A Laramigo's (person who resides in Laramie) Guide to Game day in Laradise (we really do love it here).
Hey Tiger Fans, welcome to 7220 feet! I am both a Mizzou and Cowboy alumnus and have been fired up for this game since it was first scheduled. For those of you coming to town for the game let me introduce you to Laramie and the surrounding area with this local’s guide. I will try to touch on a bit of everything, from where to eat and drink, how to best navigate town, where to go shopping and for those with some time and desire, how to get out and see the amazing sites surrounding town.
Getting to Town
Many of you will be coming through DIA: buck up and take the E470 toll road and head north as fast as you can. Front Range traffic is terrible and the mellow pace of life of Wyoming is just a few short hours to the north. Take 287 from Fort Collins to Laramie. If you drive (from Missouri) we all know that you should drive through Nebraska and not the neighbor to the south. A word of caution, once you hit Wyoming coming from Colorado please, for your sake, drive the speed limit, not 7over, not 5 over, less than 4 over. You will get pulled over speeding on US 287 between the State line and Laramie, and the scenery is beautiful. You have been warmed. Take it easy on I-80 too, but the patrol is not quite as strong there.
Navigating Town
Laramie is on a grid and very easy to get around. It is divided in to Laramie and West Laramie (west of the Union Pacific line) with downtown, campus and the stadium all being East of the tracks in Laramie. The major streets are 3rd Street running North and South (3rd is also US HWY 287) and Grand Avenue running east and west from Downtown on 1st to exit 316 by Wal-Mart on I-80. On Grand you will find the University between 9th and 15th (the main campus) and the Stadium on 22nd. Downtown Laramie is a small area from 1st street to 5th street and spans about 3 blocks North and South of Grand Ave. 3rd street and Grand is the main central hub intersection and most bars and restaurants are found within a few blocks, mainly on 3rd, 2nd and 1st streets. Other major through roads will be Harney to the north, and Sheridan to the south. Most other streets have tons of stop signs. Many hotels will be located in West Laramie on I-80. The drive to town is about 5 minutes, and nowhere is further than 15. If coming from West Laramie you can take Snowy Range Road, which becomes Harney at 3rd, or Stockyard Road, which becomes Reynolds Street at 3rd on the far north end of town. I will be the first to admit Laramie does not look like much from the outskirts, so get on downtown to see this small town’s charm.
Game Day Experience
Weather in Laramie this time of year is usually quite pleasant, with highs in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and winds that are lighter than usual. It will cool off after the sun goes down and even on a beautiful late summer day could easily get down to the low 40’s. War Memorial Stadium is a great little stadium, seating about 35,000 people. There are no bad seats here, and the visiting team will have the South West section of the stadium. This is also the Alumni side. Students have open seating on the lower half of the east side. When full it is the 3rd largest city in the state (after Cheyenne and Casper). Tailgaiting mainly takes place in the parking lots off of 22nd street. I believe the MUAA tailgate will be near the corner of 21st and Grand Ave. The Stadium has a main lot on the east side that is a fun time, plus the indoor practice facility has a lot of fun actives for kids. The Cowboy’s band leads the team to the stadium coming up 22nd street (Cowboy’s version of Tiger Walk). Parking near the stadium is pretty straightforward; if you have a parking pass the lot is almost certainly on 22nd street. If you are just looking for parking cruise around the streets both north and south of the Stadium. I prefer to park on the south side near Washington Park in the residential areas, but parking on Harney on the north side is just as easy. If you plan on going to the MUAA tailgate parking on the south side of Grande will be a better bet. If you are staying in East Laramie to about 30th street or so you can easily walk to the stadium. Once you are in the vicinity of the stadium you should not be hassled with open containers, I just might not cruise down Grande Ave with one in hand.
This will mark the 3rd year of beer and wine sales at Cowboy games, but there is a catch! You may only buy 4 drinks per person. To patrol this you must first get a wristband that has drink chads. I highly recommend getting a wristband at the practice facility prior to entering the stadium; this will at least save you the hassle of the 1st line. There are both stalls with beer and wine in the stadium and vendors walking around with cans.
