Buffalo Bill’s Cody/Yellowstone Country The Northwest region of Wyoming offers visitors a reflection of life in the Old West. It has a thriving cowboy culture, Native American history and spectacular landscapes which both challenged the rugged fortitude of early settlers and inspired the formation of the National Park Service. This is one of the most traveled regions in the state and Cody is at its center. Many attractions in Cody offer insights to the natural and cultural history of the area. Here are a few examples. Cody Trolley Tours offers visitors an informative and entertaining overview of city sights, history, and lore. The one-hour tour travels 22 miles and covers 100 years of history. Each trolley has two guides offering an ongoing banter about local personalities, past and present, and share with visitors their collection of historic photos, artifacts and memorabilia.

Tecumseh’s Old West Village offers visitors a variety of experiences. Its Trading Post has a large selection of goods including its signature handcrafted leather garments that are fashioned in traditional old west and Native American styles. The Native American collections include pottery and ceremonial items of the Plains Indians and wool goods (blankets and jackets) made in the Hudson- Bay style. The Old West Miniature Village and Museum traces the history of Wyoming and Montana from the 1600s to the late 1890s. Dioramas and other displays have Western and Native American artifacts, wildlife mounts, guns and fur trader memorabilia.

Just six miles west of Cody, Wyoming, is the Buffalo Bill Dam. It is the perfect place to stop off if you are on your way to the Yellowstone National Park as it is just past the tunnels. The park opened in May 1993 as a rest area and visitor center and was converted into the Buffalo Bill Dam Park. The exhibits and displays are enjoyable and interesting and they will certainly provide some historical information worth knowing. The park is just a few minutes away from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center that is home of the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Cody Firearms Museum, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, The Plains Indian Museum, and also the Draper Museum of Natural History.

Most people don’t make Buffalo Bill Dam their target for a vacation; however it is a great place to visit when you are already in the area to go to Yellowstone National Park. There are a lot of great places like that which are close to another vacation destination but since they aren’t as popular they don’t get as much attention. So, next time you are on vacation consider what’s around you other than the place you are visiting because you just might notice that you have been missing out on a lot! The Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming is open Monday through Saturday from 8 am until 6 pm and Sunday 10 am until 6 pm the months of May and September and during the months of June, July, and August it is open Monday through Friday 8 am until 8 pm, Saturday 8 am until 6 pm and Sunday 10 am until 6 pm. Pretty much any time you are driving through the tunnels on your way to or home from Yellowstone national Park you can take a break to see what Buffalo Bill Dam has to offer. If not, you can always come back another day. It won’t take too much time and it is certainly not out of the way, but it is worth checking out when you are in this part of Wyoming .