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The Truth About Bats

Why do bats have such a bad reputation? Are they really disease-carriers, blood-drinking, flying rodents?

Black-capped Chickadees, the Birds Whose Brain Changes

If you love birds, especially if you feed birds, then hopefully you are familiar with Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). These are cute, little, non-migratory birds ...

White-Nose Syndrome: A Battle for the Bats

In the late winter of 2006, thousands of bats began to die in the northeastern United States. Not long before they should have been emerging ...

A Summer in ‘The West’: 2024 Intern Experiences

This summer, 14 interns were selected to spend 10 weeks at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Across several departments, each ...

Taking Flight with Pinyon Jays

The Pinyon Jay is named for its characteristic behaviors of both nesting in piñon pine trees and eating their seeds. A relative of ravens, crows, ...

Caroline Lockhart: 5 Facts about Cody’s Western Novelist

In 1895, 25-year-old Caroline Lockhart wears a 246-pound diver’s suit twice her size and climbs over the edge of a tugboat, looking out at the ...

Earn Your Spurs – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazine Spring 2023 The Way West: Earn Your Spurs By Jim Arndt William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody wore spurs as ...

A performer who may be Oglala Lakota Chief Iron Tail plays ping pong with a fellow castmate as Joe Black Fox and a group Native performers, cowboys, vaqueros, and Cossacks watch the match. MS 6 William F. Cody Collection, McCracken Research Library. P.69.1031

A Spirited Wild West Volley – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazine History EditionWinter 2022 A Spirited Wild West Volley By Mack Frost The performers and crew who toured with Buffalo ...

Jeremy Johnston presenting at an intern luncheon at the Center of the West in 2018.

Jeremy Johnston remembered

Obituary reprinted with permission from the Powell Tribune Jeremy Monroe Johnston, 53, passed away Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah, surrounded by ...

Black & white graphic featuring WHD Koerner's 1931 painting of two mounted explorers with flintlock rifles across their laps leading another man and a pack string.

Enduring West: Exploration and its Impact

The American West has always been a destination to explore – by scholars, naturalists, scientists, and others. Discoveries made within the last couple of decades ...

American Robins: Misbeliefs and Facts

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) may be the most common bird in the USA. They are a frequent sight almost everywhere in the lower 48 ...

Equipment of a Raptor Handler

Many individuals are fascinated by birds of prey and many facilities do educational programs with their live Avian Ambassadors. Working with raptors in captivity requires ...

Red-winged Blackbirds: An Early Sign of Spring

Conk-la-ree! I hear it before I see it. Looking up I spot a Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perched in the leafless tree above me. It ...

Andy Warhol, "General Custer" in Whitney Western Art Museum

Andy Warhol serigraph portrait of General Custer acquired

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is thrilled to announce a significant addition to its esteemed collection: a one-of-a-kind Andy Warhol serigraph portrait of ...

Advertising the Frontier Myth: Poster Art of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West

In 1835, P.T. Barnum bought a human being. Barnum saw an ad in the Pennsylvania Inquirer. Joice Heth, an elderly African-American, was being promoted as ...

The Herbarium of Erwin Evert

An herbarium is a collection of dried plant specimens useful for both research and education. Each specimen in the collection has a label stating who ...

Poisonous Birds

When people think of poisonous animals birds do not typically come to mind. Nevertheless there are a few birds that are poisonous. In his blog ...

Large groups of people, some with musical instruments.

Black Musicians in the Wild West

Originally published in Points West magazine History Edition, Winter 2024 Black Musicians in the Wild West: The Curious History of Ferris’s Satisfied Musical Entertainers By ...

The Harry Yount Enigma: Yellowstone’s First Park Ranger

Buried among the sublime passes of the Sierra Nevada are old men, who, when children, strayed away from our crowded settlements, and, gradually moving farther ...

A line of American Avocet in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Spencer Smith.

Wonders of Bird Migration

What is migration Several different animal species come, spring and fall, move around between their breeding (summer) homes and their nonbreeding (winter) grounds. Deer, elk, ...

Draper Natural History Museum showing incline of ramp.

