Buffalo Bill Center of the West

I visited the Buffalo Bill Center of the West recently, and it far exceeded my expectations. I originally came for the Firearms Museum, since my son is deeply interested in the history and mechanics of firearms, and I was blown away by the depth, organization, and sheer scale of the collection. You could spend hours in just that one wing, it’s a world-class archive of American firearm history, and it doesn’t shy away from the technical, cultural, and ethical complexities. The other museums are equally compelling. Each one feels like a complete experience, whether you’re exploring Plains Indian culture, the Draper Natural History Museum, or the Whitney Western Art Museum. You can tell that the curators care about nuance and authenticity. The entire center gives space to both the mythology of the West and the realities, honoring Indigenous history while acknowledging the contradictions of frontier life. I’m a member, and my experience with the staff was mixed. Some staff members were helpful, others seemed disengaged. Still, the campus is well laid out: clean, clearly labeled, and easy to navigate. I also appreciated having a comfortable snack area and coffee shop on site. It’s a great place to take a break between museums, especially if you’re spending a full day exploring. The educational programs and volunteer opportunities are another plus, reflecting the center’s broader commitment to learning and community. Whether you’re a history buff, an art lover, or traveling with family, this center offers something rich and meaningful. If you’re anywhere near Cody, Wyoming, don’t miss it. It’s not just a museum, it’s a place that invites you to think, feel, and engage with the complicated history of the American West.

This is a fantastic museum! Your ticket is good for 2 days. It's several museums in 1 spot. Make sure you look for the box with the embosser for a unique keepsake. It stamps a seal on your booklet at different stations. The men will even love this stop, it has a great firearms museum. Must see if you come thru Cody.

This was one of the most informative museums I have been to in a long time! What a find! So much information on. Buffalo Bill and Wyoming history! You could spend a whole day here! The gun exhibit is absolutely incredible. Hundreds if not thousands of vintage and modern weapons that were used. Fascinating to watch and learn the history of them. What an incredible collection. The art exhibits are fantastic with some oil paintings you mistake for a photo. The details are incredible. Its clean, organized and so quiet for a nice stroll to learn something new. They have a cafeteria and great options for your whole family even a salad bar with plenty of seating! Refillable drinks, coffee, snacks.... and even an outdoor playground when the kids get restless. An absolute gem!

Loved this place!! It was so cool! Lots of history and enjoyed a lot of the exhibits. They have a g*n exhibit that was huge if you’re into that sort of thing. Lots of indigenous art, paintings, period pieces and biology lessons. Would go back to spend more time if I could! We spent about 2 hours but could have stayed longer.

Wow, this place is amazing. There are several exhibitions, the art, the buffalo bill and the firearm sections were my favorites. These were impressive. The native American section is nice but is limited, I have been to the Smithsonian one in the national Mall and it is much better.

Very nice museum(s). The different areas were well put together and everything was so clean and well lit. They have done a great job! Take 2 days to see it all...

These museums were amazing! We took part in the scavenger hunt, and it made our experience that much more enjoyable. There was a raptor experience, and we enjoyed playing "Fact or Fowl." This full day experience was absolutely worth the price of admission.

This is a massive museum complex, so many different things to see. Honestly, I don’t know how you could do it all in one day, but it’s definitely worth stopping in for the time that you do have. You can learn so much and see so many neat things. Highly recommend for all ages. There is definitely something for everyone here. We also were lucky enough to finally see the chuck wagon in action and enjoyed trying the beans and sourdough biscuits, Which were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend this museum for anyone in the area.

Outstanding museum dedicated to the American West when it was wild and wooley. Staff that I interacted with were all friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. This place is huge with lots to look at and explore. Admission is good for two days, which most people won't need, but it's good to take as much time as you like. I've visited this place several times since the early 70's. They seem to always be improving and expanding. Cody has a gem in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West

What a great place to visit when in Cody WY! Alot of artifacts and antique pieces, including a firearms museum. History is preserved well here for everyone to review. Family friendly and priced reasonable. Also includes a bird sanctuary among many other things.

