What Is That Weird Dome Off This Wyoming Highway?

If you have driven west of Cheyenne on Interstate 80, you might have seen an old dome of some sort sitting out in the elements for all to see. So what the heck is that?

It's been popping up online a lot lately with internet memes. One Photoshop showed the legs of the wicked witch sticking out from under it.

So, what is it?

What you are looking at is one of the original 1917 copper and concrete cupolas from the House or Senate chamber wings of Wyoming's Capitol. That particular one was removed during roof renovations in 1999 and now rests on the ground near Cheyenne. Today folks call that the "Dome on the Range."

If you are heading west on the interstate, you'll see it on the left side of the road, in a field next to the historic, abandoned 1892 Granite School in Granite. Start looking about 22 miles southwest of Cheyenne, off Exit 342.

By now you might be wondering how the heck it got there and why it was left there.

That dome was removed during 1999 repairs. A salvage yard bout it for $100. The new owner was named Dan Corbin, who initially used it as a yard decoration. Neighbors complained, and it was moved to its current site.

That poor dome has been out in the elements for such a long time; its age is showing. The same is true of the schoolhouse.

There was another one of these that sat on the other side of the capital. Nobody knows where it is.