Suggestions for HSSP Information Center

Liked the letter of Linda Kalli’s to HSSP “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” and I’ll add “Don’t even try, we like the park just the way it is.” But the master plan over by the Armory needs to be FIXED. The plan for offices, roads, trails needs to include a 50,000 sq ft welcome center which is as big as a football field by our famous Roundtop. There is enough vacant property by the Armory and would be ideal for such a project. The HSSP offices could use some of the space and the rest for the present museum which had its budget cut by $15,000 and is located in compressed and cramped quarters. It needs to show off the great collection of artifacts, inventions and history of Thermopolis for the tourists, visitors and Thermopolisites to enjoy. It should include a western art gallery too. It would face the park and provide highway frontage exposure to tourists and not depend on signs to get them “across the bridge.”

The name should be “Cowboys Indians Sheepherders Roughnecks Outlaws Hunters Fisherman Wildlife and Athletes Hall of Fame Cultural and HSSP Information Center” of Thermopolis Wyoming. Big sign, big message for the visitors. It will have something for everybody the same way as the Cody museum and the Worland museum.

The front of the building needs to look like some of the big outdoor sport stores. Western wood and stone like our national parks, inviting, accommodating and show lots of Wyoming hospitality. So familiar and exciting to the travelers from the big cities they would stop and shop. With Roundtop as a backdrop and from the park will look like a picture postcard as the saying goes. The present master plan of the area by the Armory doesn’t have any of this just some boring trails and roads that don’t create revenue.

The floor plan would be a football field complete with white stripes and painted lawn green. Within the field would be the layout of a basketball court and a wrestling mat size square. Both could be annexes. Around the outside of the building there would a covered track for those visitors wanting to “get in their walking exercise” and viewing of the country side at the same time. The all weather entrance would be a covered driveway the size of a swimming pool and painted blue, of course. Baseball would be represented by a pitcher’s mound and home plate in front of the entrance. This plan may be a novelty idea but it would be interesting and get lots of attention.

An Indian tepee with a statue of Chief Washakie near the entrance would certainly get a lot of attention advertising the Indian pageant, Legend Rock and the world’s largest mineral hot springs.

Money for this building is not much compared to the money already spent by Simpson and HSSP to carry on this battle in the park. Creating the master plan, plans for the destruction and elimination of existing swimming pools and to make major unwanted changes will take a lot more money. So there must be a lot more money (Wyoming taxpayer’s money) that can be used a better way than what it has been.

Glad to comment on this “master plan” and offer some ideas even the “football field” to make it an interesting, fun and worthwhile project for Thermopolis.