Wyoming is world famous for being home to natural wonders and treasures, but there are plenty of incredible things worth seeing that were constructed by hand! One such man-made oddity is the Ames Monument in the abandoned town of Sherman. If you’ve never stopped to gawk at this monolith, you’ve got to plan a trip to see it.

The Ames Monument in Sherman, Wyoming, is unlike any other pyramid you've seen before.
Wikimedia Commons
The Ames Monument was built between 1880-1882 by Henry Hobson Richardson, as a tribute to Oakes and Oliver Ames. The Ames brothers financed much of the Union Pacific Railroad and helped connect our first Transcontinental Railroad. Years later, Oakes was investigated for finance fraud and other shady dealings involving their railroad, but he died before much could come of the investigation.
It's hard to understand the sheer size of this National Historic Landmark until you're standing right next to it.
Flickr / Roy Luck
The Monument originallly marked the high point on the Transcontinental Railroad, at 8,247 feet. The train stopped here, and people could get out to see it up close. Over the years, the tracks were rerouted, and Sherman is now a ghost town, with people making the trek just to see the Pyramid.

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Today, the towering pyramid stands 60' high in an otherwise barren landscape, just outside of Laramie.
Flickr / Jimmy Emerson DVM
The Monument was gifted to the state in 1983, and restorative work took place between 2010-2011.
On October 31, 2016, the Ames Monument was recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
Flickr / Paul Langlois
This once famous trackside treasure is now accessible by road, and thousands of people visit every year to see history up close.

You can find the Ames Monument at 210 Monument Rd, Buford, WY 82052. For more interesting things you’ll find scattered around the Cowboy State, read 9 Of The Most Enchanting Man Made Wonders In Wyoming.

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