This was the best western museum I've been to. There's good ones and then there's the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. I was simply taken back by the amount of history they had in there. This is a must stop if you are in Cody Wyoming.

Spend the whole day! There is so much to see, so many exhibits, lots to learn. I unfortunately didn't have time to make it through all of the exhibits, but I would love to go back someday. I'm not really a "museum person" but I thoroughly enjoyed wandering through here. A must see!

I would give more than 5 stars if I could. This museum is quite impressive. I love Old West history and Annie Oakley, so Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show has always been of interest to me. This museum does a great job teaching about Buffalo Bill Cody's life before, during, and after the Wild West Show. Both his failings and accomplishments are discussed. There is a large screen where they show actual footage from the show. They also have original equipment, posters, and pictures. We most enjoyed the information and artifacts regarding Annie Oakley and our favorite thing was seeing some of the actual guns used by Annie Oakley during the Wild West Show! I believe they have every gun ever made in this museum. There is a gun library, which is quite amazing. There are tons of pull out drawers full of guns protected by glass. They also have 2 shooting galleries...one modern and one vintage. We played the vintage one and that was fun. What surprised me was that this museum isn't just about Buffalo Bill and the Wild West Show. There is a western art museum, a raptor exhibit, and a huge museum about the flora, fauna, geology, and history of the Yellowstone/Cody region. If you are in Cody, do not miss this museum. Due to time constraints, we almost didn't visit...I'm so glad we didn't skip this!

What a great experience. I made a trip out to Yellowstone and decided to make a side trip to Cody to visit this place I'm so glad I did The Buffalo Bill Center exceeded my expectations. It's big, it's modern, it's loaded with western history and artifacts The firearms collection is amazing it's huge and you will see some on the most unusual guns ever created in addition They have guns owned by Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, and Teddy Roosevelt. It's loaded with western art, Native American artifacts, and military history. I spent the entire day wandering around. In addition they had some interesting Hollywood firearms like Gary Cooper's Colt from High Noon, and Jimmy Stewart's Winchester from Winchester 73. The other great experience you can try here is dinner at the outdoor chuck wagon Right out front there was on old cowboy chef next to a big chuck wagon getting ready to cook dinner Great experience and the food was good but make sure you sign up ahead of time for the meal space is limited. On top of all that, the drive from Cody to the Yellowstone Park the next morning takes you through some fantastic scenery. All in all this was a great experience and if you are into Western history at all or just want to experience a bit of the Old West, The Buffalo Bill Center is a great place to stop at if you are heading out to Yellowstone

Make plans to tour this place with comfortable walking shoes and at least two days. The good news: your paid admission is good for two days. There is something for everyone: the nature lover, those who appreciate art, and a firearms exhibit which is stunning in its numbers and variety of guns throughout history.

Stopped here right as we entered Cody, WY. We stayed around 3 hours. I skipped the gun part of museum. There is a replica of Buffalo Bill Cody's boyhood home outside. There is a film about Buffalo Bill. The museum didn't portray him as a faithful husband. Two of his kids passed away. The injured eagle outside was cool but sad to see as it has an injured wing and can't be released to the wild. Stuffed taxidermied bison were inside. An overpriced gift shop was inside.

I had no idea about this place and saw it online for things to do in Cody. It was amazing. The lady actually waived my fee since I'm a science teacher. I really loved that. I would have still paid but not expecting it at all. The museum took hours. SO much detail. I loved it.

Amazing museum with Smithsonian quality displays. Something for everyone from old west aficionados, art lovers, wild life enthusiasts and gun lovers.

Holy cow is this museum big! After getting our admission for a fair price we explored the nature side of the museum that was jam packed with eye catching, interesting and knowledge filled exhibits. This continued with the buffalo bill wing of the building. The museum also host birds from a wildlife rescue center that puts on a show to teach about the magnificent birds. This museum in huge and couldn't make it through all of it but cant wait to see it again

What is not to Love about the Buffalo Bill Center? It is awesome the tickets are good for two days in a row for all five (5) museums under the one roof. This is a must see location for visitors and locals alike. The art museum has a stunning collection. The firearms museum has more pieces than can be displayed. The natural history/ Draper museum is absolutely amazing! ***Treasure hunt assignment: how did Heart Mountain become/get to where it is today?! Hint: answer is in the natural history museum. There is something for everyone at the Buffalo Bill Center. Even a restaurant that has a wide selection of food at family friendly prices. You will be delighted you visited the Buffalo Bill Center. Welcome to Cody Wyoming now stay a while.

