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The city of Cody, Wyoming, is a gateway to Yellowstone National Park and the self-proclaimed Rodeo Capital of the World.
Overview of Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming, was founded in 1896 and is named after its principal founder, the legendary Wild West showman Buffalo Bill Cody (1846–1917). He had passed through the area in 1870 and was impressed by its natural beauty and proximity to Yellowstone. With a group of partners, he organized the Shoshone Land and Irrigation Company to develop agriculture, ranching, and a settlement.
In 1899, Buffalo Bill established the Cody Enterprise, a newspaper that helped promote the town and region. Cody was incorporated as a city in 1901, around the same time the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad arrived to bring tourists into Yellowstone National Park.
Today, Cody makes a great stop before or after exploring Yellowstone. From the world-class Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the Cody Stampede Rodeo to outdoor recreation and Western heritage, it has plenty of interesting activities to keep you busy.
Personally, I feel my time there was limited because we arrived a bit later in the day than we had hoped, but we were still able to get a nice feel for the town.
Sheridan Avenue
Most of the action is along Sheridan Avenue, where you’ll find all kinds of entertainment, restaurants, shopping, and accommodation.
Irma Hotel
The historic Irma Hotel, at the center of Sheridan Avenue, was opened by none other than Buffalo Bill himself back on November 1, 1902. He named it after his youngest daughter, Irma, and it was built to accommodate businessmen, hunters, and travelers from all over the world on their way to see Yellowstone National Park.
Buffalo Bill was forced to turn over the hotel to his wife Louisa in 1913 — he was under financial pressure from creditors at the time. The hotel went into foreclosure after his death in 1917 and was sold to Barney Link, who sold it back to Lousia at the end of the year. She kept it until her death in 1925, when Henry and Pearl Newell took over.
The Newells expanded the hotel and built an annex on the west side in 1930 to accommodate automobile travelers. Henry died in 1940, and Pearl ran the hotel until her death in 1965.
The Irma still operates today and is a throwback to the Wild West, containing many of its original furnishings. One of the highlights is the bar in the saloon, made of cherry and gifted by Queen Victoria.
Cody Gunfighters
During summer evenings, the Cody Gunfighters stage an entertaining Wild West gunfight outside the porch of the Irma Hotel. It’s a great chance to see legends such as Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickock (1837–1876), Annie Oakley (1860–1926), Butch Cassidy (1866–1908), Doc Holliday (1851–1887), and Wyatt Earp (1848–1929) in action for yourself.
30-minute shows take place at 6pm daily, except Sundays, from June through September, rotating four different performances throughout the season. They’re free to watch but you can call ahead and reserve a seat for $3 (as of January 2026) to get the best view of the action. Otherwise, there’s limited seating at picnic tables, curbs, and rock walls. Crowds often swell to over 500, so get there early for a good spot.
Cody Dug Up Gun Museum
The Cody Dug Up Gun Museum displays a unique collection of guns and other weapons from different periods in history. Hans Kurth and Eva Szkultecki moved to Cody from their native Canada, opening the museum to the public in May 2009. Their lifelong collection boasts over 1,300 pieces, including rare firearms such as 1860 Henry rifles and 1873 Colt Single Action Army revolvers. The museum is open daily from May through September, and admission is by donation only (as of January 2026).
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
At the west end of Sheridan Avenue, you’ll find the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, one of the finest museums in the country. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, it’s dedicated to telling the story of the American West.
The Buffalo Bill Center is actually five world-class museums in one. Admission is $23 for adults, $22 for seniors, $21 for students, $16 for kids age 6-17, and free for kids under 6 and active U.S. military personnel (as of April 2025). It’s open daily from March through November and Thursday to Sunday from December through February.
I was blown away at the amount of things to see and the museum’s overall quality. I allotted just a couple hours but it warrants much more. At the very least, I recommended a half day to fully appreciate what the Buffalo Bill Center has to offer — it’s a real treasure.
Buffalo Bill Museum
The Buffalo Bill Museum is the flagship of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, documenting the life of iconic American hero and Wild West showman Buffalo Bill Cody.
