Cody Culture Club
Founded by members of the community, the Cody Culture Club partners with the Buffalo Bill Center of the West to celebrate the unique spirit of Cody, Wyoming through engaging programs inspired by the Center’s world-class collections. Each gathering runs from 5:30–7:30 p.m. and features hearty hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and lively conversation. All are welcome, whether you’re passionate about the Cody community, curious about the Center, or simply enjoy great ideas and good company.
2026 Events
Pioneer Ranches of the Cody Country
Thanks to the Sponsors of this Event:
- Blair Hotels
- Carlene Lebous & Harris Haston
- NextGen Park County
- Simpson Gallagher Gallery
- The UPS Store
Before barbed wire and property lines reshaped the West, Wyoming’s open range stretched nearly without end—vast seas of native grass that defined the region’s economy, culture, and identity. In this illustrated program, explore the remarkable era of open-range cattle ranching in the Cody Country during the late nineteenth century, when herds moved freely across the Absaroka foothills and early ranching enterprises took root in the Bighorn Basin.
Park County historian Brian Beauvais traces the arrival of the region’s first major cattle operations in the late 1870s and early 1880s and introduces the pioneering ranchers who helped shape the landscape and its future, including Otto Franc, John Chapman, Henry Belknap, and Richard Ashworth. Learn how many of these early enterprises not only endured but continue to influence the ranching traditions of northwest Wyoming today.
Through historical photographs, maps, and original research, this presentation brings to life the world of cowboys, cattle barons, and homesteaders—and reveals how they transformed the Wyoming frontier from open grassland into a working and settled region.
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The Hide Hunters
Thanks to the Sponsors of this Event:
- Blair Hotels
- Carlene Lebous & Harris Haston
- NextGen Park County
- Simpson Gallagher Gallery
- The UPS Store
Steven Rinella and Randall Williams reveal the untold story of the hide hunters who slaughtered millions of buffalo in a single decade, transforming the American Great Plains into a vast boneyard. Through tales of survival, violence, grit, and industrial ambition, discover how displaced Civil War veterans, struggling farmers, and wanted outlaws fed America’s hunger for leather—and forever changed the Western landscape.
About Steven Rinella
Steven Rinella is an outdoorsman, writer, and founder of the outdoor lifestyle brand MeatEater. He hosts the MeatEater show, podcast, and The History Channel’s Hunting History with Steven Rinella. He’s a #1 New York Times Bestselling author with over a dozen books to his credit.
About Randall Williams
Randall Williams is a historian and a Senior Editor in MeatEater’s book department. Randall earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Montana in 2015 and previously worked as an editor for the Montana Historical Society’s publishing program.
MeatEater Website: https://www.themeateater.com/
Purchase Tickets Below ⇓
Beyond the Birds
Thanks to the Sponsors of this Event:
- Blair Hotels
- Carlene Lebous & Harris Haston
- NextGen Park County
- Simpson Gallagher Gallery
- The UPS Store
Purchase Tickets Below ⇓
Join the staff of the Draper Museum Raptor Experience as they give a behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, and poop and feathers of caring for non-releasable educational ambassadors. With one of the birds in attendance, they will share the highlights of the last fourteen years and answer your questions about one of the Center of the West’s most popular programs.
Melissa Hill
Melissa Hill discovered her passion for raptors while studying Wildlife & Fisheries Biology & Management at the University of Wyoming and volunteering at the Laramie Raptor Refuge. Since 1997, she has worked with more than 25 species of birds of prey and now leads the Draper Museum Raptor Experience, which she helped launch in 2011.
Brandon Lewis
Brandon Lewis joined the program in 2014 after two summers as an intern. He presents programs, trains volunteers, and cares for the museum’s raptors. Brandon holds degrees in zoology and history and has extensive experience in public education.
Chloe Winkler
Chloe Winkler earned a zoology degree from the University of Wyoming and joined the team full time in 2024 after serving as a volunteer, intern, and seasonal keeper. Her background includes avian research, fieldwork, and conservation-focused interpretation.
The Enduring Influence of Buffalo Bill
Thanks to the Sponsors of this Event:
- Blair Hotels
- Carlene Lebous & Harris Haston
- NextGen Park County
- Simpson Gallagher Gallery
- The UPS Store
Dr. Paul Hutton – award-winning author, historian, TV personality, and interim curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum – presents examples of Buffalo Bill’s impressive reach and enduring influence beyond Cody, Wyoming, affirming his relevance to modern audiences.
Paul Hutton
Paul Andrew Hutton is an American cultural and military historian, an award-winning author, documentary writer, and television personality. He is also Distinguished Professor of History at the University of New Mexico, a former executive director of the Western History Association, and a past president of Western Writers of America. He earned his BA, MA, and PhD from Indiana University.
Hutton is a six-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award and a six-time winner of the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
Purchase Tickets Below ⇓