MORE
Toppan
Rare Book Collections
LEARN MORE
Faculty and Students
Offices, Departments, and Colleges
Records Management
Records Transfer Guidelines
Retention Schedules
UW Alumni & Friends
LEARN MORE
Contact Us
Previous Featured Collections
AHC Chat Bot
AHC Events
Using the American Heritage Center
Starting a research project—or even knowing where to begin—can sometimes be the most
difficult step. The good news is that research just happens to be our area of expertise!
A great way to get started is to browse our
collection overview
to see finding aids, topics by subject, and popular research topics. You can also
stop by in-person or set up
Zoom consultation
with our team.
Located on the 4th floor of the AHC, the
AHC Reading Room
is where you'll be viewing collection materials that have been ordered up from the
archives. The Reading Room is open to UW students, staff, faculty and the general
public during normal operating hours. If there are AHC materials you would like to
peruse and you are unable to visit us in person, fill out the
Digital and Photographic Reproduction Request Form
to get digital scans of your requested research material sent right to you!
The American Heritage Center is open to the public Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
We follow the University of Wyoming Academic Calendar for all holidays and closures.
See more vistor information.
Western art. Oral histories of the Union Pacific Railroad. Lectures. Movie screenings.
There's a lot to see at the AHC!
Current Exhibits
— Curated with material from the AHC's 3,500+ collections
Virtual Exhibits
— Dive into history from the comfort of your couch
Events
— Everything that's happening at the AHC
A central part of the AHC's mission is to make make our holdings accessible to all.
We work with educators (both K-21 and university), community groups, and student organizations
to provide instructional resources and opportunities to engage with collections. Our
staff offer bibliographic and research classes and can assist with academic unit development.
We also offer tours of the archives!
Instructional Resources
Schedule a Visit
Featured Collection:
Buffalo Bill Collection
The Buffalo Bill Collection, 1844-1954, focuses primarily on the operations of "Buffalo
Bill's Wild West Show" from 1884 to 1916. It contains correspondence, legal documents,
ticket receipts, train schedules, playbills and photographs related to the various
aspects of daily operation and promotion of the wild west show both in the United
States and abroad. Additionally there is printed material advertising both William
Cody and his wild west show, as well as booklets written after his death in 1917 which
examine his life and the impact he had on the American west.
Explore the Buffalo Bill Collection on Luna
Finding Aid on Archives West
Past featured collections
A Look Inside the Archives
AHC is #AlwaysArchiving, and this continued work means there is always something new
to learn and explore at the archives! Our dedicated staff is constantly processing
new collections, preserving historical materials and developing engaging resources
for researchers, students and the public. Whether it's through exhibitions, digital
projects or hands-on research, the AHC ensures that the rich stories of the past remain
accessible for future generations.
Check out our collections
From The West to Comic Books—So Many Collections to Explore!
Select a collecting Area
Architectural & Civil Engineering
Use our notable resources to learn more about significant architects, city planners
and engineers from Wyoming and the entire nation.
Explore This Collection
Our Business collection chronicles economic development and business leadership that
has been crucial to cultural and community development. Dive deep into topics including
livestock and energy industries.
Explore This Collection
Explore the history of this industry that has and continues to have an immense cultural
impact. Notably, this collection contains the “Stan Lee Papers” from longtime Marvel
Comics publisher, and AHC friend, Stan Lee.
Explore This Collection
This archive collection focuses on areas of conservation, ecology, land use, water
resources and wildlife. There are documents of both local and national significance.
Explore This Collection
Utilize our original materials to learn more about the culture, traditions, experiences
and insights of Native Americans and Indigenous People throughout American history.
Explore This Collection
The impact of the entertainment and performing arts industry on American culture has
been absolutely massive. Use this collection to examine this impact over the course
of history through producers, directors, actors, musicians and scriptwriters.
Explore This Collection
The American Heritage Center Military History collection uses first-hand accounts
and resources to document the military service of a wide variety of Wyomingites spanning
centuries.
Explore This Collection
Sports and recreation play an integral and unique part in American culture. Let this
collection show you how those sports, particularly Western-centric sports like rodeo
and hunting, have developed and evolved over time.
Explore This Collection
Check out our full list of subject areas to help you narrow down your research and
dive into the content that excites you!
See Full Subject Areas List
Architectural & Civil Engineering
Select a collecting Area
A Historic University of Wyoming Legacy
Over a century ago, Grace Raymond Hebard—a UW faculty, administrator, librarian and
Wyoming historian—began collecting the papers and stories of Wyoming’s pioneers. Her
research on Wyoming history, the West, emigrant trails and Native Americans laid the
foundation for what is now the American Heritage Center. Established in 1945, the
AHC grew significantly over the following decades, acquiring nearly 70,000 cubic feet
of historically significant documents and artifacts. Today, the AHC stands as one
of the largest non-governmental archives in the nation.
Who We Are
Stay In The Know!
The American Heritage Center is always growing! We are constantly gathering and archiving
new materials to expand our collections. Our exhibits change often and there is always
something new to learn. Who knew history could be so fast-paced? Keep up to date and
don’t miss any of our exceptional exhibits by following us on
Facebook
,
X
,
Instagram
, our
blog
and subscribing to our
monthly newsletter
.
Contact Us
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
Centennial Complex
2111 E. Willett Dr. (Street Address)
Laramie, WY 82071
Email:
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Phone:
(307) 766-3756
Discover history on the AHC's blog
Click here for mailing information
instagram
facebook
twitter
The University of Wyoming has earned its Research Level 1 (R1) status from the Carnegie
Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing Wyoming's only four-year
university with the
top research universities
in the United States.
©