Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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    Current HoursDecember 1–February 29: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday Hours & RatesPlan your visit to the Center of the West. Group SalesWe welcome commercial group and bus tours. Facility RentalsThe Center is the perfect place for your next event. Visiting YellowstoneYour best stop on the way to or from Yellowstone. LodgingSelect from a variety of local accommodations. ItinerariesDiscover some quick day trips in and around Cody. DirectionsFind driving directions and check road conditions. StoriesFind your story among ours. Calendar of EventsSee what events are happening during your visit here.
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    School Programs & ResourcesEssential info and resources for teachers and students. Family ProgramsFamily-friendly programs, activities, and craft ideas. InternshipsCollege students may apply to gain museum experience. Skype in the ClassroomLive, interactive K–12 field trips. WorkshopsExplore hands-on programs for kids, families, and adults. Conservation InternshipsTraining for conservators from all over the world. Pre-K ProgramsSet up a guided tour for your preschool class. Field TripsInvestigate outdoor adventures for adults and children. Highlights MapsDiscover collection highlights in each of our museum. Games and InteractivesLearn about the collection through online interactives. Lectures & FilmsPlan for future talks and view past program videos. Western EssaysDelve into historical information on western topics.
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    McCracken Research LibraryFind books, photos, archives, media, and more. Digital CollectionsExplore our extensive photo and manuscript collections. Archival Collection List and Finding GuidesBrowse inventories of archival collections. The Papers of William F. CodyDiscover scholarship on the man and the myth. Fellowship ProgramContribute to new scholarship using Center collections. Buffalo BillUncover in-depth information about William F. Cody. Greater Yellowstone Natural HistoryLearn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Western ArtDelve into the lives and works of western artists. Plains IndianDiscover more about Plains Indian tribes and collections. FirearmsFind a firearms bibliography, glossary, and more. ConservationFind out how we preserve Center collections. Rights and ReproductionsLicense or reproduce images from our collections.
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    Planned GivingLeave your legacy with a bequest or estate gift. Patrons BallAttend our annual gala fundraiser. MembershipBecome a supporter and receive great benefits. VolunteerSupport the Center with your time and talent. Our next raffle car: a 1967 Pontiac GTOBuy your tickets online for this amazing prize! Give TodayMake a donation to programs and operations. Why I SupportSee what motivates donors to give to the Center. We have a winner for the car raffle for 2019Winner: from Lusk, Wyoming, with ticket #0553 Raptor ExperienceHelp provide care for our avian friends.

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

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  • Visit
    • Current HoursDecember 1–February 29: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday–Sunday
    • Hours & RatesPlan your visit to the Center of the West.
    • Group SalesWe welcome commercial group and bus tours.
    • Facility RentalsThe Center is the perfect place for your next event.
    • Visiting YellowstoneYour best stop on the way to or from Yellowstone.
    • LodgingSelect from a variety of local accommodations.
    • ItinerariesDiscover some quick day trips in and around Cody.
    • DirectionsFind driving directions and check road conditions.
    • StoriesFind your story among ours.
    • Calendar of EventsSee what events are happening during your visit here.
  • Explore
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      • Buffalo Bill Museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • Draper Natural History Museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • Whitney Western Art Museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • Plains Indian Museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • Cody Firearms Museum Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • McCracken Research Library Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • Online Collections Buffalo Bill Center of the West
      • Blogs, articles, and features Buffalo Bill Center of the West
    • Museum Details
      • ExhibitionsFind out what’s on view in our Center.
      • Beyond Our WallsSee how we bring the West to the World.
      • EventsFind out what programs, talks, and other events are coming up!
      • NewsroomStay up-to-date with all Center happenings.
  • Learn
    • School Programs & ResourcesEssential info and resources for teachers and students.
    • Family ProgramsFamily-friendly programs, activities, and craft ideas.
    • InternshipsCollege students may apply to gain museum experience.
    • Skype in the ClassroomLive, interactive K–12 field trips.
    • WorkshopsExplore hands-on programs for kids, families, and adults.
    • Conservation InternshipsTraining for conservators from all over the world.
    • Pre-K ProgramsSet up a guided tour for your preschool class.
    • Field TripsInvestigate outdoor adventures for adults and children.
    • Highlights MapsDiscover collection highlights in each of our museum.
    • Games and InteractivesLearn about the collection through online interactives.
    • Lectures & FilmsPlan for future talks and view past program videos.
    • Western EssaysDelve into historical information on western topics.
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Clothing and Accessories
    • Gifts
    • Native American Replicas
    • Fine Art
    • Quality Leather
    • Native American Jewelry
    • Navajo Rugs
    • Pottery
    • Prints
    • Media
    • Baskets
  • Research
    • McCracken Research LibraryFind books, photos, archives, media, and more.Buffalo Bill Center of the West
    • Digital CollectionsExplore our extensive photo and manuscript collections.
    • Archival Collection List and Finding GuidesBrowse inventories of archival collections.
    • The Papers of William F. CodyDiscover scholarship on the man and the myth.
    • Fellowship ProgramContribute to new scholarship using Center collections.
    • Buffalo BillUncover in-depth information about William F. Cody.
    • Greater Yellowstone Natural HistoryLearn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
    • Western ArtDelve into the lives and works of western artists.
    • Plains IndianDiscover more about Plains Indian tribes and collections.
    • FirearmsFind a firearms bibliography, glossary, and more.
    • ConservationFind out how we preserve Center collections.
    • Rights and ReproductionsLicense or reproduce images from our collections.
  • Support
    • Planned GivingLeave your legacy with a bequest or estate gift.
    • Patrons BallAttend our annual gala fundraiser.
    • MembershipBecome a supporter and receive great benefits.
    • VolunteerSupport the Center with your time and talent.
    • Our next raffle car: a 1967 Pontiac GTOBuy your tickets online for this amazing prize!
    • Give TodayMake a donation to programs and operations.
    • Why I SupportSee what motivates donors to give to the Center.
    • We have a winner for the car raffle for 2019Winner: from Lusk, Wyoming, with ticket #0553
    • Raptor ExperienceHelp provide care for our avian friends.
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Home > Staff > 10 Best Things About July in Wyoming