On display are personal effects of the legend including his clothing, guns, saddle, and beer stein, along with “Camp Monaco”, a tent used by Cody on a hunting trip with the Prince Albert I of Monaco (1848–1922) in 1913. His relationship with Native Americans is also covered.
Exhibits include several artifacts from his touring Wild West show. Cody’s field tent — equipped with an office and bedroom — and sharpshooter Annie Oakley’s clothes and gun are just a few items on display.
Posters illustrate scenes from the show, while maps pinpoint where shows took place, highlighting its popularity in North America and Europe. A scale model displays the setup.
Another section contains artifacts from the early days of the Irma Hotel, including dinnerware and a “wheel of fortune”.
A couple more artifacts include a Pony Express saddle, documenting Cody’s relationship with the outfit, as well as Wild Bill Hickok’s revolver and holster.
Plains Indian Museum
The Plains Indian Museum beautifully showcases the history, culture, and traditions of the Plains Indians in several captivating displays including artifacts such as clothing, ceremonial items, weapons and art.
First, the Land of Many Gifts gallery highlights the contributions of women in the Plains societies, including social roles and economic functions. The centerpiece is an Absaroke Ashtáale (Crow Lodge or Tipi).
The Tsistsistas (Cheyenne) Migration gallery chronicles a 19th-century Cheyenne family on their seasonal travels. It delves into trade and the ability to use the resources of the Plains during these migrations.
In the Buffalo and the People gallery, you’ll learn about the economic and spiritual importance of the buffalo to the Natives of the Plains. Hunting, warfare, men’s art, trade, and practical uses of buffalo are highlighted. In the center you’ll see men’s buffalo horn bonnets from the Northern Plains and a Mandan buffalo dance mask.
The Honor and Celebration gallery features the ceremonial life of the Plains, from past to present. Displays on sacred women’s arts such as quilling and beadwork, and men’s roles as warriors, leaders, and healers, are included, as is the sacred Sun Dance.
The fifth and final gallery is Adversity and Renewal, which covers the changes that have taken place in the cultures of the Plains people since being placed on reservations in the late 19th century.
In the center is a reproduction of the 1911 log house belonging to Standing Bear of the Oglala Lakota, in the Wounded Knee District of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
Draper Natural History Museum
The Draper Natural History Museum is dedicated to the ecology and wildlife of Yellowstone National Park. With hands-on displays and specimens in lifelike settings, it’s a wonderful introduction to the park. Even for those who have visited Yellowstone, there’s a lot to learn from this museum.
Cody Firearms Museum
The interesting Cody Firearms Museum features over 4,000 firearms and 10,000 artifacts spanning the 15th century to the present. Guns from just about every war the United States has participated in as well as guns from foreign wars are on display.
American gun manufacturers, such as Colt, Winchester, and Smith & Wesson, each have their own displays. The Winchester revolver experiment is also covered.
A replica gun factory and hardware store show how guns are designed and made, and you can even see some guns used in Western movies and TV shows.
In the basement, international firearms are displayed in cases and drawers. A few national treasures are there as well, including a huge Swiss Army-style folding knife complete with a .22 caliber revolver — made 12 years before the Swiss Army knife was even invented! Another important firearm is a hunting rifle made for Catherine the Great of Russia.
Whitney Western Art Museum
The Whitney Western Art Museum is where I spent the least amount of time. Nonetheless, it features some beautiful paintings and sculptures. The most interesting section for me was Rough Rider, a disassembled sculpture of Theodore Roosevelt.
Garden
The garden behind the building contains sculptures of Native Americans, including Crazy Horse (c. 1840–1877). They were made by Richard V. Greeves (1935–2022).
Old Trail Town
Old Trail Town, on the west side of Cody, features a collection of historic 1890s frontier buildings from all over Wyoming. Interestingly, this is where Buffalo Bill laid out the original townsite in 1895. The museum is open daily from May 15 to September 30, and tours are self-guided. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $14 for seniors, $8 for kids age 6 to 12, and free for kids under 6 and active U.S. military personnel (as of January 2026).
