Cody, Wyoming Marks its 130th Anniversary in 2026; Here’s What Else is New, Notable and Not-to-Miss in Cody Yellowstone Next Year

CODY, Wyo., June 12, 2025 – Founded by a flamboyant American showman, Buffalo Bill Cody, whose ambitious Wild West Show entertained and inspired audiences around the globe, the northwestern Wyoming town of Cody will celebrate its 130th anniversary in 2026. The town that bears Buffalo Bill’s name was founded in 1896 and incorporated five years later.

That significant milestone is one of many new and notable anniversaries and events that will take place in 2026.

“From its extra wide streets, carefully plotted by Buffalo Bill to ensure easy access for horse-drawn wagons, to its often-quirky legends, Cody is unlike most tourism-focused towns that dot the American West,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director of Cody Yellowstone, the marketing arm for the region that includes the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse, parts of the Shoshone National Forest and a large swath of Yellowstone National Park. “While the town has evolved with the times, visitors will find many places that continue to highlight our founder’s vision and leadership.”

Not-to-Miss Events:

Park County’s 250th Celebration. The town’s annual celebration of the nation’s independence is especially significant in 2026 as the country marks its 250th birthday. The months-long celebration kicks off on April 18 with “Two Lights for Tomorrow,” an event at the Irma Hotel marking Paul Revere’s famous ride. There will also be a week-long event June 14-21 to mark Flag Day. The multi-day Cody Stampede that culminates on July 4 will feature parades, nightly rodeos, music and other events, capped by a final rodeo and epic post-rodeo fireworks show on the night of July 4.

Wyoming State Shooting Complex. A new 2,000-acre shooting complex will open in the spring or summer. Located seven miles south of Cody, facilities will include a 16,000 square foot events center, modern technology range, two sporting clay ranges, long-range bays, six skeet fields and indoor archery.

Notable anniversaries:

130th anniversary of Cody. Buffalo Bill passed through the Bighorn Basin for the first time in the 1870s, and it was then that he first thought the combination of scenery, wildlife and rich soil as well as the location 52 miles from Yellowstone would be a perfect spot for a tourism-focused frontier town. After winding down the international performances of his famous Wild West Show, Cody returned to the region and began scoping sites and seeking investors. The town was founded in 1896 and incorporated in 1901. There are many ways to learn more about Buffalo Bill and the town he founded, such as the McCracken Research Library and the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

15th anniversary of Heart Mountain WWII Interpretive Center. One of the bleakest periods in Cody Yellowstone history was the three-year period post-Pearl Harbor when some 14,000 Japanese Americans – most from California – were confined at the Heart Mountain WWII Confinement Site in a hastily assembled camp on barren, windswept land near Powell, about 15 miles from Cody. The Interpretive Center tells the stories of the Americans confined to the camp through photographs, artifacts, oral histories and interactive exhibits. Dedicated on Aug. 20, 2011, the Center has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence, 2012 Interior Exhibit Award, 2012 Excellence in Exhibition Award for Eloquent Presentation of Topic and 2012 Harriett “Liz” Byrd Award.

35th anniversary of the Cody Firearms Museum. Founded in 1991, this is one of five museums at the Smithsonian-affiliated Buffalo Bill Center of the West. With more than 7,000 firearms and 30,000 firearms-related artifacts, the museum houses the most comprehensive collection of American firearms in the world. The museum completed a full redesign and reinstallation in 2019. The new museum exhibits thousands of firearms through engaging and interpretive displays that contextualize the various roles firearms have played throughout history.

75th anniversary of the Cody Mural. Unveiled in 1951, the Historic Cody Mural offers a powerful glimpse into the lives of Mormon pioneers in the late 1800s. The mural was painted by artist Edward T. Grigware on the rotunda of Cody’s Church of Latter-day Saints Chapel.

100th anniversary of the Dude Ranchers Association. The Dude Ranchers Association was created in 1926 when several ranch owners established standards to accommodate the growing numbers of travelers whose trek to the West had become increasingly popular with railroad expansions. Today, more than 100 ranches belong to the association, including working dude ranches, traditional guest ranches and resort-style ranches.

10th anniversary of the Wild West Spectacular. This award-winning musical production is staged in the historic Cody Theater for six weeks during the summer. The 90-minute performance tells the story of Buffalo Bill Cody’s dream of becoming the world’s greatest showman through high-energy songs and dances performed by talented performers from around the region. The show has been awarded “Best Wild West Show” by True West Magazine.

Notable anniversaries in Yellowstone National Park:

90th anniversary of Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is situated near the northern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Built in 1936, the hotel features a variety of room choices and experiences. Its signature Map Room contains a large wooden map of the United States constructed from 15 kinds of wood.

10th anniversary of the renovation of Canyon Lodge. The single largest lodging facility in the park, Canyon Lodge underwent a massive two-year redevelopment with a focus on sustainable construction. The renovation was completed in 2016. With 500 rooms and cabins, Canyon Lodge now features five LEED-certified lodge buildings.

140th anniversary of the U.S. Army’s arrival in Yellowstone National Park. In 1886, 14 years after the establishment of Yellowstone as the world’s first national park, the U.S. Army arrived to provide management and law enforcement, setting up an Army fort at Mammoth Hot Springs. Army cavalry soldiers patrolled the park’s massive interior and prosecuted poachers and others who threatened the park’s treasures and wildlife until 1918.

110th anniversary of the National Park Service Organic Act, which created a new agency whose sole purpose was to manage national parks.

155th anniversary of the first Hayden Expedition. The Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, surveyed the rugged northwestern Wyoming region and documented its many unusual features. The results of the survey prompted U.S. Congress to pass legislation creating the world’s first national park the following year.

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Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as the valley east of Yellowstone National Park. The region is known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums and recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.

Related hashtags:

#YellowstoneCountry

#CodyWyoming

#CenteroftheWest

#BuffaloBill

#Yellowstone

#ThatsWY

Media contact:

Mesereau Travel Public Relations

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