Gillette, Wyoming

Life in Gillette, Wyoming, explained by people who’ve lived in Gillette:

*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Gillette)

Gillette Favorites

What’s your favorite thing about living in Gillette?

It’s a big city and has lots of options for shopping and things to do. (Anonymous, 3 years)
We live just off 59 on country club road so we are just a skip away from all the main places in Gillette! (Jason, 3 years)
Buffalo Ridge School. (Michele, 4 years)
Absolutely everything. (Devon, 6.5 years)
Not damp. (Temple, 8 years)
There are jobs here! (SD, 11 years)
My friends, Keyhole, and the wide open space. (Brenda, 13 years)
Food restaurants. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
The weather, people, freedom, etc. (Anonymous, 20 years)
Spirit Hall. (Kalen, 20 years)
How friendly it is. (Jade, 21 years)
Sense of community. (Michelle, 21 years)
Nothing to do in this town for a family besides bars. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
People. (Glippy, 24 years)
My family, and friends. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Daughter and grandchildren live here too. (Lynn, 29 years)
Complex park and Fishing Lake. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Small town living, good people. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Community support/school district. (Lisa, 34 years)
It’s active. (Don, 37 years)
Old swimming pool. (Carla, 40 years)
The wide open space, schools and people. (Jamie, 43 years)
My family is here. (Misty, 47 years)
The wonderful people. (Sharon, 47 years)
Its coal mines. (Frances, 50 years)
Being born and raised here. Seeing Gillette grow. (Brooke, 73 years)

Gillette Least Favorites

What’s your least favorite thing about living in Gillette?

Its a boom/bust town. People avoid making lasting friendships here. I believe because people come and go from here as the oil and gas comes and goes. It makes it hard for people like us who came during the bust. (Anonymous, 3 years)
The drivers. (Jason, 3 years)
The CEO of the hospital. (Michele, 4 years)
Too many to answer. (Dorothy, 5 years)
When the county doesn’t grate the roads after a big snow. (Devon, 6.5 years)
More medical people. (Temple, 8 years)
Cops. (Anonymous, 10 years)
Lazy people. (SD, 11 years)
The dirt. (Brenda, 13 years)
People. (Gail, 14 years)
The community. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
Drivers, drama, juvenile delinquents. (Anonymous, 20 years)
Sonic. (Kalen, 20 years)
Drivers, lack of jobs. (Jade, 21 years)
Lack of cultural events. (Michelle, 21 years)
Hate all of Gillette from the dullness to the high expenses of normal daily life. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
There are no 24 hour diners and how unsupportive the community is of the arts. (Taylor, 23 years)
Traffic. (Glippy, 24 years)
Our local government. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Shopping sucks. We need Sam’s Club and Herberger’s or similar. (Lynn, 29 years)
Small business saying “I can order it for you”. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Boom days with all the mud. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Crime/drugs. (Lisa, 34 years)
Attitudes. (Don, 37 years)
Everything. (Carla, 40 years)
The winter. (Jamie, 43 years)
Everything. (Ken, 45 years)
Nothing to do but go to the bar. (Misty, 47 years)
The limited shopping available to us. (Sharon, 47 years)

Gillette Things To Do

What are fun things to do in Gillette?

