Buffalo Bill Historical Center

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The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a complex of museums displaying artifacts and art of the American West located in Cody, Wyoming.

The museums include the Buffalo Bill Museum, which features general western articles and historical items that help tell the story of W. F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's life. A large amount of background and historical information is provided so as to put his life into context with what was going on in the country, especially out west, at that time.

The Plains Indians Museum featuring exhibits related to the culture and people of Wyoming's Native American tribes. There is a large collection of artifacts and informative exhibits.

The Whitney Gallery of Western Art features paintings and sculptures having to do with the theme of the American west. There are many original works by painter and sculptor Frederic Remington, and a lifesize replica of the home in which Remington did most of his artwork. Other classic Western artists include George Catlin, Alfred Jacob Miller, Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, Charles M. Russell, Alexander Phimister Proctor, W.R. Leigh, Joseph Henry Sharp and N.C. Wyeth. More contemporary Western artists include Harry Jackson, James Bama, Deborah Butterfield and Fritz Scholder.

The Cody Firearms Museum houses the most comprehensive collection of American firearms in the world. ^[1] The collection includes firearms ranging from a 16th Century hand cannon to guns of modern manufacture. The museum includes guns from almost every significant gun manufacturer in the world. The largest collection of DuBiel Arms Company rifles in the US today is owned by this museum. ^[2]

The most recent addition to the Historical Center is The Draper Museum of Natural History, which opened on June 4, 2002. It is the first American natural history museum to be opened in the twenty-first century. ^[3] Its purpose is to provide information about the greater Yellowstone area. There are many different types of exhibits including videos, natural history dioramas and photography.