Wyoming’s Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources committee recently voted to sponsor a bill that would transform a former missile alert facility near Cheyenne into a museum and historical site. The bill would provide one-time funding to establish the site’s exhibits, equipment, and other needs, as well as allocate yearly operational funds.
State Parks Director Milward Simpson says while the bill sponsorship is a step forward, it may still be a long road to a functional attraction.
"So this isn’t anything that’s going to happen overnight but within a few years we’re confident that we will have a facility that can be open to the public that will be a real jewel in our state historic site system," he says.
During the cold war the site was used to monitor and control Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles – specifically the Peacekeeper Missiles. The visible part of the structure looks like a nondescript house, but below it lies a blast-proof bunker where employees were on alert 24/7. The facility was deactivated by the Air Force in 2005.