Security is pretty laid back, pay attention to lines for those with bags and those without. You can enter the stadium at many locations and then walk to your section on the ground level. If you enter on the east side and have seats on the west, walk around the south end zone. Security will hold you up if the teams are coming out of the locker room on the north end.
Dining
The game day experience in Laramie really starts on Friday night, and I recommend you stay in town to get the full experience. Marching Thunder Marching Band rolls around town on Friday night and comes to all of the bars to play! It is really a cool experience and one I have not seen in other towns. They visit all the downtown bars so if you are out you should see them.
Dining options are plentiful. There are a few chain restaurants on the East end (past 22nd on Grand) but you can eat at those places anywhere. I recommend you head to one of these eateries instead and all of them are located downtown:
Altitude Chophouse and Brewery (Bistro style dishes): This is where everyone takes their parents when they visit. The food is good, the beer is great and made on site, and the service is generally on the upper end for town. They can accommodate large parties and may take reservations.
The Library Sports Grille and Brewery (Pub Food): A great brewery with tons of TV’s and an ok restaurant. I will definitely be here over the weekend as my wife and I have both worked here over the years. Mitch makes some really great beer, I love the Rattle Snake Rye PA!
Speed Goat A fun take on Mexican food with some interesting burritos and tacos, and cocktails on draft that are made in house.
The Crow Bar Great Pizza and burgers and a large draft selection.
Born in a Barn Best wings in town by far, great burgers and one of town’s only outdoor eating areas. Beware, the owner Clayton is a Husker, but otherwise seems like a great guy.
Sweet Melisa’s Vegetarian Restaurant that serves some really rich dishes. This is not a healthy place to eat, but the food is fantastic.
Thai Spice Small Thai restaurant that I prefer to Anong’s.
If you must eat beefsteak while out west you have a few options: The Cavalryman is a staple, but has undergone many management changes over the years, located about a mile south of town on HWY 287. The Rib and Chop House (a chain out of Cheyenne near the stadium) and Altitude. I can only speak for the quality of the food at the latter, but have heard good things about the Rib and Chop as well.
Night Heron Best coffee shop in town. Everyone will tell you to go to Coal Creak, and they are all wrong. Head to Night Heron, great coffee and a very cool used book store.
Bars and Nightlife
No trip to town is complete without a stop at the Buckhorn Bar. This place is classic; an ole’ timer local drunk hangout by day turns into a 3 floor club at night. Best people watching in town, hands down.
3rd Street Bar Cheap and Stiff
The Library My personal favorite Brewery, and they serve food late.
The Crowbar Lots of fun unique cocktails and a large beer selection, plus pizza by the slice until 2 am.
Front Street Tavern (Attached to Sweet Melisa’s) Normally more of a graduate student crowd and the best bartenders in town.
Roxy’s A note from your mom claiming you are of age will you get you in.
Shopping
Laramie is not a shop’o’hollics dream, but Nu2U consignment store is at least regionally famous. If you like thrifting for clothes this place is a must. Team apparel is found at the Brown and Gold both downtown and across from the stadium on 21st and Grand.
Other fun things in town:
Don’t miss out on a walk over the pedestrian bridge that crosses the rail yard downtown. It is really impressive and Laramie was traditionally a rail town. Lots of trains roll through and it is pretty fun standing on the bridge as one thunders underneath you.
The Territorial Prison: Located in West Laramie this prison turned museum once housed Butch Cassidy, pretty cool place for anyone interested in Outlaw History.
The University of Wyoming Geology Museum: Habitually on top 10 University museum lists; this small museum should not be missed. There are many dinosaur exhibits (one complete skeleton of an Allosaurus), gems and a really cool interactive sand box. It is on Prexy’s Pasture on Campus.
Campus: Wyoming is a small University, the campus is lovely and can be walked around in under 15 minutes. Worth a stroll if like me you enjoy seeing other college campuses. Prexy’s Pasture is the main quad and all major buildings are around it. It stretches between 9th and 15th North of Grand.
