Vacations Blog

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY, features “five museums under one roof”.

The Whitney Gallery of Western Art is a large gallery featuring paintings and artwork of historic and modern western scenes, landscapes, and wildlife. It’s currently featuring Thomas Moran’s massive “Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” (8 feet high and 14 feet long), on loan from the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum.

The Cody Firearms Museum houses “the most comprehensive assemblage of American firearms in the world”. It is a vast collection of firearms ranging from the onset of ancient weaponry through to modern times. There are currently more than six thousand weapons on display, and another five thousand items related to weaponry.

The Plains Indian Museum is resplendent with displays, artifacts, and demonstrations related to the history and culture of the Plains Indians. The majority of the collection features items from 1880-1930, and tells a vivid tale of the transition from plains to reservation life.

The Draper Museum of Natural History describes the natural history of Yellowstone County and surrounding areas. It features local wildlife displays, biological and geological studies of Yellowstone National Park, and combines exhibits and educational programming to enrich the experience for visiting youngsters.

Finally, the Buffalo Bill Museum offers a fascinating look into the life and times of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. This legendary fixture in American history and Wild West culture comes to life in a vast collection of photos, maps, personal items, clothing, and recreated scenes. Visitors gain an invaluable insight into what it was like to live in the Western US in the 1800’s, when settlers arrived in droves to discover the west and participate in the gold rush.

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is located at 720 Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming. Entrance fees are $15 for adults (bring your AAA card and save!), $13 for students (aged 13-17, or 18+ with college ID), $10 for youths, children under five are free, and a Family Rate (1 or 2 adults w/children 17 & under living in the same household) is $45. The single entrance fee gives you access into all five museums. Refreshments are available at the on-site Mustang Grill and Pony Express-o. Hours vary by season, so be sure to check the schedule.

Photo Credits (all): Laura Charon.

The Santa Clarita Valley is just over the side of the Santa Monica Mountains that form the north ridge around Los Angeles, where “the valley” actually means the San Fernando Valley, and Santa Clarita is a place that people hear of and say “What?  Where’s THAT?”  It’s pretty much famous among locals for Magic Mountain and housing subdivisions and really, really bad traffic when there’s an accident on I-5.

You may have actually seen the SCV more times than you realize, however.  Calling itself “Hollywood’s Backlot,” the area is home to many sound stages and faux-western town sets, and its rugged rocky desert terrain makes it a perfect stand-in for places from Vegas to Afghanistan.  One of these locations is Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio, which is also the setting for the 16th Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, happening this weekend, today through April 26.  

Daily tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids ages 3-11, free for under 3, and weekend passes are $30 and $15.  Attractions and events include tours of the ranch, cowboy poetry, music, roping shows, old-timey medicine man shows, and even something called “Cowboy Church.”

Photos from Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival and Melody Ranch