New #37: Find the Wyoming Pyramid

With a day off work and an itch to get out of town, Ben and I decided to take a random adventure. Just short of throwing our pointed finger down on a spinning globe, we turned to the Internet to find our day's jaunt. We were searching Wyoming points of interest when we found a small narration about the state's giant pyramid. What? A giant pyramid in Wyoming? That was enough for us. We hopped in the car and headed to the frontier to find the fabled Ames Monument.


Like many adventures, the journey there was just as fun as reaching the destination. We stopped in Cheyenne and dined in the city's giant railroad station. Heading east through the plains, we spotted lots of antelope and even a buffalo. We also took a quick detour to see another point of interest, the Lone Tree - a seemingly simple attraction with a sweet history behind it.

After a few hours of driving and stopping, Ben and I turned down a deserted dirt road leading to the pyramid. We couldn't see anything but rolling prairies for the first few minutes, especially in my little car that was vigorously vibrating under the rocky road. But then, silhouetted by the sun, it appeared: the Ames Monument. And yes, a pyramid in the middle of Wyoming really is just as random as we suspected.


The Ames Monument has a history nearly as quirky as its existence. It was created to pay homage to Oliver Ames, president of the Union Pacific Railroad, and his brother Oakes, a congressman million. Now, these two were not necessarily monument-worthy. Both were known for bribing, inflating construction costs and overall fraudulent activities. At least they used their sinful fortunes to help connect the first transcontinental railroad tracks. But ultimately their wrongdoings were uncovered, and both brothers quickly died of shame (as it would seem). Hoping to polish the scandal off its reputation, the Union Pacific came up with one sure-fire to do it: a giant granite pyramid, of course.


It was built in the 1880s near a little railroad town (which has apparently gone the way of the buffalo), and the railroad tracks (which have since been moved far, far away). Personally, I like it that the mammoth monument is all alone. Standing 60 feet high with a 60-foot base, it really looks like something left over from a civilization long passed.

A view from the base of the pyramid. As you can see, there's not much around.

The hurricane-strong wind blowing the day of our visit only added to its unusual allure. Ben and I strolled around the base, admiring the pretty pink rocks and carved portraits of the brothers' faces. Without a gift shop, we didn't stay too long - but the Wyoming's pyramid was definitely an oddity worth visiting.