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The grand opening of the redesigned Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming, unveils a fascinating study of the life of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.
William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody with rifle and saddle, ca. 1900. Photograph hand-colored by Adolf Spohr, 1958. Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming. Gift of Richard I. Frost. P.69.1483.
The Wild West is back on June 15 in Cody, Wyoming. At the Buffalo Bill Historical Center’s grand opening of the Buffalo Bill Museum, you can get up close and personal with the man himself. Upon entering the completely renovated and redesigned space, you are greeted by a heliodisplay (think hologram) presentation of Dr. Peter K. Simpson as William F. Cody welcoming you to venture back with him to the American West (see video below). Trust him, you’ll feel right at home in the past -- skinned lodgepole pine columns and colors derived from analyses of Frederic Remington’s Wyoming landscape paintings give the museum’s fourth reincarnation the feel of Cody's time and place.
Artifact cases address the timeline of Cody’s life, from his boyhood experiences and his time with the Pony Express to his formative years and the outdoor entertainment spectacle we all know as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. Captivating North America and Europe with his live production for 30 years, Cody helped define how we interpret the settlement of the American West. See all sorts of artifacts from the legendary Wild West show, including Buffalo Bill’s performance outfit and saddle, the Deadwood stagecoach used in performances, and several of Annie Oakley’s firearms. And archival film footage reveals an actual production of the show, featuring a rare clip of Cody’s voice as he introduces “The Congress of the Rough Riders of the World.”
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is hopeful that the new museum will continue Cody’s legacy. “Buffalo Bill spent a good part of his life teaching and showing the West to people around the world,” says executive director Bruce Eldredge, “He took the West to them; now, with the help of the newly installed Buffalo Bill Museum, he is still doing it today.”
Visit Cody this summer and dive into this extensive examination of one of the most iconic figures of the American West. For more information, call 307.587.4771 or visit www.bbhc.org.