Dr. Charles Preston to Receive Award for Contributions to Biodiversity Science

Dr. Preston’s lifelong dedication to conservation has left an enduring legacy, showcasing the importance of preserving our natural world. The University of Wyoming’s Biodiversity Institute and the Buffalo ...

Jade Vaquero auction benefits Cody Firearms Museum

“The Jade Vaquero” – A Masterpiece by Paul Lantuch – Auctioned to Benefit the Cody Firearms Museum Update, January 27: The auction has concluded. Thank ...

Winchester 1805 (1988.8.3888) and Colt Walker 1847 (1996.12.1)

Pommel & Pistol: A brief history of handguns on horseback – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineFall 2022 Pommel & Pistol: A brief history of handguns on horseback By Danny Michael Since the invention of firearms ...

Common Raven: Do They Sing and Other Interesting facts

When it comes to ravens, it seems that people’s opinions range from hate to love. How about you? What do you think of when you ...

Birth of Global War display in the Cody Firearms Museum.

A Cautionary Tale: Modified 98k Mauser – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineFall 2023 Reloaded: A Cautionary Tale By Steve Sanetti In 1964, my father was a recently divorced shoemaker with little ...

“There wasn’t any make-believe or made-up stuff:” the Western Work of James Bama

Don Schmalz was riding up Trout Creek. The year was 1973. The wind was coming straight out of the north and it was snowing. He ...

How trees survive winter

When trees first evolved, they existed only in the tropics and for good reason—50 percent of the tree is water. Cold temperatures turn water into ...

Bald eagle in flight, with snow flakes in the air. Photo by Rob Koelling. (detail)

Photo: Bald Eagle in Flight – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazine Spring 2021 How I Got That Shot: Bald Eagle in Flight By Rob Koelling New York photographer Jay Maisel ...

Buffalo Bill Center of the West embarks on a digital journey with Bloomberg Connects

Smithsonian Affiliate partners with Bloomberg Connects app for digital guide, enhancing visitor experience, accessibility, and global outreach. The Whitney Western Art Museum at the Buffalo Bill ...

James Bama photography exhibition hanging in the John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery.

Exhibition Explores Photos by Artist James Bama – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineFall 2023 Exhibition Explores Photos by Artist: James Bama – Portraits of the West By Susan Floyd Barnett Are westerners ...

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer points a rifle at a mounted man, whose hands are up. Charles M. Russell (1864-1926). "When Law Dulls the Edge of Chance," 1915. Oil on canvas, 30 x 48 inches. Gift of William E. Weiss. 28.78

Charlie Russell’s Tough Year

1917 was a tough year for Charlie Russell. His good buddy, bullwhacker Johnny Matheson, was dying. Johnny ran the last horse-drawn freight line between Great ...

What are Preening and Rousing?

“Why did that bird shake?” This is a question I am occasionally asked when a visitor observes one of our birds ruffling up its feathers ...

Ned Buntline and the Discovery of Buffalo Bill; or, how a Miscreant Created the First World Celebrity

One thing I’ve learned since coming to work at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is that every prominent American frontiersman is that way ...

St. Labre Spring Visit April 2023

For the sixteenth spring, the Plains Indian Museum hosted high school students, tribal elders, and instructors from St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, Montana. The ...

What is phenology and why does it matter?

The Draper Natural History Museum (Draper) is debuting a new monitoring project on the Paul Stock Nature Trail this summer. Staff and volunteers will be ...

Tony Foster painting in his chosen site for his Squaretop painting. Photograph courtesy of Karen Brooks McWhorter.

A Green River Journey – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSpring 2023 A Green River Journey: Pursuing the Perfect Vantage Point with Artist Tony Foster By Karen Brooks McWhorter On ...

Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874). "Trappers Saluting the Wind River Mountains," ca. 1864. Oil on canvas, 21.9375 x 35.8125 inches. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming. Gift of The Coe Foundation. 10.70 (detail)

A Rendezvous Revisited – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2022 A Rendezvous Revisited: Special Exhibition explores Alfred Jacob Miller’s art like never before By Tessa Baker Traveling deep ...

