SHERIDAN — Two familiar Sheridan landmarks are starting fresh chapters, breathing new life into buildings with very different purposes.
The former Museum at the Bighorns, formerly nestled off Interstate 90, has been transformed into Espadas, Wyoming’s first Brazilian steakhouse. The museum itself has relocated to the heart of downtown, taking over and restoring the historic Woolworth department store on North Main Street.
See the video below on how the two buildings have transformed for the community of Sheridan:
At the helm of the newly opened Espadas, located at 850 Sibley Circle, are brothers Mouad and Adim Zaazaa. Originally from Morocco, they studied in Montana before calling Wyoming home for many years. Already known locally for their Mexican restaurant, Los Tacos, they leaned into their love for food to introduce something new to the Sheridan scene.
“Espada means a sword, which we think everyone eats from the same sword. It's just like everyone eating from one plate,” explained Mouad. “We just want to bring that kind of experience to Sheridan. They don't have it.”
The brothers noted that their staff includes locals as well as international J-1 visa workers. Mouad himself can speak five languages.
“You see a lot of countries right here in this restaurant that Wyoming doesn't provide a lot to interact with, even with somebody from a different country,” said Mouad.
Espadas occupies the building once home to the museum, and even further back was once a barbecue restaurant, so the move in with an already large commercial kitchen still intact only called for five months of renovation. Since opening in June, the brothers said the community has been welcoming.
“We just saw the vision. We saw it's going to be there with the view you have here, with where it sits,” said Mouad. “We've been accepted. We love it. A lot of people supported the business."
While the building now houses meats, it used to hold memories. The move of the Museum at the Bighorns to 171 N. Main Street brings Sheridan’s history back into the center of town.
“It's a great historic downtown and a nice place to stop over,” said Chip King, the museum’s Director of Operations. "It's the hub of town."
The former location served the Sheridan Historical Society since 2005. Rising costs and limited visibility made the downtown opportunity too good to pass up.
"We're not a county or city museum. We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to county and regional history," said King. “(We have) more foot traffic in just the month and four or five days that we've been open in this location than we would have had in the same time frame up on Fifth Street."
The new space, once part of the iconic Woolworth department store chain, is undergoing a multi-phase renovation. The front exhibits and gift shop full of local items are now open to the public, while the back portion is still under construction. It will be developed to host a rotating set of six themed exhibits: the Bighorn Mountains, High Plains ecosystems, Downtown Sheridan, ranching and rodeo, coal and industry, and a rotating space.
"We are planning for the center area to be more open and things to be a little more flexible, movable," said Carrie Edinger, the museum’s director. "We could set up chairs for a formal presentation or have a hands-on activity as well.”
“It's glass from storefront all the way back, and ultimately, when the space is finished, people will be able to look in and see sneak peaks of all the way back to the very back wall," added King.
The building's address was first established in 1888, and in the mid-60s, it was built as the new multi-floor department store. That rich history is being celebrated with a new interactive display. Community members have contributed stories and memorabilia, ranging from first jobs and back-to-school shopping to even shoplifting.
"It's kind of a fun exhibit and to listen to the many stories, especially for community members who were even employed at the store," said Edinger. "One community member shared opening day black and white photo of all the new employees, and they were actually around our staircase here that we have still in the building."
The full renovation for Phase Two is estimated at $2 million, and a generous $50,000 matching grant from the Roberts Family Foundation is helping the museum move forward and continue collecting local history.
"There's so many families that have been here for generations. We've seen different things. They have things in their personal collections to share, so it's a lot of exchange, I think, for contemporary times to think about history and also how it evolves," said Edinger. "History's not that stuffy. It's evolving."
With flavorful dishes now on the edge of town and rich history at its heart, Sheridan is seeing renewal through reinvention. The two transformed spaces will help shape its next chapter for years to come.
“Sheridan always feels homey. It feels like home to us," said Mouad. “Sheridan is a very picky community. They're going to tell you what's up. They're gonna tell you what type of meat they like, what kind of food they like, so this experience is different.”
“Sheridan, it is a historic community,” added King. "Stop into the museum, see what we've got going on. It'll change in six months, you know, so come back in six months."
