JACKSON, Wyo. — In the midst of the state’s ongoing fiscal and economic challenges, Wyoming State Parks announced today that it has received a grant for more than $1.7 million for construction projects at Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site.
The Helmsley Charitable Trust granted $1.1 million to Fort Phil Kearny in Story for the Shining Mountains Interpretive Center, providing a spacious addition to the small existing visitor center that will include new museum exhibits and reconstruction of the 120-foot-high flagpole that once stood inside the walls of the historic fort. Wyoming State Parks will also be adding an adjacent outdoor amphitheater for programs and special events.
The Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site near Hyattville, which sits across the Bighorn Mountains from Fort Phil Kearny, will benefit from a $600,000 Helmsley grant establishing a new cultural and outdoor education center. The facility will feature all-new exhibits and complement the existing historic barn on the property, and the project is in the design phase and scheduled for completion in the fall of 2021.
Governor Mark Gordon recognized the Helmsley Charitable Trust for its timely and generous contribution to state parks and outdoor recreation in Wyoming.
“The events of the past year have highlighted the outstanding value of outdoor recreation at our parks, historic sites, and other public lands,” said Governor Gordon. “We thank the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their investment in Wyoming State Parks, which will benefit our citizens and visitors for generations to come.”
Wyoming State Parks said that the grant funding could not have come at a better time, with the state parks seeing a 1.3 million visitor increase in 2020 compared to 2019 boosting total visitation to more than 5 million.
“Even with budget reductions, our agency is looking to expand and improve capacity to manage the dramatic increase in visitation that we saw this year,” said Darin Westby, Director of Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources. “Partnering with the Helmsley Charitable Trust allows us to be more impactful with our project dollars. We are thankful for Helmsley’s generous support, which will provide a boost for local economies by attracting more visitors to the state and keeping them here a little longer so that they can spend their tourist dollars and head on to their next adventure satisfied with what they experienced in Wyoming.”
In recent years, the Helmsley Charitable Trust has made significant investments in improving visitor experiences and educational opportunities at state and national parks in the upper Midwest.
“The Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site both hold significant cultural and historical value,” said Walter Panzirer, a Trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “We are excited to partner with Wyoming State Parks to build spaces for interactive learning, dynamic programming, and engaging experiences that will develop stewards of the land and history who have the desire to preserve and protect the area for future generations.”
