TOUR THE CENTER AND ENJOY THE INFORMATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL AND INTERACTIVE DISPALYS 

OUTSIDE
The Sculpture, and our Outside Storyboard are available every day of the year, 24 hours a day.  We encourage you to walk up to the twice life-size bronze sculpture to appreciate the size and detail.  Artists Charlie and Pat Norton took extreme care to reflect the historic accuracy.  The storyboard tells the story of the legendary buffalo hunt.  Read about Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and the history of our area, including Monument Rocks and the Nature Conservancy’s Smoky Valley Ranch.   We invite visitors to explore those sites along the Western Vistas Historic Byway.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSIDE

 

Meet Fred – Fred is on display with a life-size “Buffalo Bill” Cody.  This is a great photo op for the family.  Above Fred and Cody is a Trapdoor Springfield 1866 Second Allin Conversion 50/70 caliber rifle. Though not Cody’s rifle, is the same make, model and year as the one Cody used.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West – circa 1860-1880.   Track Buffalo Bill’s  life through the Wild West.  The map shows the trails, forts, railroads, towns, and historic sites of the Wild West and includes Buffalo Bill’s Heritage Trail.  

 

Sheridan, End of the Track, oil by Chuck Bonner, Keystone Gallery.  Read the story about the 1868 “wickedest town in the west”: Sheridan-Lawless City of the Plains (from the Kansas Territorial magazine).  Listen to the Story “Hidden History – The Ghost Town of Sheridan Kansas 1868”.

For the Kids

Kids of all ages will enjoy the interactive displays.

Corn Stalk Identification – Using the magnetic arrows, identify the parts of the cornstalk.  Kids can also measure their height on the cornstalk.  Come back again to see how much your “stalk” has grown.
Tracks and Scat – Identify the tracks and scat of the Kansas prairie animals.  Take home the brochure to read the fun facts about these animals – mom’s, dad’s and the whole family love this one.

     

    

Magnetic Sculpture Puzzle – Put the puzzle together and then answer the questions about the sculpture and story about the “Birthplace of the Legend”.

 

Kansas Mural by Kansas artist Dennis Schiel – The state of Kansas with its attractions and sites including cultural and historical landmarks are depicted on the ten-panel mural.  Kids, take the Mural Quiz to see if you can find the landmarks on the quiz.  There are only ten of these in the state of Kansas, and the original, another third larger, can be viewed at the capital in Topeka.

Shadow Box Displays – Our current shadow box displays feature Buffalo Bill, Monument Station Artifacts, The Western Cattle Trail, Tribute to the Buffalo, and Kansas Crops.