America 250 Scavenger Hunt
Expiration: 365 days after purchase
Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with a journey through history in our Historic Scavenger Hunt! Explore 14 unique locations throughout the community, each with its own story to discover. As you visit each stop, answer the corresponding questions to check in and test your knowledge along the way. Complete all 14 locations and you’ll earn a free Sweetwater Historic Scavenger Hunt T-shirt as your reward. It’s the perfect way to experience local history, have fun with friends and family, and be part of this once-in-a-generation celebration.
Included Venues
See locations on an interactive map.
Green River is home to Wyoming’s first brewery, originally started in 1872 by Adam Braun. After floods and several owners, German brewmaster Hugo Gaensslen took over in 1899, renamed it Sweetwater Brewery, and built the iconic sandstone brewery building in 1900, inspired by the Chicago Water Tower and German castles.
The brewery won national medals in 1904 and 1905, but Prohibition forced it into serving only soft drinks, and it closed in 1931. Today, the historic building on Railroad Avenue lives on as The Brewery, honoring Green River’s brewing legacy.
The Green River Downtown Historic District reflects the town’s roots as a railroad and river community where travelers, workers, and entrepreneurs met at a vital crossroads of the West. Built up in the late 1800s and early 1900s, downtown became the center of commerce and daily life, with brick storefronts, hotels, and community buildings that served railroad employees, nearby ranches, and families settling the region.
Today, the historic district preserves that early character and tells the story of how Green River grew from a frontier stop into a proud Wyoming community—where the past is still visible in the streets, buildings, and local landmarks.
Expedition Island is one of Green River’s most iconic historic sites — the place where explorer Major John Wesley Powell launched his legendary river expeditions into the unknown. In 1869 (and again in 1871), Powell and his crew pushed off from this stretch of the Green River to begin a journey that would help map the Colorado River system and change how the nation understood the American West.
Today, the island is a lively community park and river access point, but its significance remains the same: it marks the start of one of the most famous exploration stories in the West.
The Sweetwater County Historical Museum is where the stories of Rock Springs, Green River, and the surrounding communities come to life. Through exhibits, artifacts, and photographs, the museum preserves the history of the people who built Sweetwater County — from Native and early settler history to the coal mines, railroads, and the many immigrant communities that helped shape the region. It’s more than a collection of objects; it’s a place to connect the past to the present and understand how this rugged, resourceful corner of Wyoming became what it is today.
The Chinese Requiem Memorial is a powerful place of reflection in Rock Springs, created to honor the Chinese Immigrant miners who were killed during the Rock Springs Massacre on September 2nd, 1885, on one of the deadliest acts of anti-Chinese violence in U.S. history.
The attack destroyed the town's Chinatown and left a lasting mark on the community's story. Unveiled during the 140th anniversary commemoration in 2025, the memorial helps Rock Springs acknowledge this difficult chapter while honoring the lives and contributions of Chinese residents who helped build the region.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is a living reminder of the Immigrant communities that helped build Rock Springs. Established in 1925, the parish grew alongside the town's coal-mining era, becoming a spiritual and cultural home for local Greek families and other Orthodox Christians. In 1927, the congregation purchased a church building on Rainbow Avenue and dedicated it as Holy Trinity, a major milestone and a symbol of their roots taking hold in southwest Wyoming.
The Former Union Pacific Coal Company Office is a downtown landmark from the era when coal powered the West — and Rock Springs helped keep the Union Pacific Railroad moving. This building once served as the business headquarters for the company that managed many of the area’s mines, shaping everything from local jobs to the growth of the town itself.
In the early 1900s, Rock Springs and Green River were booming coal and railroad towns, drawing workers from across the country and the world. Among them were African-American families who helped make Sweetwater County one of Wyoming’s most diverse communities.
At a time of hard work, migration, and injustice, the Black community of Rock Springs united to build something lasting. In the early 1920s, two congregations—the Second Baptist Church and Baker’s Chapel A.M.E.—joined together to create a shared church. It became more than a place of worship; it was a symbol of pride, resilience, and belonging.
Led by coal miner and pastor Rev. J.W. Randolph, parishioners raised funds, welcomed traveling preachers, and built a spiritual home that stood at the heart of a changing neighborhood.