This is a MUST see. Put aside two days if you can. The ticket is good for two visits. Amazing place. Firearms collection is mind blowing. The historical western, wildlife, and geological items in the collection were great. So glad that we made this a priority on pit visit to Cody. You don't want to miss this.

Everything they had was phenomenal. 100% would recommend. The firearms museum was HUGE and beautifully organized and displayed, the art was breathtaking, and the natural history area is very immersive. The Buffalo Bill portion has amazing bits of history and information that I never would have known about otherwise. They also had a raptor show that showcased local birds, providing education to the public about them and also providing care for birds that would have died in the wild. Their Fact of Fowl show was awesome.

Awesome facility guys. I would go again. So much to see, my legs were aching by the time I left.

Amazing experience! One of the best western history museums anywhere!!! Love the Bill Cody section. A must see if you are in the area!

This museum is like four museums in one! Whoa! First there's the Buffalo Bill Museum. Here, you get to learn about the history of the man himself. The guy whose legend was bigger than the man himself. Buffalo Bill Cody lived the life. He met the Queen of England when he put on an old west show! His show would travel the land, setting up to stun the people. He even had a huge show in NYC where he dazzled those Yankees with his horse skills and shooting demonstrations. Then there's the Native American art museum, with a great wide selection of Native American arts, from across the plains and the southwest. They had the art shown differently than other Tribal museums I've been to. This one would show something like dance gear, and show all the tribes' art together, instead of other broad based Indian museums sorting the museum by tribe. It was sorted by the item, not the origin, I guess you could say. This was the best museum if you ask me. They've gone to great lengths to show great examples of the pieces, and the plight of the Indians after the ration coupons were issued to the tribe once the Government cut off their resources and made them reliant on Uncle Sam. It showed stuff from the Trail of Tears, and highlighted how the US Government interacted with the tribes, and how it impacted their artwork. I was amazed by the depth of the art, how well the pieces were described into detail about the story behind the artwork. Ok, the next section was the area's natural history. It had lots of taxidermied animals from the area, arranged as you'd see them in the wild. It showed info on how they live, breed, where they go in the winter. It was fantastically done, all on an incline that walks you down to the basement where the exhibit opens up. Then there's the gun museum. They claim that this is one of the biggest gun displays out there. I'm from Texas, where we take pride in our guns. This is a lot of guns. They have guns sorted by war- military weapons from WWII, the Korean War- many in these pull out drawers, where you can get a closer look at the guns. They have so many guns they had to get innovative about how to store them since they ran out of room to display them! They have the crazy guns that make you wonder- one that shoots in 4 directions at once, a 3D printed gun, ones that fit in the palm of a lady's hand. There's a shooting gallery, but it shoots lasers. You can learn about rifling in the barrels, and different trigger styles. Cool! Pew Pew! Then there's Contemporary Art- this was a great display of different media focusing on the American West- art that depicts things in the area. There were paintings from modern day cowboys and drawings from modern day Indians. It was really quite moving to see the paintings from Yellowstone's Artist Point, when we had just visited there. The gift shop was huge. There's a wide selection of books and knicknacks, since there's so many museums, there's a big gift shop. The museum did a great job of highlighting the names of the artists and titles of the art we were looking at. The staff hung out and kept to themselves. The museum was clean and brightly lit. Parking was easy. Great museum.

Wow. Five hours wasn't long enough to see all five museums in this building--fine art, Great Plains Indians, natural history, Buffalo Bill, and guns. The displays were fantastic. The employees were super friendly and informative. It cost about $19 per adult; admission is good for two days, so hang on to your receipt. They actually had comfortable chairs and couches instead of hard benches to relax and look at the art. There was a nice cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, a playground, children's art area, teen area, several bathrooms, and a great gift shop. They had art for sale too.

