Situated in Cody, Wyoming – the Eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park – the five museums of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center invite visitors to embark on a virtual expedition through the American West.
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center presents a panoramic view of the West with museums dedicated to the natural wonders of the Yellowstone Park region, the legend of Buffalo Bill Cody, the living culture of the Plains Indian, the fine art of Western masters and the marvelous story of the evolution of the firearm. Visitors are smart to plan two days in Cody to take advantage of their two-day pass to this world-class institution once proclaimed by the late James Michenor as “The Smithsonian of the West.”
Opened in 2002, the Draper Museum of Natural History portrays the natural world as it appeared to early inhabitants and explorers. Trailing down a circular walkway from the alpine tundra to the plains, one hears the far-off cry of the wolf, the crackle of a forest fire, or a gust of wind whisking the pine trees. Along the way, one develops a keen understanding of the ways humans interact with their environment, especially in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This first natural history museum of the 21st century employs high-tech and interactive audio and visual display panels and open spaces for hands-on entertainment and education for the whole family.
An understanding of the environment of the West sets the stage for a fascinating look at the life and times of Buffalo Bill Cody in the Buffalo Bill Museum. Visitors of all ages are inspired by the story of this courageous scout who achieved fame throughout the world as a showman and forged a civilization on the barren plains.
The timeless beat of the Indian powwow and the powerful recitation of stories handed down through the ages are among the audio experiences awaiting visitors to the Plains Indian Museum. The use of audio-visual exhibits in combination with one of the nation’s largest collections of Native American art and artifacts have created what Crow elder and historian Joe Medicine Crow called a “living, breathing place.”
The Whitney Gallery of Western Art offers visions of the American West through the eyes of its master painters and sculptors. Landscapes by Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran share gallery space with paintings of the classic West by Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, N.C. Wyeth and W.H.D. Koerner.
Rounding out the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s perspective, the Cody Firearms Museum reveals insights into the impact of the firearm on history. The fine art of engraved firearms and revolutionary advancements in engineering are among the surprising elements of the story behind the world’s largest and most important collection of American arms, as well as European arms dating to the 16th century.
Opening May 1, 2004, the Historical Center presents its major summer exhibition, “Wildlife and Western Heroes: Alexander Phimister Proctor, Sculptor.” This first major exhibition on the life and works of A.P. Proctor (1860-1950) was organized by the Amon Carter Museum of Fort Worth, Texas.
During his lifetime, Proctor was considered the leading sculptor of animal subjects and was one of the nation’s foremost creators of public monuments based on Western themes. Among his most famous animal sculptures are “Tigers” at Princeton University; “Lions,” flanking Pittsburgh’s Frick Building; the four large “Buffalo” at the Q Street Bridge in Washington, D.C.; and the monkeys, elephants, rhinos and frogs at the Bronx Zoo. His famous monuments include “General Robert E. Lee and Young Soldier” in Dallas; “Theodore Roosevelt” in Portland, Ore.; and “Broncho Buster” and “On the War Trail,” in the plaza of Denver’s Civic Center.
The exhibition of approximately 70 objects includes small bronzes and models for monumental works, paintings, drawings, watercolors and etchings, artist tools and artifacts and photos of the working artist.
In addition to its five museums under one roof, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center hosts the McCracken Research Library – a library and archive specializing in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, western art and artists, Plains Indian history and culture, firearms history and technology, the natural history of the Greater Yellowstone area, the history of Yellowstone National Park, Western folk music and Cody area history.
Museum Selections, the Historical Center’s museum store, offers reproductions of fine Western art, jewelry and Native American art. The Great Entertainer Eatery offers food and beverages.
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is located in Cody alongside the highway to the East Entrance of Yellowstone, just 52 miles away. Admission is good for two consecutive days and includes entry to all five of its museums dedicated to the history, arts and culture of the American West. For more information, call (307) 587-4771.
