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Be in the know about COVID Updates as the AHC works to balance safety and access during this unprecedented time. Learn about our building reopening plans and what we are doing to ensure that you can research safely. The AHC is part of the University of Wyoming and abides by the UW COVID guidelines.
Our Virtual Resource Hub enables researchers to receive a personalized service that allows them to pursue all aspects of their research safely and from anywhere.
Get in touch with our Reference Services:
Visit the Catalogs to explore the AHC’s vast collecting areas, from Wyoming and Western history to Hollywood and the history of the entertainment industry, to the Transcontinental Railroad and America’s transportation industries, to mineral, coal, and oil extraction, to journalism, Women’s Suffrage, and diversity in the West.
Stephen Leek was a hunter, trapper, dude rancher and guide as well as a writer and wildlife photographer. He also served as a Uinta County Representative in the 1907 session of the Wyoming House of Representatives. He did extensive photographic and motion picture studies of elk, and toured the country on the Orpheus Vaudeville circuit billed as "The Father of the Elk." Through his photographs, writings and personal appearances he was instrumental in building public support for saving the Jackson Hole elk herd that culminated in the establishment of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson. The collection documents the life and work of Stephen Leek. There are manuscripts, research materials, and photographs on subjects including Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, Western history, elk and other wildlife, Indian legends, and the Gros Ventre Slide.
Past featured collections:
More than 100 years ago, Grace Raymond Hebard—UW faculty member, administrator, librarian, and Wyoming historian—began collecting the papers and reminiscences of Wyoming’s pioneers. Her research on the history of Wyoming, the West, emigrant trails, and Native Americans became the nucleus for what is known today as the American Heritage Center (AHC). Officially established in 1945, the Center now holds over 90,000 cubic feet of historic documents and artifacts in more than 3500 collections—placing the AHC among the largest non-governmental archives in the nation.
Today, the AHC contains important holdings in numerous areas. Its western history archives include materials on early women’s suffrage and political achievements, native Americans, ranching, politics, authors, and under-documented communities. Other featured collecting areas include transportation (railroad, highway and air travel), mining and energy extraction, entertainment and popular culture (with important collections featuring Hollywood, music, radio, television and the comic book industry), natural resources and the environment, and military history. The AHC also serves as the primary archives for the University of Wyoming. Connect with us on our social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Virmuze, and our blog - where we are #ALWAYS ARCHIVING.
Phone: (307) 766-3756
Fax: (307) 766-5511
Email: ahcref@uwyo.edu
Full Contact Information
Due to COVID, the AHC is open on a limited basis. Please see our COVID Updates and How to Visit pages for the most up-to-date information. Closures may happen unexpectedly due to the pandemic.
Parking in the Centennial Complex lot is free but patrons must register (M-F 8 am-5 pm) at the AHC front desk. Special parking regulations are in effect during game days, please call in advance for more information.
The latest news and press releases from the American Heritage Center.
Centennial Complex
2111 Willett Drive
Laramie, WY 82071
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY 82071
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1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071
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