Stampede Park
Stampede Park is where the annual Cody Stampede, which has been running since 1919, takes place from July 1–4. Every night from June 1 through August 31, you can see Cody Night Rodeo. Starting in 1938 as the Pup Rodeo, it’s the world’s longest running and only nightly rodeo.
So, what’s the big deal about rodeos in Cody? As the self-proclaimed Rodeo Capital of the World, it’s not that the city is looking for bragging rights, it’s the absolute truth. Wyoming is the Cowboy State — it lives, eats, and breathes the cowboy life, and rodeo is the official state sport. When you see someone walking down the street wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, it’s a real cowboy. They’ve earned the right to wear their gear, unlike in other states where it’s often just a fashion statement.
Collegiate Rodeo Competition
We arrived in Cody just after the Cody Night Rodeo season, but we were fortunate enough to catch a collegiate rodeo competition. Arriving at Stampede Park at 7pm, we paid the admission and walked through the gates. We walked around the arena, past corrals holding horses and bulls, until we found our seats.
The competitors rode out to the center of the arena on horses for the National Anthem and a short prayer. The action started shortly after, at around 7:10.
Bronc Riding
The first competition featured bronc riding, where a rider had to stay on a bucking bronco for eight seconds without touching the horse with his free hand. There were some impressive rides and it was a great start to the show.
Bulldogging
Next was bulldogging, or steer wrestling. This is where a rider on horseback chases a steer, jumps off the horse, and wrestles the steer to the ground by its horns. It took the intensity up a bit.
Women’s Events
Goat tying and barrel racing events for women followed. In the goat tying event, the cowgirls would ride a horse out to a goat, dismount, flip the goat onto its back, and tie its legs. Barrel racing was an event to see which rider was the fastest to go around a set of barrels without knocking them over. Both were fun to watch.
Mixed Events
A mixed event with teams of men and women competing together came next. It was called team roping, where both team members ride on horseback and chase after a steer. The first rider has to rope the horns. When that task is complete, the second has to rope the back legs. A calf roping event for the men also took place. There were some nice displays of skill.
Bull Riding
The most dangerous event was the last one of the night. Bull riding works the same as bronc riding, but the riders are on a full-grown bull instead of a horse. I noticed that the horns of the bull were cut so they weren’t as sharp as they naturally are. None of the riders that night could complete the eight seconds, and one of them was seriously injured after a bull knocked him off and kicked him in the head.
My Thoughts on the Rodeo
It was a long yet entertaining night, finishing up after 10pm. Although I didn’t know anything about rodeos before attending this one — and I still don’t know much — I’ve gained an appreciation for them and a lot of respect for the skill it takes to compete. This won’t be my last rodeo!
Planning Your Trip to Cody, Wyoming
Here’s some practical info to help you plan your trip to Cody:
How to Get to Cody, Wyoming
If you’re not driving, you can fly into Cody from Denver (as of January 2026). The city is served by Yellowstone Regional Airport, just two miles from downtown.
The eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park is just over 50 miles from town.
Where to Stay in Cody, Wyoming
While there’s plenty of traditional accommodation in hotels, most were booked during our visit.
Cody KOA
We decided to stay just outside of the city at the Cody KOA campground. We had a decent tent site, the bathrooms were very clean, and staff was friendly and helpful. It did the job for our one-night stay.
Where to Eat in Cody, Wyoming
We only had one meal in town.
Granny’s
We had breakfast at a diner called Granny’s, which is typically open daily. The place was packed and it took about 20 minutes to get seated. We all had either eggs or pancakes with fresh orange juice. The food was very good and our servers were attentive. The busboys were from Istanbul — they had come to work in Cody for the summer — and we had a nice conversation with them.
Shopping in Cody, Wyoming
Cody has a Walmart and several other stores that are perfect for stocking up for camping in Yellowstone. There are also lots of antique stores and souvenir shops to stock up on Wild West gifts.
