Here’s What’s New and Notable in Cody Yellowstone in 2024
The Whitney Western Art Museum turns 65.
Cody, Wyo., September 27, 2023 – Visitors to Cody Yellowstone next year will experience a special treat, as one of the destination’s most celebrated and recognizable statues, The Scout, turns 100. Installed in 1924, the massive bronze sculpture is a cornerstone of the Whitney Western Art Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The lauded art museum turns 65 next year.
These are just two of the noteworthy anniversaries and events that Cody Yellowstone will mark in 2024.
“Cody Yellowstone is a destination with noteworthy places on every corner, and many of those places symbolize the ambition and vision of the independent-minded founders and settlers who have been drawn here over the years,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director of Cody Yellowstone, the marketing arm of 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. “From celebrating our amazing art to visiting unique museums, visitors in 2024 will have many ways to fill their vacation days.”
By Western Hands celebrates its fifth anniversary.
Here are some of the destination’s most notable anniversaries next year:
100th anniversary of The Scout. Heiress and hyper-talented sculptress Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney created this massive bronze sculpture depicting Buffalo Bill Cody on horseback. The sculpture was installed in 1924 and ultimately became the cornerstone of the Whitney Western Art Museum.
100th anniversary of Shoshone Lodge & Guest Ranch. Built in 1924 by Henry and Bertha Dahlem, the Shoshone Lodge today occupies an honored place among the destination’s numerous guest and dude ranches. Remarkably, the Shoshone Lodge has stayed in the same family for a century, and it is now operated by the family’s fourth generation. Just three miles from the East Gate to Yellowstone National Park, Shoshone Lodge offers all-inclusive guest ranch experiences including cabin lodging, a restaurant and outdoor adventures like horseback riding, tours of Yellowstone and nightly entertainment.
65th anniversary of the Whitney Western Art Museum. Another of the museums at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Western Art
The Scout is a century old next year.
Museum was created in 1959 with initial funding provided by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, the son of artist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Considered one of the top Western art galleries in the country, the museum includes original paintings, sculptures and prints by top artists including Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Remington.
60th anniversary of the Cody Country Art League. Established in 1964, the nonprofit Cody Country Art Leagues is located in the original Buffalo Bill Museum, and it is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. The facility promotes the work of local artists with exhibits, sales and art classes.
5th anniversary of By Western Hands Museum & Archives. Years in the planning, this centrally located attraction celebrates the region’s heritage of Western-style furniture-makers and artisans who incorporate natural or Western elements like gnarled logs, horsehair and elk antlers into their creations. Opening this June, By Western Hands includes an education and training center for artisans, a gallery where the latest work of Western artists is on display and available for purchase and a museum showcasing the work of early leaders in Western design such as Thomas Molesworth, whose Cody-based Shoshone Furniture Company popularized Western design beginning in the 1930s.
15th anniversary of the Cody Dug Up Gun Museum. Operated by Hans and Eva Kurth, this unusual upstairs museum located in the center of town displays more than 1,300 items including relic firearms, swords and knives that have been found in fields and trees that have grown around them and collected from gun shops, antique stores, yard sales and auctions worldwide.
45th anniversary of the Plains Indian Museum. Added to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in 1979, the Plains Indian Museum promotes the art and traditions of Plains Indians through exhibits and innovative storytelling.
75th anniversary of completion of the LDS Chapel Rotunda, which houses the Cody Mural depicting the westward expansion of Mormon pioneers. Painted by artist Edward T. Grigware, the realistic painting was created off-site and then installed on the domed walls, measuring 36 feet in diameter and 18 feet high from the base to the peak of the ceiling.
120th anniversary of Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill’s hunting lodge. Situated a short distance from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park, Buffalo Bill Cody invited famous guests such as the Prince of Monaco to relax and hunt at this two-story hewn-log lodge. The lodge’s furniture and decorations have been carefully preserved, and visitors can explore the first floor for a small donation.
105th anniversary of Cody Stampede. Scheduled for Monday, July 1 through Thursday, July 4 next year, the Cody Stampede was created when the sentimental but pragmatic leaders of Cody, Wyoming circa 1919 wanted to honor the town’s legendary founder and the Western traditions he represented, as well as to capture the interest and a few dollars from tourists who passed through town on the new “Road to Yellowstone.” The celebration, called one of the top small-town American Fourth of July celebrations in the West, includes nightly Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA)-sanctioned rodeos, parades, free concerts, craft fairs, fireworks and much more.
Noteworthy events in Cody Yellowstone history:
115th anniversary of the creation of Park County. Established by the Wyoming Legislature in 1909, Park County is the fifth-largest county in the state of Wyoming, encompassing 3,349,120 acres, and is the ninth most populous county, with a full-time population of around 26,000. The county is largely comprised of state and federal land.
125th anniversary of the Cody Enterprise. This twice-weekly, award-winning newspaper was founded by Buffalo Bill Cody and Col. John Peake in August 1899.
Wyoming anniversaries:
155th anniversary of Wyoming granting women the right to vote. Wyoming became the first place in the country to legalize women’s suffrage, which is why it is known as “The Equality State.”
65th anniversary of the Hebgen Lake earthquake near West Yellowstone, Mont. Although the epi-center of this massive, mountain-moving quake was in Montana, its impact was broadly felt in Wyoming. The earthquake killed 28 campers and changed the geothermal plumbing systems of numerous geysers and hot springs throughout Yellowstone National Park.
105th anniversary of Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 72-vehicle cross-country road trip. The young Lt. Col. was charged with determining the state of the country’s roads across the country. The Wyoming portion of the trip, and discovery of abysmal conditions throughout the state (the convoy traveled at 5 miles per hour, on average), ultimately led to the development of the country’s Interstate road system, including I-80, which allows modern travelers to travel to Yellowstone in relative ease.
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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
720-284-1512