Kids: rec center, library activities, sports, not much else. Adults: drinking, drugs, race track. (Anonymous, 3 years)
My kids love the fishing lake and recreation center in the winter, my wife and I have become quite content just driving around the city and finding great lookouts of the city line! (Jason, 3 years)
Water slides. (Michele, 4 years)
Fair week. (Dorothy, 5 years)
Bowling, skating, movies, shows, there’s a ton of stuff if you just get out and do it. The planetarium, and I can go on and on. (Devon, 6.5 years)
Fishing, hunting, friendly people. (Temple, 8 years)
Rock Pile Museum, Rec Center and Mine Tours. (SD, 11 years)
Bowling, going to the high school games, drive in movie, corner drug for old fashioned sodas. (Brenda, 13 years)
Bowling rec center movies. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
Explore downtown, auctions, community get-togethers. (Anonymous, 20 years)
Hockey, County Fair. (Kalen, 20 years)
Go to Wal-Mart. Lol. (Jade, 21 years)
4th of July events. (Michelle, 21 years)
I have found nothing fun to do in Gillette. Maybe looking for rocks but then again everyone lets ya know where they are so that’s not much fun anymore. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
Go to the bar, go out to eat. There is not much else to do. (Taylor, 23 years)
All things outdoors. (Glippy, 24 years)
Not much, good thing it’s close to The Black Hills, keyhole, Buffalo, Sheridan, and the big horn mountain. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Rec Center! Free outdoor pool, plays, frisbee golf, golf, AVA, Pizza Career and a great movie theater. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Rec center, lots of trails. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Movies and bowling and painting. (Lisa, 34 years)
Youth sports, high school sports, movies, drives in the country, library, clubs, dining, community involvement. (Don, 37 years)
Camplex. (Carla, 40 years)
Parks, rec center, within a two hour drive to mountains, 45 mins to the lake. (Jamie, 43 years)
Nothing really. (Misty, 47 years)
Movies, Camplex events, Rec Center, Friends, caring community, good basic folks. (Sharon, 47 years)

Gillette’s Reputation

What’s Gillette known for?

Being an energy reliant town. Lots of drugs, drinking and crime. (Anonymous, 3 years)
Coal and energy production. (Jason, 3 years)
The most bars in one city. (Michele, 4 years)
Spending too much on statues and not able to make its mind up about anything. (Dorothy, 5 years)
Energy capital of the world. (Devon, 6.5 years)
Energy capital of nation. (Temple, 8 years)
Coal. (Anonymous, 10 years)
Coal. (SD, 11 years)
Oil and coal. (Brenda, 13 years)
Coal. (Gail, 14 years)
Suicides and coal mining. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
Small town feel, ranchers, bad drivers. (Anonymous, 20 years)
Coal/Oil industries. (Kalen, 20 years)
Coal. (Jade, 21 years)
Coal. (Michelle, 21 years)
Money hungry people. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
Coal. (Taylor, 23 years)
Camels. (Glippy, 24 years)
Coal, gas, oil and the rail road. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Energy capitol of the nation. (Lynn, 29 years)
Obnoxious sports fans and title teams. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Coal, oil, good people. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Coal and oil. (Lisa, 34 years)
Energy production. (Don, 37 years)
Crime. (Carla, 40 years)
Coal, oil, and gas. (Jamie, 43 years)
Coal. (Ken, 45 years)
Wasting tax payers money on stupid things. (Misty, 47 years)
Energy, ranching. (Brooke, 73 years)

Gillette Crime

What’s the crime like in Gillette? (hot spot areas, etc.)

Church street is the ghetto. There are also some blocks around twin spruce area and the homeless shelter that you couldn’t pay me to walk past. (Anonymous, 3 years)
Bullying in schools seems to be a big problem as well as meth use, however it is confined to select areas of the outskirts of town and seems maybe an apartment complex or three along church street. Appears slummish! (Jason, 3 years)
Meth to keep the coal miners awake. (Michele, 4 years)
It’s everywhere, and people get a slap on the wrist if they do get caught so what’s the point. (Dorothy, 5 years)
None that I know of. I guess depends on who you hang out with but I don’t see any. (Devon, 6.5 years)
Some but mostly not. (Temple, 8 years)
Church street area is the ghetto. (SD, 11 years)
High here. (Gail, 14 years)
Crime isn’t a huge problem but can definitely be worked on (drugs). (Anonymous, 20 years)
Not too bad. (Kalen, 20 years)
Decent. (Jade, 21 years)
Relatively low, but increase has been consistent with the population rate increase and dynamic of people moving into the area. Church St area (behind CCHS) has always been a high crime area. (Michelle, 21 years)
Getting way bad and all areas are hot spots in my eyes. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
Bars are shady places. Other than that, it’s fine. I leave most of my things unlocked without worry. (Taylor, 23 years)
Meth. (Glippy, 24 years)
Overall crime is low. However there are a lot of 17-35 year old meth heads. Pot is common. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Not that bad. (Lynn, 29 years)
Low crime for population size. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Getting worse every day. (Lisa, 34 years)
No more so than other towns this size. (Don, 37 years)
Terrible. (Carla, 40 years)
Small amounts. (Jamie, 43 years)
Low. (Ken, 45 years)
Same as anywhere else. (Misty, 47 years)
Not too bad….I’d say Church street area. (Sharon, 47 years)
Not bad. (Brooke, 73 years)

