If you’d like to see an impressive collection of treasures of the Wild West, be sure to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. This world-class attraction is in Cody, Wyoming, an hour’s drive east of Yellowstone National Park.
Treasures of the Wild West in five museums
The Center contains five museums, including the Buffalo Bill Museum. There’s something for everyone at this museum.
Buffalo Bill Museum
During his lifetime, William F. Cody worked as a ranch hand, bison hunter, fur trapper, wagon train driver, Army scout, prospector, and Pony Express rider.
Cody is perhaps most well-known as a showman. He helped create a traveling show called Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. He took on the persona of Buffalo Bill.
Source: National Portrait Gallery. Smithsonian Institution.
Cody and his crew of performers put on outdoor western shows, highlighting (and romanticizing) the legacy of the West. The show began in 1883 and continued for 30 years.
Sharpshooter Annie Oakley thrilled audiences at the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows with her shooting skills.
The Center features artifacts essential to the survival of people living in the West. The bright yellow Deadwood Stagecoach was used along routes in the west and later, in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West performances.
Chuckwagons, like the one shown below, helped feed ranch hands on cattle ranches.
Draper Natural History Museum
The Draper Natural History Museum highlights elements of the natural world in Wyoming.
A display of bighorn sheep shows them in action, with and without their musculature and fur.
A large bronze sculpture and painting depict buffalo drives. Indigenous peoples would drive the bison toward steep cliffs and harvest them below.
Visitors can see animals such as grizzly bears preserved in artistic mounts.
Whitney Western Art Museum
The Whitney Western Art Museum contains a wide variety of artwork. In 2024, Newsweek readers voted it as the #1 best art museum in America.
This sculpture and two paintings depict Buffalo Bill from different perspectives.
This section shows several paintings of Native Americans.
A partially assembled sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt helps visitors understand what goes into creating such works of art.
Cody Firearms Museum
Nearby, in the Cody Firearms Museum, one of Theodore Roosevelt’s rifles is on display next to one owned by Ernest Hemingway.
The Firearms Museum contains an extensive collection of over 4,000 firearms of all shapes and sizes.
Firearms used for specific purpose, such as target shooting, are nicely displayed.
When we visited the Center, a small display of leatherwork was set up near the entrance.
These pieces show the artistry that went into creating everyday items.
This saddle was on display in another part of the Center. Victor Alexander, a well-known leather craftsperson, created it.
Artwork treasures of the Wild West
There are pieces of artwork throughout the Center, created in different mediums.
Outside of the Center, two sculptures caught my eye. This iconic sculpture, called The Scout, shows Buffalo Bill astride his horse.
This one show Sacawegea, looking confident and calm.
Charles M. Russell created over 4,000 artworks in his life, including paintings and sculpture. These small bronze pieces demonstrate his talent in creating iconic images of the West.
The Storyteller sculpture was created by contemporary artist, Rose Pecos-Sun Rhodes. The smaller figures shows several elements of daily life.
Plains Indian Museum
The Plains Indian Museum, which I featured in a previous post, shows large and small-scale displays. Two styles of teepee are on display.
A life-size sculpture shows how native people traveled.
Visitors can see colorful headdresses up close in this part of the Center.
More info on treasures of the Wild West at the Center
Here’s a map of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Plan on spending an hour or more at the Center to view their collection of treasures of the Wild West.
Besides seeing the museums at the Center, visitors can also take part in live raptor experiences, chuckwagon dinners, and workshops.
For more information, visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West website.
To see another fun exhibition a few hours away, see my post about the Mythical Creatures temporary exhibit at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. It runs through January 5, 2025.
Siobhan, you gave us a lot of history and plenty of fun with these great photos. Thank you!
Thanks, Egidio! There’s a lot to see there.
Wow, Siobhan! What a great collection of treasures from the Old West. Fabulous!
Thanks, Patti! It’s a great place to visit.
This is a wonderful review of Western Life in the U.S
Yes, the Center covers many perspectives related to the Wild West. So much to see in one place. 😀
Such an excellent overview of life long ago in the west. I assume we’ve all seen pieces of what life was like “back in the day” out west but this week you’ve truly given us a look at what it was really all about. I loved all of the museum displays. Truly fun!
Thank you, Tina! I hope my post encourages more people to visit this facility. 🙂
This took me back to our road trip in Wyoming many years ago, although we only had time to visit two of the museums at the center – the Buffalo Bill and Plains Indian ones, I think. I remember those sculptures outside too 🙂 Thanks for the memories in this very informative post.
Thank you, Sarah! I’m glad you were able to visit a couple of its museums. It’s so close to Yellowstone, yet many people don’t know of its existence.
I could lose myself in historical museums. I missed these on my journeys through Wyoming. I guess we were too focused on visiting the National Park.
I hope you can stop at both of them on future trips, John. They are definitely worth a visit. The one in Cody is great for history buffs!
Museums are fun, I love them and I’m lucky to have a son that thinks the same (at least for now…) Great photos, they look really cool.
Thanks, Sofia! I love them, too. As you know, it can be challenging to get good pictures with the lighting and reflections. I hope your son continues to like them.