CHEYENNE -- Alan and Pete Simpson brought their comedy act to a regional museum conference in Cheyenne on Thursday.

Between jokes and stories, the Simpson brothers called for public support and access for all museums.

Alan is a former U.S. senator from Wyoming. Pete is a University of Wyoming political science professor.

Their theme was "A New Cork in an Old Flask -- A Simpson Eye View of the West."

"Museums must rid themselves of mustiness," Alan told the luncheon audience of museum professionals.

"If arts are only for the elite," he added, "it will fail."

"Museums can tell us who we are," Pete said.

Alan mentioned the rare books collection at the University of Wyoming's Wyoming Heritage Center.

A visitor might be required to sign in and don a pair of gloves but he or she then can pick up and hold rare books, he said.

He told of the center's collection of papers from various celebrities, including Jack Benny and William Boyd, who portrayed Hopalong Cassidy in the movies.

Although the center has spectacular archives and has been praised architecturally, the building "leaks like hell," Alan said.

The Simpsons also talked about the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody.

"We have a slogan: 'How to build a museum with Eastern money," Pete said.

They mentioned the new Heart Mountain Interpretive Center between Cody and Powell, where they both visited as Boy Scouts.

"Every town in this state has a museum," Pete said."These are little museums" that tell the story of the town.

Young people, in particular, need to know that history didn't begin with the birth of their parents, he said.

They also told stories about the colorful characters they knew growing up in Park County, including Prohibition-era clients of their lawyer father, Milward Simpson.

One, nicknamed "Deafy" because he had a hearing problem, made white lightening liquor. Another active in the bootlegging business was Ed "Phonograph" Jones, who never quit talking, they said.

Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at 307-632-1244 or joan.barron@trib.com