My family headed to northwest Wyoming for Spring Break, spending time in Thermopolis, Cody, and Dubois. The primary reason for our trip was to visit the Buffalo Bill Center for the West in Cody. Having worked in museums for most of my professional career, I am a complete museum geek, so I was excited to discover that the Center for the West was not too far away from here (and even closer when the roads in Yellowstone are open!). This facility is amazing! It’s actually five museums in one - Cody Firearms Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Draper Natural History Museum, Buffalo Bill Museum, and Plains Indian Museum. It really does have something for everyone.
Now before my next statement, you need to understand that my kids are 6 and 3 and generally insane. They cannot sit still, are incapable of being quiet, and completely lack patience:
We spent almost six hours at the Center for the West.
Six hours. Can you believe it? I cannot. Each of the five museums is the perfect size. Not so big to be overwhelming, but big enough to allow you to dive into the content as much as you want. You can visit each of the museums without going outside, and there’s a café in the center of the complex with plenty of seating for your lunch break, snack breaks, and general tired-little-legs breaks.
If you’re remotely interested in guns, then the Cody Firearms Museum is a must-see as it is the most comprehensive firearms museum in the United States. The exhibits are extremely well designed and there are a lot of fascinating themes such as the science and art of firearms as well as the more obvious historical and military associations. This museum is probably more appropriate for older kids, but certainly still worth a wander through with littles. This was my husband’s favorite museum of the five.
The Whitney Western Art Museum houses incredible examples of both historic and contemporary western art. They also offer a family guide with suggested activities to do with your kids. Since the original exploration of the West, art has played an important role in capturing and sharing its landscape, animals, and people. I particularly liked the contemporary depictions of Yellowstone as compared to nineteenth-century interpretations. This was my favorite museum of the five.
The Buffalo Bill Museum tells the story of its namesake along with other famous characters of the Wild West such as Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull, and Pawnee Bill. Anyone with any kind of interest in cowboys and cowgirls will love this museum.
The Plains Indian Museum explores the culture, history, and living traditions of the Plains Indian people. There are some wonderfully dramatic installations in this museum along with fascinating artifacts. We probably spent the least amount of time here, but only because we did it last and we were starting to lose energy! A particularly memorable exhibit was the Buffalo Hide Nez Perce Tipi, although I had to stop my 3yo from hopping the stanchions to explore inside.
The Center for the West is kinda pricey at $19.75 for adults and $13.25 for kids 6 and up, BUT the admission tickets are good for two days and there’s so much to explore that it’s absolutely worth it. Admission also includes special exhibitions, the saddle shop, a daily raptor show, and a great children’s playground (currently closed because of COVID). In the summer, you can add horse rides and chuckwagon dinners to your experience.
I love museums and think kids benefit from spending time in them. I highly recommend the Center for the West as a great family destination in Cody, Wyoming, just one hour from Yellowstone’s east entrance.
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