Buffalo Bill Museum showcases the life and work of William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody. He was best known for his Wild West show that traveled all over America and Europe. But few remember him for being an advocate for equal pay and rights.
Overall, he was just a really good guy. Since he loved children, he gave away many free passes to orphanages when the show came to town. He was an advocate for equal rights among everyone. So he hired women and Indians and paid them equally for their work.
How did William Frederick Cody become Buffalo Bill?
William Buffalo bill Cody got his name during the American civil war. He had a contract with the Kansas Pacific Railroad. As a result, he supplied Kansas Pacific Railroad employees with buffalo meat. Apparently during this contract, he killed 4282 buffaloes in eighteen months which should have been enough for him to secure the name. But another hunter, Bill Comstock also wanted the name, so they competed in an eight hour buffalo shooting match. The winner would inherit the name of Buffalo Bill. Cody won by a long-run with a final score of 68 to 48.
Life as a showman
On December 17, 1872 in Chicago, Buffalo Bill landed his first role in a drama created by Ned Buntline. He started his own play the following year. It included Wild Bill Hickok and Texas Jack. Eventually in 1883 he started the Wild West Show. Which had up to 1200 performers playing at a time. Including cowboys, Indians, Military, scouts, Mexicans, Arabs. They would reenact famous events such as Indian war battles and the Battle of Little Big Horn. During his career as a showman, Buffalo Bill performed at more than 1400 towns in Europe and America.
Fun Facts
- Buffalo Bill started working when he was eleven years old because his father passed away. By the age of fifteen, he joined the pony express.
- Many women in his shows outgunned the men. The most famous one was “Little Sure Shot” Annie Oakley.
- Before Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, The Term “cowboy” was an insult used for cattle drivers. His shows included bronco riding, roping shooting and other skills. Eventually these skills became part of public rodeos.
The mistake that ruined his career
In 1913 Buffalo Bill Cody borrowed money from Harry Tammen. When Cody fell behind with his payments, Tammen seized his show and sold it off in an auction. Even his favorite horse was sold during this auction. Luckily for Buffalo Bill, he had good friends who purchased the horse and gave it back to Cody. Unfortunately things got worse and Cody was forced to join the Sells-Floto Circus. Eventually he got out of the contract but was never able to rebuild his Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill passed away on Jan 10, 1917. And by his request, he was buried on Lookout Mountain in 1917, overlooking the Great Plains and the Rockies. His adopted son Johnny Baker started the Buffalo Bill Museum in 1921 to honor him.
Hours
| May 1 – October 31 | Monday – Sunday | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm |
| November 1 – April 30 | Tuesday – Sunday | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm |
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas day
Admission:
$5 Adults
$4 seniors
Free for military between memorial and labor day
Plan to spend about an hour here.
Directions
Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Road,
Golden, CO 80401
From Denver:
Take I-70 W and get off at exit 256. Turn right at the top of the ramp, and then an immediate left. Follow this to Lookout Mountain Road. Follow the signs for lookout mountain. Destination will be on your left.
Accommodations
The closest accommodations are in Golden, Colorado. My link will search through all the online sites to find you the best price available. By purchasing your trip through my link, this site will earn a small commission on your purchase. Rest assured that it will not cost you anything extra! In Fact, the only difference is that this site will earn a commission instead of another booking site. Thank your sponsorship!
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