"All Roads Lead to Buffalo Bill's Wild West poster, 1894. Museum purchase. 1.69.20 (detail)

The Wild West at Ambrose Park – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2022 By the Numbers: The Wild West at Ambrose Park In its early years, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West often ...

Flora of Wyoming specimen, Pedicularis bracteosa, 1994. DRA.701.2577

What is an herbarium and why do they matter?

By Amy Phillips, Curatorial AssistantDraper Natural History Museum The Draper Natural History Museum maintains two herbarium collections. One is a sister collection to the Rocky ...

William Sweeney and the Cowboy Band with Mt. Vesuvius in background, 1890. MS 6 William F. Cody Collection, McCracken Research Library. P.69.989

Mike Masterson’s legacy marches on

When visitors to the Center of the West tour our Buffalo Bill Museum, they pause to watch actual footage of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. The ...

Two great blue herons show off their plumage at a nesting site. Photo by Rob Koelling.

Spring Wings – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSpring 2021 Spring Wings: Birds Flock to Yellowstone Region By Michaela Jones If you have a tendency to gaze longingly ...

Bird Nests – Types, Material, & How You Can Help

There are a huge variety of bird nests throughout the world. These vary in materials used as well as types and shapes. Birds may nest ...

Buntline and Burke – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2022 Buntline and Burke: Buffalo Bill’s Peerless Promoters By Ruffin Prevost William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was an authentic ...

Chicken Soup – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSpring 2020 Good Enough to Eat: “Bowl of the Wife of Kit Carson” Chicken SoupAdapted from The Fort Restaurant Cookbook ...

Beaded storage bag, ca. 1885. Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Irving H. Larom. NA.106.22A

Indigenous Art Tools – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2022 Tools of the Trade: Indigenous Art Tools Indigenous artists and crafters cherish the tools of their trade. Historically, ...

Lorna and Milward Simpson with their sons Al (L) and Pete, ca. 1940. MS 089 Jack Richard Photograph Collection, McCracken Research Library. PN.89.107.21020.02.4 (detail)

Reflecting on the Center’s Past, Imagining its Future – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSpring 2018 Pete and Al: Reflecting on the Center’s Past, Imagining its Future By Michaela Jones For one hundred years, ...

Bison group in the road near Frying Pan Spring. (National Park Service photo by Jacob W. Frank)

Less is More When ‘Wrangling’ Bison – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2019–20 How would you round up 95 bison after their escape from a private ranch, and return them to ...

Cody-based ice climber Aaron Mulkey makes his way up a frozen waterfall called Bitches Brew, named after the song by Miles Davis. Doug Shepherd photo.

Climbing Cody’s Elusive South Fork Ice – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2021 Frozen Treasure: Climbing Cody’s Elusive South Fork Ice By Ruffin Prevost All kinds of people come from all ...

Tony Lama Co. cowboy boot, 1976, Gift of Charles and Joan Eagler. 1.69.2560

Choosing the right cowboy boots

Originally published in Points West magazineFall 2021 The Way West: Choosing the Right Cowboy Boots By Jim Arndt William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody outfitted many ...

Pheasant flying over snow. Photo by Rob Koelling.

Pheasant Flying Over Snow – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineFall 2021 How I Got That Shot: Pheasant Flying Over Snow By Rob Koelling Pheasants are common throughout the agricultural ...

Draper Museum Interim Curator Corey Anco presents on the Tile Map in the Draper's rotunda.

Center of the West appoints new curator of the Draper Natural History Museum

Corey Anco has been promoted to Willis McDonald, IV Curator of Natural Science for the Draper Natural History Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. He ...

Colt Model 1873 revolver and holster, serial number 148232. Gift of Judd W. Thomas. 1989.7.1

How to Safely Load Your Six-Shooter – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSummer 2020 The Way West: How to Safely Load Your Six-Shooter By Ashley Hlebinsky Any fan of Westerns knows the ...

Bald eagle to illustrate the calls they make

The True Calls of Eagles

In this blog post I discuss eagle calls, attaching sound examples from five large eagle species to illustrate what their true calls are like. Please ...