10 Best Things About July in Wyoming

July 10, 2014 by Lynn Rodgers

As I was cruising around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks last weekend in awe of the wildflower display, I was inspired to share my opinion of the 10 best things about Wyoming in July. They are in no particular order because, quite frankly, I enjoy them all!

Marine Mounted Color Guard - July 4 Parade - Cody, WY

Marine Mounted Color Guard – July 4 Parade – Cody, WY Photo courtesy of US Marine Corps, www.mclbbarstow.marines.mil

1. Fourth of July – I’m guessing that most places in the United States have Fourth of July celebrations. July 4 week here in Cody, Wyoming is a big, hairy deal – Extreme Bulls (a night at the rodeo where the only event is bull-riding); the Stampede (PRCA’s largest one-header rodeo); not one, not two, but three(!) parades including a kiddie parade; and, of course, the required fireworks. The parade is pretty neat and has to be the biggest parade per capita of anywhere in the U.S.—almost two hundred entries for a town of 9,500 people. New York City would need 175,000 parade entries!

2. Guests – We love having guests and showing them our slice of paradise! I was extremely blessed this week to have a couple whom I’d never met (friends of friends) from my home state of Georgia as guests. It was their first trip west of the Mississippi River and I suspect they’ll be glad to leave our house just to get away from my incessant talking about how awesome this area is and how much there is to do. (By the way, these two young adults, seniors in college, would restore anyone’s lagging faith in America’s younger generation.)

Rodeo. Photo by Ken Blackbird, one of the photographs featured in “Textured Portraits: The Ken Blackbird Collection”

Rodeo. Photo by Ken Blackbird, one of the photographs featured in “Textured Portraits: The Ken Blackbird Collection”

3. Rodeo – Cody is definitely a rodeo town. We have the Cody Nite Rodeo every day from June 1 through August 1. I love the Cody Nite Rodeo and the fact that it’s every day makes it easy to arrange for guests. The Extreme Bulls and the Cody Stampede are July 4 week must-dos. Wyoming also hosts Frontier Days in Cheyenne which bills itself as the “Daddy of them all.” It’s more than just a rodeo. To describe Frontier Days would take a couple of blog posts, so I’ll leave you to check that out for yourself.

 

 

 

4. Wildflowers – July and August are wildflower months here. They are always pretty, but with our exceptionally wet spring they have been downright spectacular. If you’re a wildflower fan, check out Nancy McClure’s blog post and photos. A couple more of her photos are below.

Wildflowers in meadow

A field of wildflowers

Wildflowers in a meadow

Wildflowers in a Yellowstone meadow

5. Activities – There are activities galore going on here at the Center! It’s kind of hard to focus on work sometime when you walk out of your office and there is a tour about to start, activities in the garden, etc. Nice problem to have, right? One of my favorites is the chuckwagon. Ron Reed brings his fully-stocked chuckwagon each summer, parks it out front and talks about cooking on a cattle drive. Not only does he talk about it but he demonstrates – he cooks biscuits and beans over the campfire. And his biscuits are kickin’! Almost as good as my mom’s.

"Cookie" Ron Reed teaches our Dutch oven cooking workshop May 25

“Cookie” Ron Reed demonstrating and visitors enjoying cowboy cooking

6. Hot temps, cold water – When the heat gets to be too much, our lakes and streams are cold and clear. What’s the big deal, you say – everybody does that during the summer. Yes, but many of Wyomings rivers and streams (3 right here in Park County) are also blue-ribbon fisheries

7. High country – When the heat gets to be too much and you don’t want to immerse yourself in cold water, you can retreat to the high country. Mount Washburn in Yellowstone, the Beartooth Highway (partly in Montana) and Carter Mountain are some of my favorites in the area.  Added benefit – if you hang out long enough for nightfall, the stars are un-flipping-believable.

8. Visitors – Since we are basically a tourist town, we LOVE visitors! It adds such an energy to the Center, the town, the area. Full disclosure: as the CFO of the Center, I also appreciate the money our visitors bless us with as well. What I’m not so fond of is the Yellowstone visitors who choose to leave their brains at home and do things like walk off a boardwalk toward a hot spring or walk up close to the wildlife.

9. Mom – My mom lives in Georgia and works in Yellowstone during the summer. I see more of her now than I did when we only lived three hours apart.

10. Fresh fruit and veggies – OK, so this is not Wyoming-specific, but fresh tomatoes from the garden or farmer’s markets are just downright awesome.

Filed Under: Staff
Tagged With: 10 best, chuck wagon, chuckwagon, Cody, Cody Stampede, Extreme Bulls, Fourth of July, Grand Tetons, July 4, parade, Rodeo, wildflowers, Yellowstone

 

About Lynn Rodgers

Lynn Rodgers is the Chief Financial Officer of the Center and a recent addition to our staff. She relocated here because of her love for the area and the Center which started when she worked at nearby Yellowstone National Park in her college days. She describes working here as a “dream job” and loves traveling and hiking, especially to and in national parks.

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