Fort Laramie National Historic Site

Fort Laramie National Historic Site preserves a 19th-century trading post and later U.S. Army fort in eastern Wyoming, originally established as a private fur-trading post in 1834. It later served as an important military post and supply point on the overland trails of the mid-1800s.

Several restored and interpreted structures form the core visitor experience, including officers’ residences, military support buildings and remnants of the original trading post. Interpretive exhibits and outdoor displays explain the site’s role on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails and its function as a military center on the plains.

The site began as a private trading post in 1834 and evolved into a permanent U.S. Army post in the mid-19th century; it was used for supply, treaty negotiations and frontier military operations through the late 1800s. Over the 20th century the fort’s structures were stabilized and interpreted for public education under federal historic- preservation management.

The historic site lies near the small town of Fort Laramie in eastern Wyoming on the North Platte River plain. It sits in a flat river valley that served as a travel corridor for 19th-century overland emigrants.

• Visitor access: Seasonal ranger programs and guided tours concentrate in summer months and offer interior access to several restored buildings.
• Preservation approach: The site preserves both original fabric and reconstructed structures to illustrate the site’s changing roles from 1830s trading post to 19th-century military fort.

What to See#

• Trading post (Old Fort): Origins as a private fur-trading post from 1834 with surviving foundations and interpretive exhibits about early commerce on the plains.
• Officer’s Row: A line of 19th-century officer residences and associated outbuildings representing the fort’s role as a U.S. Army post in the mid- to late 1800s.
• Army buildings: The masonry guardhouse, powder magazine and other military support buildings used during the fort’s period as an Army installation in the 19th century.

• Check the National Park Service visitor center hours before you travel and start your visit there - the ranger desk provides maps, interpretive material and current guidance on building access.
• Visit in late spring or early autumn for milder weather and fewer summer crowds; seasonal ranger-led programs and living-history events are most common in those warmer months.
• Follow the self-guided walking routes from the visitor center to the parade ground and preserved barracks, and be sure to include the small historic cemetery and interpretive signs that many visitors miss.