A cloud of mist hangs in the air where Osprey Falls pours into the Gardner River in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Jacob W. Frank.

M.C. Poulsen’s Waterfalls of Wonderland – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazine Summer 2022 Waterfalls of Wonderland: Revealing Yellowstone’s Hidden Treasures By Tessa Baker Even 150 years after becoming the world’s ...

Connecting with Our Ancestors: St. Labre Indian School Tour

For the sixteenth year, the Plains Indian Museum hosted high school students, tribal elders, and instructors from St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, Montana. The ...

Bourbon Brown Sugar and Soy Chuck Roast. Plated and ready to eat.

Delicious Chuck Roast Recipe – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2019–20 Good Enough to Eat: Bourbon Brown Sugar and Soy Chuck Roast Recipe by Kyle Kleist, former Center Executive ...

Plains Indian Museum, Cheyenne Migration

Buffalo Bill Center of the West appoints Gordon Ambrosino, PhD, new curator of the Plains Indian Museum

Dr. Gordon Ambrosino has been selected as the next Curator for the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Ambrosino earned his Ph.D. in ...

Ravens and Wolves – Friends or Enemies

Can Ravens and Wolves be friends? Ravens are one of the smartest birds there are. They dine on many types of foods including small animals, ...

Butteri Herding Maremmano Horses at Sunset, Spergolaia, archival pigment print, 2015. Photograph by Gabrielle Saveri.

I Butteri: Italy’s Legendary Cowboys of the Maremma – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineFall 2022 I Butteri: Italy’s Legendary Cowboys of the Maremma By Ruffin PrevostPhotographs by Gabrielle Saveri On October 8, 2022, ...

The Banditti of the Plains, or, the Triumph of the Nesters

On Friday, April 8, 1892, Ben Jones and Bill Walker rode down out of the Bighorn Mountains. They had been trapping for weeks. Ben Jones ...

The Draper Natural History Museum opening, June 2002—just what Al meant by “extraordinary” accomplishments by the Center of the West.

The Center of the West & Al – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazine The Center of the West & Al By Marguerite House I walked into the Irma Hotel one Saturday morning ...

"Spring Thaw" by David Santillanes, Oil, 24 x 40 inches. Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale, 2022. (detail)

41st Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale Announces Award Winners

We share this news release from our Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale partners at the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce… On the morning preceding ...

Black-billed Magpies, Friends or Foes?

Black-billed Magpies seem to be birds that raise conflicting feelings among people. As a member of the Covidae family which includes ravens, crows, and jays, ...

Center offers free admission to youth from Park County, Wyoming

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West launched a pilot program offering free admission for Park County, Wyoming, youth through high school, beginning September 1, ...

Barbed wire sample from the Buffalo Bill Museum collection. 1.69.1930.25

Shakespeare’s Musing at the Antique Barbed Wire Convention – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSummer 2016 Shakespeare’s Musing at the Antique Barbed Wire Conventiona.k.a. Fencing with Shakespearea.k.a. Bard learns barb By Kelli Grinich Ed. ...

Firearms in Pop Culture

Firearms have been a staple in pop culture since the late nineteenth century. Wild west shows gained popularity in the 1880s, with Buffalo Bill’s Wild ...

Great Great Grey Owl by Rebekah Childers

Great Grey Owl – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSummer 2020 How I Got That Shot: Great Grey Owl By Rebekah Childers One fall morning, I made a trip ...

The End of Summer

Well, summer is almost over, and I’ve reached the final chapter of my internship. My time as an intern has really…flown by! Maybe not like, ...

How to Create a Museum TikTok

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West has joined the trend of creating a TikTok page for their institution. Growing up just outside Cody, Wyoming, ...

Verne Stull's cartridge belt. 1990.14.1.3

Verne Stull: Secrecy and Security

Buried within the vaults of the Cody Firearms Museum here at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is a revolver, holster, belt, and whistle ...

The Man Who Was Scalped

I was lucky enough to meet Gordon Barrows. He danced into my office one day. I’m not sure what the occasion was. It may have ...

