For the second year in a row, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, has earned the Certificate of Excellence Award from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website. The honor is presented only to those establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide that represent the upper echelon of destinations listed on TripAdvisor’s website.
The Center of the West ranks high with the vast majority of those who review it on the site, which awards the Certificate of Excellence to businesses that maintain an overall rating of at least four out of five TripAdvisor “bubbles.” The volume and recency of reviews, as well as the tenure and popularity of the business, also factor into the award. The Center of the West’s overall rating is five bubbles, the highest number possible.
“The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is again a ringing endorsement of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and the experience we provide our visitors,” says Bruce Eldredge, the Center’s Executive Director and CEO. “It’s also a testament to the wonderful work our staff and volunteers do in service to our public.”
This year, the Center’s Draper Natural History Museum also received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. While the five museums of the Center of the West together tell the in-depth story of the American West’s history, culture, art, and nature from historic to contemporary times, many visitors specifically interested in natural history review the Draper separately.
“We’re proud of the exhibitions, programs, and activities of each of our museums and research library, but also of how our staff collaborates across the entire institution to ensure visitors have a quality experience—whether they visit all of our museums or focus specifically on one,” adds Eldredge. The Center’s other museums are the Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Plains Indian Museum, and Cody Firearms Museum. Admission to all, for just one price, is good for two consecutive days.
Marc Charron, President of TripAdvisor for Business, says, “The Certificate of Excellence award gives top performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most—their customers. We want to applaud exceptional hospitality businesses for offering a great customer experience.”
TripAdvisor is used by travelers to plan trips and gauge the caliber and popularity of destinations from the reviews and rankings of other visitors. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching nearly 260 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 150 million reviews and opinions covering more than four million accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The sites operates in 39 countries worldwide.
Since 1917, the award-winning Buffalo Bill Center of the West has devoted itself to sharing the story of the authentic American West. The Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For additional information, visit centerofthewest.org or the Center’s Facebook page.