Gillette Advice

Any advice for people moving to Gillette?

Don’t. It’s not a good place to raise a family. Not a lot of people are willing to be true friends. Money spent in this town isn’t thought through. Money is allocated years ago, so now doesn’t matter. It’s not a pretty town. People are from all over so there’s a clashing of attitudes, driving abilities and nuances. Just don’t. (Anonymous, 3 years)
Hillcrest is an amazing school with good neighborhoods surrounding it. Try to research the job market and land a good job before moving as the employment scene is very limited! (Jason, 3 years)
Don’t do it. (Michele, 4 years)
Live outside of town to be happy and only go to town for grocery shopping. Watch red lights cuz everyone runs them and cops don’t care. (Dorothy, 5 years)
You will love it just get used to the weather before you leave. You so get used to it. (Devon, 6.5 years)
Buy before you move here. (Temple, 8 years)
Don’t. (Anonymous, 10 years)
Learn how to drive in snow. (SD, 11 years)
Don’t come here. (Gail, 14 years)
Please be careful. It’s hard and upsetting here. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
If you have kids, put them in activities/sports; open your mind to how things work here. (Anonymous, 20 years)
Be prepared for snow! (Kalen, 20 years)
Get your kids involved with activities early. (Michelle, 21 years)
I wouldn’t move here and can’t wait to get out. Seems to go downhill each year. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
Suicide rate is pretty high. If you live an alternative lifestyle or want your kids to get a well rounded education (art and music included) look elsewhere. (Taylor, 23 years)
Don’t. (Glippy, 24 years)
Don’t. (Anonymous, 27 years)
It’s expensive to live here, but the people are basically good. (Lynn, 29 years)
Get out and join something, organization or church or leagues. (Anonymous, 30 years)
It’s a good town with a lot of good people. You will love it. (Maryanne, 31 years)
You’ll love the schools and people!! (Lisa, 34 years)
Get involved, learn your town. (Don, 37 years)
Don’t. (Carla, 40 years)
Be sure to have a job before moving. (Jamie, 43 years)
Not to. (Ken, 45 years)
Lots of job opportunities, if you want to work, good schools, great choice of housing available. (Sharon, 47 years)
Some love it, some people hate it. My family and I have been around the Gillette area for almost 50 yrs. We moved from Biddle Mt. to Recluse WY in September of 1958. And as they say the rest is history. (Frances, 50 years)
Come!!! (Brooke, 73 years)

Gillette Stories

Share an experience you’ve had in Gillette (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).