The Rock Springs Civic Center is an important community landmark with deep roots in the city’s coal-mining history. Part of the building was originally constructed in the 1920s as the Union Pacific Coal Company Old Timers Building, a gathering place for long-serving coal miners who helped build Rock Springs and southwest Wyoming.
As coal mining shaped the region’s economy and culture, the Old Timers Building became a symbol of respect for the hardworking families who powered the community. In the 1970s, the building was transferred to the City of Rock Springs and expanded into the Civic Center we know today.
Today, the Civic Center serves residents of all ages as a place for recreation, fitness, and community connection, while still standing as a reminder of Rock Springs’ industrial heritage and the people who made the region thrive.
The Community Fine Arts Center (CFAC) is one of Rock Springs’ most unique historic success stories — not just because it’s an art gallery, but because it was built through community effort and partnership. CFAC is a collaboration between the City of Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, and Sweetwater County School District #1, created to make the arts accessible in southwest Wyoming.
Its heart is an impressive permanent art collection that began in 1939, when Rock Springs High School teacher Elmer Halseth purchased the first piece of what would become a major collection. Students helped grow it through fundraisers like bake sales, and over time it expanded into a collection of hundreds of original American works, including pieces by artists like Norman Rockwell.
Today, CFAC continues that legacy as a “cultural oasis” — hosting rotating exhibits and community programs that keep Rock Springs’ creative spirit thriving.
The Rock Springs Historical Railroad Depot is a reminder of the era when railroads helped shape the American West—and Rock Springs was a key stop along the route. Depots like this were more than just train stations: they were gateways for immigrants, workers, and visitors arriving to a booming coal-mining town, and they connected Rock Springs to the rest of the country through Union Pacific rail lines.
Today, the depot stands as a symbol of movement and opportunity—marking the place where countless journeys began, ended, and passed through the heart of Rock Springs.
Coal was the mineral that came to define Rock Springs, but the community itself is shaped by much more. The city grew around coal mining, the railroad, and later the Lincoln Highway and Interstate 80. This mix of industries and transportation routes helped create one of the most diverse populations in the state of Wyoming.
The Rock Springs Coal Sign was originally constructed in 1929 by the Wyoming Coal Operators. It once arched over the Lincoln Highway, welcoming travelers as they entered town. When the highway was widened, the sign was removed, later restored, and placed in its current location near the railroad tracks that divide downtown Rock Springs.
Today, the sign stands as an iconic landmark, symbolizing the coal industry, transportation history, and cultural diversity that define Rock Springs. Stop by, take a look—and be sure to grab a selfie with the sign.
The Park Hotel opened in 1914 and quickly became the hub of Western Wyoming. It was the largest and most modern hotel in Rock Springs, and advertisements proudly promised hot and cold water in all 38 rooms—20 of them with private baths and toilets. In the 1920s, a fourth floor was added, making it an even bigger landmark for travelers.
The Park Hotel catered to “commercial men and automobile tourists” traveling the Lincoln Highway, one of America’s first great cross-country routes. Locals loved it too, especially on the night of June 30, 1919, when they danced and drank until the very minute Prohibition went into effect at midnight on July 1.
Prohibition in Rock Springs was unique, since many immigrants already owned vats for making wine at home. During the Prohibition years, 100 train carloads of grapes arrived in town in just two months. In December 1921, Rock Springs made national headlines as the “wettest spot in the western United States” after federal agents seized so much bootleg whiskey it required a special baggage car to move it.
Nearby, the road once crossed the tracks beneath a glowing “Home of Rock Springs Coal” welcome sign, switched on in 1929. Rock Springs coal was famous for high carbon and high-burning BTUs, and local mines helped lead national production for many years.
The Reliance Tipple is one of the most striking reminders of Sweetwater County’s coal-mining era. Built to process and load coal from the nearby Reliance Mine, the tipple was once a busy industrial hub—part of the system that fueled railroads, powered homes, and kept the region’s economy running.
Today, its weathered wooden structures stand like a monument to the miners and families who built a life around the mines, and to the boom-and-bust industry that helped shape Rock Springs and the surrounding communities.