Hey Tiger Fans, welcome to 7220 feet! I am both a Mizzou and Cowboy alumnus and have been fired up for this game since it was first scheduled. For those of you coming to town for the game let me introduce you to Laramie and the surrounding area with this local’s guide. I will try to touch on a bit of everything, from where to eat and drink, how to best navigate town, where to go shopping and for those with some time and desire, how to get out and see the amazing sites surrounding town.
Getting to Town
Many of you will be coming through DIA: buck up and take the E470 toll road and head north as fast as you can. Front Range traffic is terrible and the mellow pace of life of Wyoming is just a few short hours to the north. Take 287 from Fort Collins to Laramie. If you drive (from Missouri) we all know that you should drive through Nebraska and not the neighbor to the south. A word of caution, once you hit Wyoming coming from Colorado please, for your sake, drive the speed limit, not 7over, not 5 over, less than 4 over. You will get pulled over speeding on US 287 between the State line and Laramie, and the scenery is beautiful. You have been warmed. Take it easy on I-80 too, but the patrol is not quite as strong there.
Navigating Town
Laramie is on a grid and very easy to get around. It is divided in to Laramie and West Laramie (west of the Union Pacific line) with downtown, campus and the stadium all being East of the tracks in Laramie. The major streets are 3rd Street running North and South (3rd is also US HWY 287) and Grand Avenue running east and west from Downtown on 1st to exit 316 by Wal-Mart on I-80. On Grand you will find the University between 9th and 15th (the main campus) and the Stadium on 22nd. Downtown Laramie is a small area from 1st street to 5th street and spans about 3 blocks North and South of Grand Ave. 3rd street and Grand is the main central hub intersection and most bars and restaurants are found within a few blocks, mainly on 3rd, 2nd and 1st streets. Other major through roads will be Harney to the north, and Sheridan to the south. Most other streets have tons of stop signs. Many hotels will be located in West Laramie on I-80. The drive to town is about 5 minutes, and nowhere is further than 15. If coming from West Laramie you can take Snowy Range Road, which becomes Harney at 3rd, or Stockyard Road, which becomes Reynolds Street at 3rd on the far north end of town. I will be the first to admit Laramie does not look like much from the outskirts, so get on downtown to see this small town’s charm.
Game Day Experience
Weather in Laramie this time of year is usually quite pleasant, with highs in the upper 70’s to low 80’s and winds that are lighter than usual. It will cool off after the sun goes down and even on a beautiful late summer day could easily get down to the low 40’s. War Memorial Stadium is a great little stadium, seating about 35,000 people. There are no bad seats here, and the visiting team will have the South West section of the stadium. This is also the Alumni side. Students have open seating on the lower half of the east side. When full it is the 3rd largest city in the state (after Cheyenne and Casper). Tailgaiting mainly takes place in the parking lots off of 22nd street. I believe the MUAA tailgate will be near the corner of 21st and Grand Ave. The Stadium has a main lot on the east side that is a fun time, plus the indoor practice facility has a lot of fun actives for kids. The Cowboy’s band leads the team to the stadium coming up 22nd street (Cowboy’s version of Tiger Walk). Parking near the stadium is pretty straightforward; if you have a parking pass the lot is almost certainly on 22nd street. If you are just looking for parking cruise around the streets both north and south of the Stadium. I prefer to park on the south side near Washington Park in the residential areas, but parking on Harney on the north side is just as easy. If you plan on going to the MUAA tailgate parking on the south side of Grande will be a better bet. If you are staying in East Laramie to about 30th street or so you can easily walk to the stadium. Once you are in the vicinity of the stadium you should not be hassled with open containers, I just might not cruise down Grande Ave with one in hand.
This will mark the 3rd year of beer and wine sales at Cowboy games, but there is a catch! You may only buy 4 drinks per person. To patrol this you must first get a wristband that has drink chads. I highly recommend getting a wristband at the practice facility prior to entering the stadium; this will at least save you the hassle of the 1st line. There are both stalls with beer and wine in the stadium and vendors walking around with cans.
