Cody, Wyoming

Cody, Wyoming is a short 2-hour drive from Billings.  Thirty years ago (or maybe more heh heh), I was at the Buffalo Bill and White Plains Indians Museum there and thought it was awe-inspiring then.  Today it is called the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and they have only made it better since the 70s.  (Okay, I just busted myself.  Thirty years ago was 1981.) Anyway, here are some pictures:

A real Buffalo Coat.  I'll bet it weighed a ton.

                                                                                         

 There were many lovely sculptures, both inside and outside in the gardens.  My apologies to the artists whose names I did not write down.  Some, like the one above of the horse and rider, had quotes about what inspired the artists.  

Crazy Horse is depicted in the garden.

The horse sculpture below was first made with wood and only then cast - in bronze?  I'm not sure but it is cast.

 

 

Above is a replica of Frederic Remington's studio.  They had quite a few original Remington paintings at the Museum.  It was a thrill to see them.  Also originals by Charlie Russell, N.C. Wyeth, Russell Chatham, and we learned about other artists like Joseph Henry Sharp, 

and so many more.  I've never been a big fan of "Western Art" but this was the cream of the crop and I've changed my mind.

There is also a huge gallery given over to firearms - I think it's the world's largest collection.  It was mildly interesting to me.  Below, Brian's looking at Theodore Roosevelt's rifle.

 

Here's the pistol and gunbelt "Hoss" wore on "Bonanza."  They also had Lorne Greene's and Michael Landon's gunbelts and pistols.  I thought of Dawn Brennan watching reruns of Bonanza...

  

...and I thought of Dawn again when I saw this vest which is entirely covered with small beads.  The picture doesn't convey the craftmanship.

There were so many things like this to see - there are actually five different museums within this Historical Center.  There's the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indians Museum and art, Firearms section, and a museum for Greater Yellowstone Natural History which we were too tired to explore.  There is also the McCracken Research Library in the basement.  Admission isn't cheap but it's worth it - and it's good for two days.