Historic Ivinson Mansion
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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 styling. 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.
