The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum has a large collection of historic carriages within its artifact collection. They are a mix of restored and unrestored, original-condition vehicles. Some were used by residents in Cheyenne while others have strong ties to Wyoming. Many of them tell a fascinating story and greatly add to the understanding of early Cheyenne.

In addition, the Old West Museum displays many vehicles from the Cheyenne Frontier Days collection, many of which may be seen each year as part of the historical vehicle section of the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. Some of these vehicles also have very strong ties to Cheyenne and wonderful stories. Other vehicles are more representative of western vehicles used elsewhere. A few are very unique though not used in the western United States. Together, the two collections comprise one of the largest historic vehicle collections in the United States.

One of the challenges facing any museum with an historical vehicle is the challenge of finding enough space to display that vehicle. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum is no different. There is never enough space to display all that the museum would like the public to be able to see and enjoy. The carriages featured on this site will allow many more to be seen than would be possible by stopping into the museum at any given time. Check back from time to time and see what carriages have been added to this site. Better yet, make plans to visit the museum and view our featured carriages in person!

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Four Wheeled Dog Cart a.k.a. Dog Cart Phaeton Circa 1895 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This carriage was manufactured by the Wood Brothers Company of New York, New York. It derived its name from the two wheeled carts used in England used to transport hunters and their dogs. As more cargo was carried, the design changed to accommodate four wheels and the term 'phaeton' became more appropriate. This tie to an English mode of transportation fit the carriage's original owners, Fred and Margaret Boice who lived on the PO Ranch outside of Cheyenne. The Boices' raised horses and broke them for Eastern trade. Even when automobiles all but ended the demand for horses, the Boices' still used only horse-drawn vehicles. Fred and Margaret Boice were instrumental in creating organized parades for Cheyenne Frontier Days. In 1925, Margaret began the historical vehicle section of the parade for which Cheyenne Frontier Days is still known. This phaeton is owned by Cheyenne Frontier Days and is paraded each year. Maxwell-Briscoe 1909 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This automobile was manufactured by the Maxwell-Briscoe Motor Company of Tarrytown, New Jersey. It is a Model A and was noted for its reliability and low maintenance cost. It is believed that the leather top and the Atwood-Castle headlights were accessories added to the automobile and did not come out of the factory with those specific pieces. A tool box would have been mounted to the backside of the automobile as well. It was purchased in Loveland, Colorado in 1975 and donated to the Old West Museum in 1986. Milk Wagon 1929 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This milk wagon was manufactured by the John Guedehofer Wagon Company of Indianapolis, Indiana. A milk wagon similar to this one was used at the Plains Dairy in Cheyenne. The Plains Dairy was owned by Christian Christensen and his family. It began on a homestead northeast of Cheyenne. The dairy operation was moved to the city of Cheyenne in 1929 and continued operation until 1969 when it was sold to Dairy Gold. The body of this particular vehicle came from Waverly, Iowa and it was restored and painted similar to the turn-of-the-century milk wagon it represents. The Cheyenne Frontier Days owns this wagon and each year it is rolled in the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. Mountain Wagon a.k.a. Chuckwagon Circa 1915 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This chuckwagon was built by Studebaker Brothers Manufacturers in South Bend, Indiana. The local distributor for Studebaker wagons was F.A. Roedel Hardware in Cheyenne. It is unknown who used the wagon portion of the chuckwagon. The chuckbox, the wooden box with shelves mounted to the back end of the wagon, was used on the Chalk Bluffs Ranch outside of Cheyenne. The owner of the ranch was Jack Elliott and his brand, J-E, is visible in paint on the outside of the chuckbox. The Old West Museum owns this chuckwagon. Oil Wagon Circa 1915 Click Image for Larger Photo/s An oil wagon similar to this one was used at the W.E. Dinneen Garage and Filling Station in Cheyenne in 1906. The body of this particular vehicle came from Fort Collins, Colorado. It was restored and painted similar to the turn-of-the-century oil wagon it represents. Gasoline and kerosene were loaded into divided chambers in the tank from the top. These were dispensed into containers through hoses in the back of the vehicle. The wooden storage box held cans of axle grease and a variety of lubricants. The Old West Museum owns this wagon and each year it is rolled in the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. Overland Stagecoach 1860 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This stagecoach was built by Abbot-Downing in Concord, New Hampshire. It was used on the Overland Trail which was an alternative to the Oregon Trail. The Overland Trail never came though Cheyenne but entered present-day Wyoming from the South and crossed the Laramie Plains heading westward. In 1860, the stagecoach was purchased from Abbot-Downing for $1,240. It was able to carry nine passengers inside and others could cling to the roof. In addition to passengers, it could carry 800 pounds of express and mail in leather "boots". The boots of this coach are missing. It made its last trip over the Overland Trail in 1866, a year before Cheyenne was founded. For many years it was displayed at the Union Pacific Depot in Cheyenne before being donated to the museum. Popcorn Wagon Circa 1910 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This popcorn wagon is thought to be manufactured by C. Cretors and Company of Chicago, Illinois. It was purchased from a previous owner by Cheyenne resident Bert Millyard in 1911. The popcorn turner and the rotating peanut drum were powered by a small nickel-plated steam engine. The peanut drum had a clown painted on one end and as the drum was turned, the clown would do tumbling tricks. The wagon was horse drawn at first then later, an automobile pulled it down the streets of Cheyenne. The sign on the outside of the wagon said, "Bert Millyard, Proprietor". Millyard operated the business until 1947 and then the wagon was sold. Nearly twenty years later, the wagon resurfaced again as part of the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. It had been purchased by a local man and relettered as "Lil Lou's" in honor of Cheyenne Frontier Days' former General Chairman and Hall of Fame inductee Lou Domenico. The wagon rolled in the Cheyenne Frontier Days parades as "Lil Lou's" popcorn wagon until 1980. It was then retired. The popcorn wagon is owned by Cheyenne Frontier Days. Western Passenger Wagon a.k.a. Deadwood Stagecoach Circa 1865 Click Image for Larger Photo/s This stagecoach is thought to be made by Abbot-Downing of Concord, New Hampshire. It was used on the Cheyenne-Black Hills Stage Line, a 300 mile trek, until 1887. It was eventually purchased by local rancher and showman, C.B. Irwin, for use in his Wild West Show near the turn-of-the-century. In 1976, it represented Wyoming in the Bicentennial parade in Philadelphia. This stagecoach is owned by Cheyenne Frontier Days and it was retired from the parade route after Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2007.