Butch Cassidy Childhood Home

Alex Cabrero
24 hours ago
3 min read

Log cabin with wooden siding and a shingled roof, set in a barren landscape with hills and leafless trees under a cloudy sky. — *Butch Cassidy's Childhood Home*

(Circleville) Isn’t it funny how time has a way of changing how we see people? Back in the day, Butch Cassidy was someone who was usually on the run from law enforcement. He was an outlaw, a bank robber, and a criminal. He was the kind of person you definitely wouldn’t want to run into at the wrong place and time.

Weathered wanted poster featuring outlaws in front of a rustic cabin in an open field. Bare trees and hills in the background. — *Information panel on Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch*

But give it a few decades (maybe a century) and suddenly there are signs pointing you to his childhood home, complete with a parking lot and picnic tables. Time has a way of turning outlaws into roadside stops. I don’t think anyone is planning weekend visits to the childhood homes of modern-day criminals, but somehow, when enough time passes, the story changes. It becomes history and maybe even a little bit of curiosity. That's exactly what this place is.

Old wooden cabin under a cloudy sky, with mountains in the background. A picnic table and farming equipment are visible nearby. Rustic mood. — *The side of the house*

The Butch Cassidy Childhood Home sits along a quiet stretch of Highway 89 right on the Garfield County / Piute County line, not far from the small town of Circleville. If you weren’t looking for it, you might drive right past it. There are those brown tourist signs on both sides of the road letting you know it's coming up.

Weathered sign with wagon wheels displays "Butch Cassidy's Boyhood Home, Est. 1863" and an old photo. Rustic setting with trees in backdrop. — *The sign as you turn into the parking lot*

If you do stop, you’ll find a small log cabin, a shed, some old farm equipment, and a handful of informational signs telling the story. That’s about it. The entire site is small, probably less than half the size of a football field. The legend of the guy who grew up here is certainly bigger than the modest cabin in front of you.

Rural landscape with old wooden barn, wooden fence, and rusty farm equipment. Path with informational signs. Bare trees, cloudy sky. — *The site of where Butch Cassidy grew up*

This is where Robert LeRoy Parker, who would later become Butch Cassidy, spent part of his early life after his family moved to Utah in the late 1800s. When I visited years ago, you could walk right inside. Now, the front door opens to plastic barriers that keep you from going all the way in. That's most likely to protect the place from vandalism and a few modern-day no-gooders.

Vintage cabin interior with wooden walls, a chair, dresser, and a hanging shirt. Colorful quilt on bed; window shows countryside. Cozy mood. — *A bed, dresser, and chairs*

Interior of a rustic wooden cabin with aged furniture. A blue pot and wash bin are visible. Light filters through a window, adding warmth. — *Washing machine and a table*

You can still peek inside, though, and see a bed and a few simple furnishings. It's not overdone, but it's just enough to just imagine a little kid growing up here wondering how big the world was beyond these wooden walls... and how he might one day make that world all his.

Rustic cabin interior with wooden walls, a stove, table, and chair. A dress hangs on the wall. Cozy, vintage ambiance. — *Looking in from the side window*

Butch Cassidy is one of the most famous outlaws of the American West, known for leading the Wild Bunch and pulling off train and bank robberies across several states. But standing here, looking at this small cabin in a quiet valley, it’s hard to picture all of that. It kind of feels normal, which might be the most interesting part of all. I bet he'd be shocked to know his childhood home is now a tourist attraction. Or, maybe he figured it would be because of what he had become.

A sepia-toned, cracked photo of a man on a worn poster with partial text. Grass is visible in the background. Mood is rustic and aged. — *Butch Cassidy*

Log cabin with wooden walls and shingled roof stands in a rural, grassy field. Leafless trees and a cloudy sky form the background. — *Butch Cassidy's Childhood Home*

There are a few picnic tables on site, as well as a bathroom and plenty of parking, but I think most people who visit spend about 20 minutes here. If you’re just passing through the area, it's the perfect place to stretch, take a few photos, and then be on your way. It's definitely worth a stop in my opinion.

Leafless trees and picnic tables under a cloudy sky in a barren autumn landscape with hills in the background. — *Picnic tables*

It's one of those places that makes you think... about time, stories, and how history has a way of softening even the roughest edges. I think maybe that's why people still stop here. Not because of what Robert Leroy Parker became… but because of where Butch Cassidy started.

Smiling man in a black jacket takes a selfie near a rustic log house with a mountain backdrop. Wooden picnic table in the foreground. — *Me in front of the Butch Cassidy Childhood Home*

LOCATION: Google Maps link Free to visit, child and dog friendly.

A lone SUV is parked in a large empty lot beside a rustic cabin and bare trees, set against a backdrop of hills and sparse vegetation. — *Plenty of parking at the site*

Rustic wooden cabin with shingled roof amid dry grass and bare trees, set against a mountainous landscape under a cloudy sky. — *Butch Cassidy home*

Old wooden shack with missing door, set in a vast, open landscape under a cloudy blue sky. A fence and picnic table are nearby. — *Small shed on site*

Rusty tractor and wooden cart on rocky ground, with a wooden fence and hills in the background under a partly cloudy sky. — *Farming equipment*

A beige restroom building with signs for men and women, situated in a rural area. A green dumpster is nearby, under a cloudy sky. — *Bathrooms in the parking lot*

Rustic cabin with signage on gravel path, surrounded by dry grass and barren trees, set against a hilly, overcast landscape. — *Information panels on the way to the house*

Plaque of Butch Cassidy's childhood home, featuring his photo and text. Background shows a cracked, sepia-toned landscape image. — *Display about Butch Cassidy*

Trail information signs against a rocky hillside background. Large sign includes a map and instructions, smaller sign has illustrations. — *Great information sign at the end of the parking lot for more local adventures*