Buffalo Bill Center of the West

About

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, is often described as the Smithsonian of the American West. Founded in 1917, it has grown to encompass five separate museums sharing a single campus: the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Draper Natural History Museum, and the Whitney Western Art Museum—making it one of the most comprehensive American West institutions in existence. The Plains Indian Museum holds one of the most important collections of Northern Plains Indian objects in the world, with artifacts spanning more than 10,000 years of Indigenous history and culture. The collection includes ceremonial objects, textiles, ledger art, and contemporary works, presented with extensive tribal consultation and voice. The Draper Natural History Museum focuses on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, featuring specimens of nearly every major species from the region and exploring the ecological dynamics of one of the world's most intact temperate ecosystems. The Buffalo Bill Museum tells the extraordinary story of William F. Cody—Army scout, bison hunter, showman, and conservation advocate—whose Wild West shows toured the world and shaped global perceptions of the American West. The Whitney Western Art Museum houses a world-class collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and dozens of other artists who documented and romanticized the West. The Cody Firearms Museum holds more than 7,000 firearms, tracing the evolution of American weaponry from flintlocks to modern cartridge arms. The center offers school programs, summer science camps, and extensive education materials. It is located 52 miles east of Yellowstone National Park's East Entrance, making it a natural complement to park visits.

Subject Areas

Best For