Cody, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park

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Ok, so maybe I am prejudice, but you are missing out on a special place if you don’t visit Cody. Located 53 miles from the East Entrance to Yellowstone, Cody is a small town snuggled up against the mountains, with lots to do and see. The locals are friendly and helpful and will try to make your stay an enjoyable one. If you can only come for a day and see nothing else, be sure to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. This is a premiere museum, even if you are only a little interested in museums, this is a don’t miss. There are five sections to this museum. The Buffalo Bill Museum, for whom our town was named; the Whitney Gallery of Western Art with its wonderful paintings, sculptures, and art studio reproductions; the Plains Indian Museum, which is extensive and beautifully laid out, utilizing modern day technology; The Cody Firearms Museum with its huge collection of arms manufactured by Winchester and other major gun manufacturers; and the newest, the Draper Museum of Natural History. If you have more than a day there is Old Trail Town, with its collection of old early day buildings and western relics; a rodeo, float trips, and other activities. If you are interested in visiting Cody, see my web pages at Cody.

My main photo is of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Photo two is of Old Trail Town. Photo three shows a bronze statue in the yard of the Historical Center, titled Washakie, Chief of the Shoshone. R.V. Greeves created this sculpture in 1999. Photo four is an 1895 S. Cheyenne dress on display in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center (BBHC). This dress is made with deer hide, basket beads, seed beading, and cowrie shells. The last photo is of an 1862 – 1873 Gatling Gun on display in the BBHC’s Cody Firearm Museum.

Though Buffalo Bill has associations throughout the west, including a museum in Gothenburg, Nebraska, he has a town named after him in Wyoming (Cody) where there is a better-known museum dedicated to his career. The Buffalo Bill Reservoir just west of town is not very scenic by mountain standards, but the arid setting is lucky to have any moisture on the ground other than the snow on local peaks. Located about an hour's drive away from the east, Cody is a good jump-off point for Yellowstone National Park.