5 museums in one. Loved this history. Very clean, informative. So much to see and take in. I WOULD recommend.

Omg the birds!!! I loved the educational bird show. I didn't have time to go to all of the exhibits, but I spent hours at the Museum and only saw the bird show, the Native exhibit, and the gun museum. I'm sure you could spend hours there, maybe split up the museum into a couple of days. And the gift shop is another hour of looking around. Locals get a discount to enter. Will be returning one day.

The Buffalo Bill Center Of The West in Cody, Wyoming is known as the Smithsonian of the West. This museum is amazing. It is actually 5 museums in one. Your price of admission will include 2 days entrance. Trust me you will need 2 days. We only went for 1 day because we were on a time schedule but I definitely would've returned. Keep in mind that the 2 day ticket has to be 2 consecutive days. There are art masterpieces at The Whitney Western Art Museum as well as sculptures, the Plains Indian Museum, the world-renowned Cody Firearms Museum which has recently undergone a renovation. The Firearms Museum has the largest Firearms collection in the world. You could spend all day just looking at all the Firearms. There is The Draper Natural History Museum. And obviously, you can learn all about the amazing life of Buffalo Bill Cody which is a fascinating story! He led an amazing life and this gallery covers his life and career. There is so much to see and it's all so interesting. It would be difficult to spend a short amount of time in this museum so prepare to spend the day. It's a impressive museum and I recommend seeing it before you tour around Cody or head over to Yellowstone National Park.

Great prices it has five museums in one spot. It a place to look around. They also have a place to eat in there to.

Knowing that this is a Smithsonian Affiliate, we had high expectations and it easily surpassed those. This is really 5 museums in 1 building, and I don't mean just 5 traveling exhibits. We spent several hours the first day in the Cody Firearms Museum, and we don't even own one! It is just an amazing collection exhibited and explained so that novices like us can appreciate the beauty of individual pieces and understand the technological advances for back in the day, to present time. There are some hands on displays and some video clips testing out assumptions of guns used in movie making. We paused for a break before visiting the Whitney Western Art Museum. Again, the range of the pieces is expansive and you needn't be particularly knowledgeable to appreciate what a beautiful collection this is. We weren't up for doing more as we felt our brains were not able to absorb more that day. The admission however, is good for 2 days, as well as being able to come and go on the same day. We hadn't planned to do 2 days of museums but didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to soak it all in, as it's not likely we would be back to Cody any time soon. As luck would have it the next day was brisk and super windy, making outdoor activities less enticing than we'd hoped, so back there we went again. The Buffalo Bill Museum was phenomenal, as was the Draper Natural History Museum which weaves you through exhibits over several levels. Again, the exhibits are wonderfully arranged and easy to understand. Our brain space seemed to max out. Sadly we didn't even get to the one on the Plains Indians and I know we missed out on a treasure. If you had any interest in any of these area, this is a place you don't want to miss! The gift shop also had some truly lovely things related to all the museums and for all age levels.

*Allow AT LEAST two hours. This place is amazing. It's comprised of five museums so the $19.50 (adult) admission is totally reasonable. *Tickets are valid for two consecutive days! This is helpful since most people are in the area to do National Park stuff so they may have limited time to come here within the center's business hours. The Buffalo Bill museum is terrific. Spacious with large exhibits and lots of information. The Whitney Western Art Museum is fantastic as well. So much beautiful, diverse, unique art. There's a firearms museum but I'm not really into guns so I didn't spend much time in there. The Draper Natural History Museum is awesome too. I had no clue there was so much to see so I got there an hour before closing. The Natural History Museum seemed like it just kept going! There was a lot to see but I just didn't have the time. There's also a Plains Indian Museum but I didn't even get a chance to go in. Unfortunately, my time in Cody was rather limited (and focused on Yellowstone) so I didn't have an opportunity to come back. Large gift shop with lots of interesting items. HOURS: May - September 15: 8am - 6pm (Daily) September 16 - October 31: 8am - 5pm (Daily) November: 10am - 5pm (Daily) December - February: 10am - 5pm (Thursday - Sunday) March - April: 10am - 5pm (Daily)

