Book A Trip
EXPLORE THE TOP 10
LUXURIOUS TOP 10
FAMILY TRAVEL IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
ESCAPE FROM SEATTLE
HISTORIC TRAILS
Join The Club
Home > The Drives > Circle the Continental Divide Driving Tour > Key Landmarks & Attractions > Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is known as the Smithsonian of the West. This 300,000 square foot complex which houses five separate museums including the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Cody Firearms Museum and the Draper Museum of Natural History. The five museums under one roof: (1) The Buffalo Bill Museum examines both the personal and public lives of W.F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, seeking to interpret his story within the context of the history and myth of the American West. (2) The Whitney Gallery of Western Art presents an outstanding collection of masterworks of the American West. Original paintings, sculptures, and prints trace artistic interpretations of the West from the early 19th century to today. (3) The Plains Indian Museum features one of the country's largest and finest collections of Plains Indian art and artifacts. Explore the cultural histories, artistry, and living traditions of Plains Indian peoples -- including the Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Blackfeet, Sioux, Gros Ventre, Shoshone, and Pawnee. (4) The Cody Firearms Museum contains the world's most comprehensive assemblage of American arms, as well as European arms dating to the 16th century. (5) The Draper Museum of Natural History integrates the humanities with natural sciences to interpret the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and adjacent intermountain basins. (6) The Harold McCracken Research Library advances the understanding, appreciation, and study of the American West.
