On Saturday, September 10th, the Alliance for Historic Wyoming and the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens will be hosting a tour of the High Plains Arboretum. Originally founded in 1928 as the 2,139-acre Central Great Plains Field Station, this location has been vital to the research of plant varieties that are able to survive and thrive in Wyoming’s unique climate. The site is still in use today as the High Plains Grassland Research Station operated by the USDA.  In 2008, 62 acres were returned to the city of Cheyenne, and renamed the High Plains Arboretum. The Urban Forestry Division and Cheyenne Botanic Gardens have been working to preserve the remaining trees and raise public awareness about the site. The historic buildings returned to the city include the head house, greenhouse, and lath house. The arboretum is located about 15 minutes northwest of Cheyenne off of Roundtop Road.

The event will start at 1 PM with half of the participants touring the head house,  greenhouses, and the lath house. The other half will start on the Cheyenne Trolley which will take attendees past the USDA buildings to visit the site of the CCC project intended to create Roundtop State Park in the 1930s.  At the halfway point the groups will switch to be able to visit the entire site.

Members of the Alliance for Historic Wyoming or the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens are able to purchase tickets at $20 per person, the non-member ticket price is $25.  Tickets are required and we have a limit of 50  participants. Contact Jessica Friis at jfriis@cheyennecity.org or 307-287-1953 for more information.