Finding Wyoming’s Old Small-Town Jailhouses

If you enjoy exploring old Wyoming towns, you might have some fun trying to find where the old jailhouse used to be.

For example, if you know Gillette, Wyoming, you'll find the old jailhouse on what is now a back street in downtown. But you'll have to know what you are looking for, or you'll walk right by it.

Tiny jail. Tiny Jail in City Park

Clearmont, Wyoming: Tiny Jail in Town Park
A tiny, old, two-cell jail stands next to a swing set in the town park and beneath the town water tower. Toss your playground miscreants into the calaboose!

A tiny, historic jail stands amidst the usual modern playground equipment in a city park. The doors are open for visitors to explore at their leisure, although cells no longer lock. The jailhouse is comprised of two tiny cells, apparently used for drunkards during Prohibition. A great little gem to stumble upon!

The old town jail in Shoshoni, Wyoming, is a historic, small-scale structure representing early 20th-century law enforcement, often featured in historical photography collections. It is notable for its small size, typical of frontier-era holding cells used for brief detentions during the town's development.

School Use: In the early 1900s, the Shoshoni school used the town jailhouse to hold classes for first through fourth graders before a dedicated school building was constructed, according to Shoshoni Schools history.

No matter what Wyoming town you might be in, it is worth hunting around to see if the old jailhouse still stands. Then look into what else it might have been used for when it was not holding someone, like a schoolhouse, of all things. Imagine that.