About
About the Museum
Explore what life was like in 20th Century Wyoming and experience history preserved at the The Nici Self Historical Museum. Exhibits depict the history of ranching, mining, timber, lumbering, railroading, recreation, regional culture, early Western lifestyle, and homesteading life in the region. Celebrating southeast Wyoming’s Centennial Valley and the West, the museum is located at the base of the Snowy Range Mountains and Medicine Bow National Forest.
Museum Exhibits
On the National Register of Historic Places, part of the museum is housed in the 1907 Centennial Railroad Depot and multiple other multiple historical buildings showcase a wide variety of artifacts and exhibits. It hosts collections of unique photographs from the American West, early Wyoming lifestyle, and unique items from turn of the century industries. Artifacts in the collection range from large ranching equipment to a tiny hummingbird nest. The exhibits include items like a clawfoot metal bathtub, uniforms and outfits from over 100 years ago, old horse-drawn wagons, a nice blacksmithing exhibit, and more.
History of the Museum
The museum is managed and operated by the Centennial Valley Historical Association, a 501 (c)(3) organization, and a group of dedicated volunteers. It was organized in the early 1970s as part of a community effort to be recognized as a Bicentennial community. Berniece “Nici” Self was one of the founding members, and the museum is named in her honor.
Visit The Museum
The museum is located at 2734 Highway 130 in Centennial Wyoming and is free and open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thursday through Monday, 12 PM to 4 PM. In September, the museum is open Saturday and Sunday, 12 PM to 4 PM.
Admission is always free, but donations and membership are gratefully accepted to help keep the museum open.
Contact us to schedule a tour or arrange a visit outside of normal hours.
Affiliated Museum Organizations
The Nici Self Historical Museum and the Centennial Valley Historical Association are fortunate to be a part of a growing network of similar museums and historic sites in our area. Among them are:
Tracks Across Wyoming – A consortium of small museums and historic sites across the six-county southern transportation corridor in Wyoming. Follow the “tracks” of wagon trains, railroads, and westward expansion.
Albany County Tourism Board – Albany County has a wealth of museums and historic sites. Visit the tourism board for more information and the Centennial walking tour brochure.
Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums – CWAM member museums meet annually to discuss issues of common interest, new innovations, and more.
We are also a member of the American Alliance of Museums, a national organization that supports all museums.