Nitrate Negatives: Now That’s Explosive Content!

What are nitrate negatives? Why are nitrate negatives handled with care in archival facilities?

Explore Our Interactive Exhibits

A diverse collection of artifacts, galleries, and specimens are featured within the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Visitors can gain an understanding of Buffalo ...

Articulation Madness with Grace

Where Has the Time Gone?! Sheesh, it’s already July! Summer is going by too fast. It’s gotten a lot hotter too, which I love because ...

“Tapis Magique (Magic Carpet),” 2003, Thomas D. Mangelsen, Fujiflex Crystal Archive Print, 39 x 100 inches.

A Life in the Wild – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSummer 2022 A Life in the Wild: Acclaimed Photographer Shares Favorite Shots By Mark Davis Ed. note: for Mangelsen’s own ...

Snap Pea & Radish Salad – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSpring 2020 Good Enough to Eat: Snap Pea & Radish Salad with Feta & Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe by Kyle Kleist, ...

The Buffalo Bill Memorial Association originally had this popular Bonheur painting in mind as the model for its equestrian memorial to its namesake. Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899), "Col. William F. Cody," 1889. Oil on canvas, 18.25 x 15.25 inches. Given in Memory of William R. Coe and Mai Rogers Coe. 8.66

Searching Through the Online Collections

Have you ever seen an object in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and later wanted more information? Or forgot the name of a ...

Frank Tenney Johnson (1874–1939). "Cove in Yellowstone Park," 1938. Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches. Gift of Fred and Sara Machetanz. 2.82

The Draw of Cody – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineWinter 2019 – 20 The Draw of Cody: The Role of Place in Helping Make Artists Great By Ruffin Prevost ...

Alex Martin #EducationStation

The Education Department in the Center of the West has on-boarded Alex Martin as the Indian Education for All (IEFA) intern this summer. Her role ...

Working with Museum Objects

Cassandra Leon: Registration Intern I have loved museum work since 2018, when I was first able to intern at a small university museum. I was ...

Spencer Benefiel, #CollectionInspection

The Cody Firearms Museum offers a wide variety of learning opportunities, says Spencer Benefiel, a curatorial intern. Spencer is responsible for records and label correction, ...

Nick DelDuca, #ExclusiveTourWithMe

Nick DelDuca, the Exclusive Tours intern this year, holds a BA in History from Montana State University, along with minors in Museum Studies and Religious ...

Danny Gonsowski, #FashionForConservation

Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Danny Gonsowski is interning with the conservation department at the Center of the West. He has earned a BA in Japanese ...

Cassandra Leon #RegistrationNation

Originally from Riverside, California, Cassandra Leon is interning with the registration department. She is currently working on an MA in art history and an art ...

Quinne Naegeli, #RecordsRestored

Quinne Naegeli, from Annapolis, Maryland, is currently a curatorial intern with the Cody Firearms Museum. She spends time indexing firearms, correcting gun records and exploring ...

Reading Room, McCracken Research Library, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, USA. (BBCW-MRL03)

Ailey Hall, #BuffaloBillDetective

Ailey Hall, originally from Houston, Texas, has earned a BA in English from Auburn University in Alabama and a MA in Romantic Victorian studies from ...

Whitney Museum appoints new curator

Buffalo Bill Center of the West appoints Susan Barnett new Margaret and Dick Scarlett Curator of Western American Art for the Whitney Western Art Museum ...

The Internship: Part II

Clouds and Rain Galore Happy June! It was rainy pretty much this entire week (May 30th to June 3rd). There were maybe a few days ...

The Internship

Hello! My name is Grace Shumway, and I’m the intern this summer for the Draper Museum Raptor Experience. I’ll be writing these blog posts as ...

Thomas Mickell Burnham (1818–1866) characterized the group. "The Lewis and Clark Expedition," ca. 1850. Oil on canvas, 36.125 x 48.5 inches. Museum Purchase. 21.78

Meet Me in St. Louis – Points West Online

Originally published in Points West magazineSummer 2010 Meet Me in St. Louis By Robert V. Goss A previous Points West Online series featured the travels ...