Crazy woman who I thought was my friend, shot my dehydrator to pieces when she accused me of trying to sleep with her husband. My job was robbed when I was at lunch. I started carrying a gun after that. My car has been broken into. I had to confront a creeper around my old house with a shot gun because police didn’t take me seriously. (Anonymous, 3 years)
My wife and I declared our first year of marriage that we would not be living in Missouri on our ten year, and we were in Gillette then and got a very nice hotel room at the Candlewood Estates, and celebrated in a hot tub! (Jason, 3 years)
The criminal justice system doesn’t work for the little guy. (Michele, 4 years)
My beautiful daughter was born here and way too many memories to tell in a survey. But love love love it here. (Devon, 6.5 years)
Camplex, garage sales. (Temple, 8 years)
I haven’t lived there since 1976, but I have many memories of my friends. (Brenda, 13 years)
I met my best friend here. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
Hockey vs Helena. (Kalen, 20 years)
The 4th of July pancake feed! (Jade, 21 years)
Sporting events at school. (Michelle, 21 years)
Suckling my money from me from high electric, rent, things to do and everything else the energy state can offer. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
Still thinking. (Anonymous, 27 years)
I raced for a time at the old race track. (Lynn, 29 years)
Class reunion for classes of the 1960’s. It was great. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Dozer crushing cars, international pyrotechnics guild shows, horse races. (Don, 37 years)
Camel football games, July 4th parade. (Jamie, 43 years)
Bed race, 4th of July activities, family is all here. Good folks around here. (Sharon, 47 years)
Watching how Gillette has changed in 50 yrs. (Frances, 50 years)
Community service. (Brooke, 73 years)

Gillette’s Future

How do you think Gillette will change over the next 10 years?

Hopefully it booms. Because in 8 years my youngest kid turns 18 and we want to sell the house and get the hell out of here. (Anonymous, 3 years)
My hope is that coal will either level off or boom and we can enjoy ten years of stability! (Jason, 3 years)
It won’t change. (Michele, 4 years)
I don’t think it will. Maybe the population will grow and shopping hopefully will grow. More stores to shop at. (Devon, 6.5 years)
More population. (Temple, 8 years)
It’ll just get bigger. (SD, 11 years)
Hopefully coal jobs come back, other than that it probably won’t change too much other than technology. (Anonymous, 20 years)
I believe it will get a lot bigger. (Jade, 21 years)
I think it will remain pretty stable with population, but crime rates will continue to grow. (Michelle, 21 years)
Be like a big city. (Anonymous, 22 years on and off)
I hope they will move to be more accepting of people from all walks of life and encourage kids in the arts and music. You can get scholarships for that too. Its not just sports. Like seriously. Rethink how you fund these programs and spread the wealth. (Taylor, 23 years)
A lot. (Glippy, 24 years)
For the better yes with more shopping. (Lynn, 29 years)
Boom and bust. (Anonymous, 30 years)
Continue to grow and refine itself. (Don, 37 years)
Gotten too big, too many out of state! People who don’t know anything about Wyoming and don’t want to see our assets grow, but want their own agendas brought in. (Carla, 40 years)
I hope to see it grow and the economy to diversify. (Jamie, 43 years)
For the worse. (Ken, 45 years)
It won’t. (Misty, 47 years)
Younger generation is coming up. Energy will be handled more responsibly. (Sharon, 47 years)
Hard to say. (Frances, 50 years)
Growth. (Brooke, 73 years)

Gillette Facts

Any other interesting facts about Gillette?

There are a few good things about here, but they are few. And far between. None of the good involves people younger than 50. Only the old, old people are decent. (Anonymous, 3 years)
The Rockpile museum has an amazing display of the history of Gillette! A must see to appreciate the beauty and story of our town! (Jason, 3 years)
The police rarely enforcement traffic laws. (Michele, 4 years)
Scenery. (Temple, 8 years)
Check out the Rock Pile Museum. (SD, 11 years)
It started cuz of a train station. (Tiffani, 16.5 years)
Great for families starting out. (Michelle, 21 years)
The streets are paved. (Glippy, 24 years)
Local government sucks. (Anonymous, 27 years)
Gillette started as a cow town with good-hearted, strong people. That’s the kind of people that have continued to live there. (Maryanne, 31 years)
Fast pace, expensive to retire in, young populations. (Don, 37 years)
Coal/oil/gas hub of the nation. (Sharon, 47 years)
Where Thunder Basin Ford is now, it is where the old Husky Truck stop used to be, if I’m not mistaken. The museum used to be out on south 59. I think. (Frances, 50 years)
Great place to be. (Brooke, 73 years)