This was a fun place to visit in Cody. There are 5 museums in one building. We didn't even have time to visit all of them. One bonus is your ticket is good for 2 days (within a 7 day period). So if you can't make it through in one day or you want to come back, you amcan for free. My kids really enjoyed reading about different animals and seeing what they look like IRL. They have a wagon train and a lady they explains what the pioneers did all those years ago and how the wagon train worked back then. It was very educational.

While I thought going in, it would Eva cool, small town museum, I was blown away by the sheer magnitude of the place. There are FIVE museums under one roof, each as large and boasting as high-quality production as other museums I've visited in NYC. It's an amazing place, especially the Native American museum. Definitely spend some time here!!!

What an amazing place to explore. Five massive museums all in one place and under one roof. There is the Buffalo Bill museum, the Plains Indian museum, the Cody firearms museum, the Draper Natural History museum and the Whitney Western Art museum. All of that for one ticket price and that ticket is honored for two consecutive days. The museum was a great option on a cold and rainy day in Cody. We were only able to get through two of the museum's in a day and I would say you really need both days of you ticket to do this place justice. I would visit every time I roll through Cody for sure!

Great museum experience at Buffalo Bill Center of the West. It is basically 5 museums in one. Guns, Buffalo Bill, Indian, Art, Western Wildlife. For $20, you get two days to tour the center. We spent three hours there on day one and about 1 hour the 2nd day. For me that is a long time for a museum. Mainly because it is not just an art museum. I can take in the art about as fast as I can walk. The gun museum is awesome. Talking to a curator on the 2nd day, they now have the largest collection of guns in the US. It was nice to get some insight as to how the last year has been for them and it is good to hear things are picking up. Mask policy was just how it should be.

Unique museum--see it if you're in the area if you like museums and are in the area. If you have a special interest in the Old West this is a must-see destination.

This is truly an amazing museum. There are 5 different museums to visit. One of the museums celebrates the life of Bill Cody. Another pays tribute to the American Indian. There is a firearms museum with one of the largest collections of firearms I have ever seen. The displays are life-sized and displayed very nicely. They also have Bill Cody's childhood home on the premises. They call this the Smithsonian of the West and when you walk through you understand why that name is used. It is so impressive you can't just walk through in an hour. They have a really nice gift shop, they have clothing, art work, educational books and CD's that celebrate the WEST. We were there during the COVID-19 pandemic, the only issues we ran into were at the snack bar. While they did not have full services the snack bar was still open. I full recommend this museum, one of the best museums I have ever been to.

This was a fantastic stop! Our admission was good for two days. We will go back tomorrow because there is so much to see. First rate!

Incredible museum couldn't recommend this place more The art and firearms exhibits are absolutely mind blowing and everything else is perfect

Amazing museum. Like every one else pointed out, 4-5 museums in one! Every one has their favorite parts, so it's a great place for almost any one.

What a gem! So much to see and learn. Beautiful exhibits. If you have time, I would recommend spreading your visit over two days. It's a lot for one visit. We will be back!

All I can say is HUGE! Great place to take the family for the day. We were fortunate enough to have a friend who's a Western history buff and got a "personal" informative and educational tour from him. Never knew many of the things we saw even existed and why. Exhibits were wonderfully displayed. You need to visit every square inch of this place!

I wished we'd spent more time here. The exhibits are very well done and very informative. If going, make it a destination. Can't wait to come back again!

This place can keep you busy all day because there's so much to say. Thankfully they have some good food inside to keep you going. If you are a gun enthusiast they have one of the worlds largest collection is here. So many antiques and guns used in all types of wars. Of course there's plenty to learn about Buffalo Bill himself. Also a great exhibit of the Native Americans from the area.

Great place to visit. Hours of interesting entertainment. We could've spent 2 days here.

