Long before this valley became a bucket-list destination, it belonged to the Shoshone and other indigenous tribes who traveled through it for thousands of years. Fur trappers arrived in the early 1800s, homesteaders followed, and dude ranches brought in the first tourists. The history of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is still visible across the valley: weathered homesteads in Grand Teton National Park, saddle-worn barstools downtown and quiet museum galleries. Make Fireside Resort your basecamp and spend a few afternoons uncovering it during your stay.
Museums That Preserve Wyoming History
Start downtown at the Jackson Hole History Museum, run by the nonprofit History Jackson Hole. Walk the galleries and trace 11,000 years of life here, from Indigenous peoples and the fur trade to homesteading, ranching and the dude ranch era.
Stop at the National Museum of Wildlife Art to see the other half of the valley's story. Wildlife drew the fur trappers here and later filled the dude ranches. See how artists including Carl Rungius, John James Audubon, Georgia O'Keeffe and Andy Warhol captured those same animals.
Historic Bars and Theaters in Town
Book dinner and a show at the Jackson Hole Playhouse and spend the evening inside a piece of the town's past. It went up in 1915 as a livery stable, then served as a stagecoach stop, a garage and a bowling alley. Eat first at the Saddle Rock Saloon, where gunslinging wait staff sing between courses. Then settle in for a live show at Wyoming's longest-running professional theater.
Swing by the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar on Town Square and grab a drink at this historic bar operating since 1937. Climb onto a famous saddle barstool and order a drink under the knotty pine and Western murals. Stay for live music on a stage that has hosted legends like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
Wyoming Historical Sites in Grand Teton National Park
Long before this land was a national park, families claimed it under the Homestead Act and tried to ranch a valley that fought them every winter. As the park took shape, it kept their cabins, barns and river crossing standing instead of clearing them away. Spend a morning touring them and you get the history of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the original buildings rather than behind museum glass. Step into a one-room cabin and look out the doorway at the same peaks a homesteader saw over breakfast. Add these three stops to your park day:
J.P. Cunningham Cabin
Mormon Row Historic District
Menor's Ferry Historic District:
Book a Cabin and Explore the History of Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Give yourself a day away from the trails, then return to lodging that carries the same story. Each of our 25 cabin rentals in Jackson Hole reflects the heritage of the valley's original homesteader cabins, with cozy fireplaces, full kitchens and private furnished decks. Reserve one of our cabins today and dig into the stories behind the scenery.
