An Epic Museum Featuring an American Icon is A Must Visit!

On my various motorcycle tours and trips we enjoy the riding times and most of our stops are for a short time, but occasionally a longer stop is well worth the extended time.  One such stop is the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.  Cody is a great place to stop before riding the amazing scenic Chief Joseph Byway and the Top of The World Beartooth Pass or heading to Yellowstone National Park.

Welcome to Cody, Wyoming!

 

Cody was founded by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody in 1896 and is the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park.  It makes sense that the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is located in a town that bears his name.  The center is a consist of five museums and contains over 50,000 artifacts.

Buffalo Bill welcomes Scotty

 

The five museums, Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indians Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Draper Natural History Museum and Cody Firearms Museum, display unique artifacts that surprise, excite and educate.

The Buffalo Bill Museum highlights Buffalo Bill and includes personal artifacts such as saddles, posters, the clothing he wore when performing in his show and his famous buckskin jackets.  There is a life-sized hologram of the Buffalo Bill in the museum.

Buffalo Bill artifacts

The Plains Indian Museum displays the histories, cultures and modern lives of the indigenous plains peoples.  Artwork from the 1800s to current times are displayed.   The 19111 log house that belonged to Standing Bear of the Oglala Lokata  people is on display.

Plains Indian display

The Whitney Western Art Museum was added in 1959 and has over 300 works of art from many artist including Remington, Russell, Moran and Bierstandt.  Visitors to the center are welcomed by The Scout, a huge Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney bronze sculpture.

Scout by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

 

The kid-friendly and interactive Draper Natural History Museum provides experiences about the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.  Displays feature wildlife like wolves, grizzlies, elk and more.  One can also catch a seasonal raptor show (check with the center for times and dates).

That is one big grizzly!

 

 

Western transportation

 

For me the highlight was the Cody Firearms Museum.  With 4,300 American made firearms and 20,000 related artifacts there is plenty to see.  From 16th-century hand cannons, early American rifles and pistols to modern firearms are on display.  The Colt 1911 semi-auto handgun from the series Longmire and two other guns from the show are also there.

Weapons and more from Longmire

There were so many firearms to see.  They were all organized and expertly displayed.  It took Scotty and I quite a while to get through this part of the center.

Admission to the museum provides entry for two consecutive days, which if you take time to really sock in the displays and read all the placards you will need the two days.  The museum may seem pricey but it is well worth it.  If you are heading up that way plan a visit to the center, you will not be disappointed.

 

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