Worth a stop. Allow severa hours - minimum. The place is huge - with 5 different museums in one. Admission is good for two days. Depending on how much time and interest you have, you might need it to really get the most out of everything. Probably more common is to spend 2.5 to 4 hours - unless you are really interested in something and either have already eaten before arriving or choose to eat at the center's cafeteria. There are exhibits in each section on different levels so be sure to check what else is there upstairs or downstairs - and outside. Even if you are not a firearms enthusiast, you might learn and actually enjoy far more than you expect - which is part of the intention of the collection and they encourage interactive exploration - including severa places to test your shooting (all except for one require additional payment). They also have the largest gun collection in North America which will either fascinate or bore visitors due how many guns they have on display. A research library downstairs will also interest or not appeal to visitors based on their current personal firearm knowledge or usage. If you like western art, they have plenty of that, too. Most people will probably enjoy most the various museum sections devoted to Native Americans, Bill Cody and his Show, and the regional natural history. They have an eagle, several gardens, a pay area for children and Bill Cody's childhood home outside. A variety of statues and walkways also surround the building outside - which has severa entrances. The best place to park is not in the lot but in the shade between the museum and the hospital on the street that dead ends into a circle around a statue of The Scout. Photos are allowed in all but some of the art areas but are supposed to be for personal use only. The also have info about other local attractions and can make reservations for various tours or whatever else might interest and appeal to you while in Cody.

So much to do, so much to see and play and learn. How the Wild West became to what was here thousands of years before us. Guns, art and an interactive natural history auditorium. If you aren't sure if you should come you should. If you are young or old, don't ask "is it worth going?" Just go

I really enjoyed this museum! There's a dude in a chuck wagon out front that cooks and serves skillet corn bread and chili the old fashioned way. He's a nice fellow and will even share his recipe with you. Admission to the museum is about $20 person and you can actually go for 2 consecutive days. The Wild Bill portion of the museum was the most interesting part to me - He's integral to Cody's history and a really progressive guy for his time. I would say a close second was the wild life area. I also enjoyed the art and the gun portion of the museum. They have a ton of guns!!!!!!! The gun game there is pretty fun. I can easily see coming back for a second day, as we didn't hit some stuff, but we didn't really have the time so we didn't. There's a cool garden and cabin on the side that wasn't open so we missed that.

I was skeptical about the cost ($70+ for 2 adults and 2 kids), but it was well worth the cost! The scavenger hunt in each area helped the kids to engage in the exhibits. The artwork was gorgeous and represented different styles and eras throughout western US history. The natural history area and Native American museum help the kids understand the history of the area we were seeing throughout our trip. The staff was also helpful with recommendations for local spots to eat. We needed every minute of the 3 hours we had to see most of the exhibits.

Amazing interactive history for all ages. Informative programs and classy events as well.

Great food and great staff definitely recommend their buffet but anything you get there you won't go wrong.

Cool place. Just don't let the gift shop lady roll any prints for you. Completely creased ours and acted surprised I would mention it. Made no offer to rectify the situation.

If you like the Wild West, this museum is rifled with history (pun intended). What a gun museum too with thousands of guns on display from every Era. The museum is filled with antiques from the Buffalo Bill period. We'll worth the visit. Over 7 acres of history rolled into one facility. Wear good shoes, you'll be doing alot of walking.

Cool place! Awesome museum about nature and West. Perfect fun place for both kids and adults. Highly recommended!!!

A great representation of history we often don't get to see. It was awesome to get the Buffalo Bill history as well as Native American history, though this one is embarrassing to me as a "white" person. I offer my apologies to this beautiful culture for the way they were treated by the "white man". I cherish everything I have learned and will pass it along. My ex father in law was part Native American and I enjoyed the way he spoke of his heritage. Whenever I have the opportunity, I also support it

5 great museums in one! The Native American wing was extremely interesting and presented a balanced view of their history and mistreatment by the US. We also enjoyed the Buffalo Bill Cody wing and natural history museum. We did not have enough time to visit the firearms or art wing.