Old Pen Opens New Exhibit on Saturday

MAY 16, 2025 |

Photo – Postcard exhibit – Courtesy Wyoming Frontier Prison

The Wyoming Frontier Prison is hosting an exhibition of historic postcards.

Following renovations to the Old Pen’s historic guards’ quarters, Frontier Prison staff have been able to repurpose the space for various events. Last year, it featured a photography exhibit showcasing ancient petroglyphs and pictographs from around the state.

Tomorrow, May 17th, the Wyoming Frontier Prison in Rawlins will unveil its brand-new display, titled “Howdy! from Big Wonderful Wyoming.” Frontier Prison Historic Site Director Tina Hill explained that this year’s exhibition will showcase a collection of old postcards borrowed from the Wyoming State Museum.

Hill said the exhibition contains 30 postcards from the State Museum and about a dozen from the Old Pen’s private collection. The Frontier Prison’s archive holds postcards dating back more than 80 years, many featuring period vehicles.

The historic postcard exhibition is part of the Wyoming State Museum’s collection of traveling exhibits, which are offered to museums free of charge. Other exhibitions include displays on historic gas stations, suffragettes, and a collection of Sioux Indian drawings from 1891.

Tomorrow evening, Saturday, May 17, the Wyoming Frontier Prison will host an opening reception for the new exhibition. Free food and paid liquor tasting will be provided by Taste of the West.

Wyoming Frontier Prison Historic Site Director Hill explained the liquor tasting will cost $10. The proceeds will be evenly split between the Old Pen and the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

The Wyoming Frontier Prison’s “Howdy! from Big Wonderful Wyoming” postcard exhibition will be on display in the historic guards’ quarters from Saturday, May 17^th, through Sunday, June 15^th. The opening reception is tomorrow, May 17^th, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Old Pen, located at 500 West Walnut Street in Rawlins.