Fodor's Expert Review Rock Springs Historical Museum

Countless artifacts here illustrate the beauty and ugliness of Rock Springs's past, which dates back to the mid-1800s. Learn about how the railroad and coal mines built the community and contributed to the incredible diversity of its population (with 56 nationalities represented here at one time). The companies' hiring practices were not pure, however, and they hoped that all these different languages and cultures would keep workers from organizing. The museum has permanent exhibits with period clothing and military uniforms, as well as an explanation of the 1885 Chinese massacre, when at least 28 people died. Jail cells dating back to the late 1800s are on-site, as is an old fire station, complete with a working door.