Security is pretty laid back, pay attention to lines for those with bags and those without. You can enter the stadium at many locations and then walk to your section on the ground level. If you enter on the east side and have seats on the west, walk around the south end zone. Security will hold you up if the teams are coming out of the locker room on the north end.
Dining
The game day experience in Laramie really starts on Friday night, and I recommend you stay in town to get the full experience. Marching Thunder Marching Band rolls around town on Friday night and comes to all of the bars to play! It is really a cool experience and one I have not seen in other towns. They visit all the downtown bars so if you are out you should see them.
Dining options are plentiful. There are a few chain restaurants on the East end (past 22nd on Grand) but you can eat at those places anywhere. I recommend you head to one of these eateries instead and all of them are located downtown:
Altitude Chophouse and Brewery (Bistro style dishes): This is where everyone takes their parents when they visit. The food is good, the beer is great and made on site, and the service is generally on the upper end for town. They can accommodate large parties and may take reservations.
The Library Sports Grille and Brewery (Pub Food): A great brewery with tons of TV’s and an ok restaurant. I will definitely be here over the weekend as my wife and I have both worked here over the years. Mitch makes some really great beer, I love the Rattle Snake Rye PA!
Speed Goat A fun take on Mexican food with some interesting burritos and tacos, and cocktails on draft that are made in house.
The Crow Bar Great Pizza and burgers and a large draft selection.
Born in a Barn Best wings in town by far, great burgers and one of town’s only outdoor eating areas. Beware, the owner Clayton is a Husker, but otherwise seems like a great guy.
Sweet Melisa’s Vegetarian Restaurant that serves some really rich dishes. This is not a healthy place to eat, but the food is fantastic.
Thai Spice Small Thai restaurant that I prefer to Anong’s.
If you must eat beefsteak while out west you have a few options: The Cavalryman is a staple, but has undergone many management changes over the years, located about a mile south of town on HWY 287. The Rib and Chop House (a chain out of Cheyenne near the stadium) and Altitude. I can only speak for the quality of the food at the latter, but have heard good things about the Rib and Chop as well.
Night Heron Best coffee shop in town. Everyone will tell you to go to Coal Creak, and they are all wrong. Head to Night Heron, great coffee and a very cool used book store.
Bars and Nightlife
No trip to town is complete without a stop at the Buckhorn Bar. This place is classic; an ole’ timer local drunk hangout by day turns into a 3 floor club at night. Best people watching in town, hands down.
3rd Street Bar Cheap and Stiff
The Library My personal favorite Brewery, and they serve food late.
The Crowbar Lots of fun unique cocktails and a large beer selection, plus pizza by the slice until 2 am.
Front Street Tavern (Attached to Sweet Melisa’s) Normally more of a graduate student crowd and the best bartenders in town.
Roxy’s A note from your mom claiming you are of age will you get you in.
Shopping
Laramie is not a shop’o’hollics dream, but Nu2U consignment store is at least regionally famous. If you like thrifting for clothes this place is a must. Team apparel is found at the Brown and Gold both downtown and across from the stadium on 21st and Grand.
Other fun things in town:
Don’t miss out on a walk over the pedestrian bridge that crosses the rail yard downtown. It is really impressive and Laramie was traditionally a rail town. Lots of trains roll through and it is pretty fun standing on the bridge as one thunders underneath you.
The Territorial Prison: Located in West Laramie this prison turned museum once housed Butch Cassidy, pretty cool place for anyone interested in Outlaw History.
The University of Wyoming Geology Museum: Habitually on top 10 University museum lists; this small museum should not be missed. There are many dinosaur exhibits (one complete skeleton of an Allosaurus), gems and a really cool interactive sand box. It is on Prexy’s Pasture on Campus.
Campus: Wyoming is a small University, the campus is lovely and can be walked around in under 15 minutes. Worth a stroll if like me you enjoy seeing other college campuses. Prexy’s Pasture is the main quad and all major buildings are around it. It stretches between 9th and 15th North of Grand.
