Set on the property of the magnificent Ivinson Mansion, the Laramie
Plains Museum is one of the region's finest historic house museums.
Thousands of visitors from around the country and the world view its
collections each year. Located between 6th and 7th Streets on Ivinson
Street, it is a must-see when visiting Laramie, Wyoming, 45 miles west
of Cheyenne on Interstate 80.
The Ivinson Mansion was saved from demolition in 1972, and has been
fully restored to its original opulence because of the Laramie
community. It is the perfect setting for the museum’s collections,
ranging from Victoriana to Cowboy and Native American. There is a grand
“floating” staircase in the foyer, dramatic woods in each room, and
decorative papers on walls and ceilings that are exceptional to 19th
Century Victorian stylings. Built in 1892 by one of the city’s most
notable pioneer couples, the mansion was the talk of the town in its day
and remains one of the major highlights in Laramie. Edward and Jane
Ivinson were instrumental and most benevolent in the development of
Laramie, so it is highly fitting that their palatial home heralds
Laramie’s historic past. The flower gardens, birch trees, lilacs, grand
evergreens, and commemorative benches on the mansion property are a step
back in time, and make the perfect setting for weddings which occur on
the museum’s East Lawn.
The museum offers an air of graciousness and hospitality to all who
step onto the grounds and into the grand mansion. The docent-guided
tours make it a living legend . . . an outstanding reminder of when
grandeur stood alongside the rowdy western lore of the high plains
of Wyoming.