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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Medicine Bow
Skip Medicine Bow unless you are a railroad or dinosaur history buff: the town has one museum, one historic hotel and no passenger trains. A 30-minute stop on a drive between Laramie and Rawlins is enough.
Medicine Bow is a tiny Wyoming town (pop. 284) that was a transcontinental railroad stop. Its main draw is the Medicine Bow Museum in the old station and the 1911 Virginian Hotel. There are no passenger trains, no restaurants open daily and no gas station. Most travellers pass through in under an hour.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–September
- Avoid
- December–February (cold, some businesses close)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $0 (passing through) · Mid $35–100 (one night at the Virginian) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
Get in
By air
- CYS · Cheyenne Regional Airport
- About 1 h 15 min drive east; limited flights.
- LAR · Laramie Regional Airport
- About 45 min drive; limited flights.
Typical fares
- Laramie → Medicine Bow, driving
- about 45 min, no tolls
- Rawlins → Medicine Bow, driving
- about 30 min, no tolls
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable (about 3 blocks long). You need a car to reach Medicine Bow; no public transport.
See and do
Known for
- Medicine Bow Museum (former railway station)
- Historic Virginian Hotel
- Dinosaur skeleton discovery (1890s)
- Setting for Around the World in Eighty Days
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Laramie | Drive east on I-80 / US 30, about 45 min | 45 min |
| Cheyenne | Drive east on I-80 / US 30, about 1 h 15 min | 1 h 15 min |
| Rawlins | Drive west on I-80 / US 30, about 30 min | 30 min |
| Centennial, Wyoming | Drive south on WY-130, about 30 min | 30 min |
Sleep
- Medicine Bow town centre
- The Historic Virginian Hotel is the only accommodation; book ahead.
- Laramie
- 45 min east; more motels and restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Howdyhow-dee |
| Thank you | Thanksthanks |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No passenger trains: the line is freight-only.
- The Virginian Hotel is the only restaurant option — check if it is open before you arrive.
- No gas station in town; fill up in Laramie or Rawlins.
- Cell service can be spotty on the approach roads.
Medicine Bow is very safe. The main risk is winter driving on I-80: check road conditions before you go.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Medicine Bow yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Medicine Bow Museum (former railway station)
- Historic Virginian Hotel
- Dinosaur skeleton discovery (1890s)
- Setting for Around the World in Eighty Days
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Medicine Bow, revision 5239178 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239178
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Medicine Bow
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/medicine-bow). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.