The town’s Western vibe is evident everywhere you look — from the rugged landscape to the charming shops that line Sheridan Avenue, and that’s just the way Buffalo Bill would have wanted it. Founded in 1896, the town of Cody was always meant to be a tourist destination. Buffalo Bill, whose Wild West Show had made him the most famous man in the world, chose the town site because it was rich in resources and close to Yellowstone National Park.
There’s very little that is contrived here in this idyllic corner of northwestern Wyoming.
Unless you count the zany summertime performances of the Wild Bunch Gunfighters. Comprised of enthusiastic locals who are admittedly not quite ready for prime time, these campy nightly skits performed on the street in front of the Irma Hotel are loose reenactments of Wild West scenes. The performances are interjected with corny Dad jokes that will make even the grumpiest members of the audience crack a smile.
As the Rodeo Capital of the World, Cody is the only destination in the U.S. that stages a nightly summer-season rodeo. The Cody Nite Rodeo’s roots are deeply planted in the West. Early rodeo performances were staged by cowboys and ranchers seeking to improve their skills and entertain their colleagues during those rare occasions they had time off from cowboying and ranching.
With 27 historic buildings, including school rooms, general stores, and even Butch Cassidy’s hideout – the Hole in the Wall Cabin – visiting Old Trail Town & Museum of the West feels like taking a step back in time.
Dude and guest ranches started right here in Wyoming when West-curious Easterners signed up to vacation by working on the region’s ranches. Those enthusiastic Easterners were called “dudes” by the owners of the ranchers. Cody Yellowstone is home to more than 15 ranches where guests can spend their days enjoying horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and enjoying the Western vibe.
There are five museums under one roof at Buffalo Bill Center of the West in downtown Cody. Here, you can see paintings by the Western artist Charles Russell, a famous sculpture of Buffalo Bill Cody astride his steed, artifacts from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, exhibits of wildlife that wander the region, Winchester rifles, and collectibles and artifacts showing the lives of Plains Indians who have lived in the region for thousands of years.
Located in the center of town, The Irma Hotel was built by Buffalo Bill Cody in 1902. Buffalo Bill named the hotel after his daughter Irma. The hotel’s classic Western décor has been maintained, so guests feel as if they’ve entered another era. Visitors can even enjoy a beverage at a room-long bar that was gifted to Buffalo Bill by England’s Queen Victoria after he performed his Wild West show for the queen and an entourage.
The lovely boutique Chamberlin Inn was developed and operated by Agnes Chamberlin, once an employee at Buffalo Bill’s Cody Enterprise newspaper. Beautifully restored and operated today with Cody’s most discerning travelers in mind, the Chamberlin Inn has hosted famous guests like Ernest Hemingway and Prince Albert of Monaco.