If These Walls Could Talk; Historic Buildings Throughout Cody Yellowstone Provide a Window on Destination’s Storied Past

CODY, Wyo., June 18, 2025 – From Buffalo Bill Cody’s boyhood home and the hunting lodge where he hosted royalty and celebrities to the elaborate hotel named for the legendary showman’s daughter, buildings that line Cody’s Sheridan Avenue – the town’s main street – and dot the vast northwestern Wyoming landscape illustrate the destination’s storied past.

Cody Yellowstone is known for its location adjacent to Yellowstone National Park and easy access to two of the park’s five gates. Additionally, the destination features outdoor recreation, wildlife, colorful characters and historic sites that all tell fascinating stories.

And then there are the various buildings in the region that played an important role in the development of this classic Western experience. A terrific way to learn about the historic buildings of Cody is to listen to the free, downloadable TravelStorys Historic Downtown Walking Tour.

“Visitors who take a simple stroll down Sheridan Avenue, our highly walkable main street, will be passing numerous buildings that tell the rich and sometimes wacky stories of Cody’s heritage,” 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. “From a one-time furniture store that also served as a morgue, to a beloved historic hotel that was once the grandest hotel west of the Mississippi, history buffs will find plenty to love about this town.”

Here are structures to check out. This downtown map shows the locations of many of some of the buildings.

Buffalo Bill’s hunting lodge, Pahaska Teepee. Located just outside the East gate to Yellowstone National Park, Buffalo Bill brought his hunting pals – including Theodore Roosevelt and the Prince of Monaco – to this rustic lodge. The famous showman was named “Long Hair” by American Indians in the region, which in their tongue was pronounced “Pahaska.” The rustic log lodge displays many gifts given to Cody by guests. Modern cabins, a restaurant and gift shop make this a great stop for travelers before they head into the park.

Kirwin Ghost Town. This abandoned mining town is located in the high Absaroka Mountains at close to 10,000 feet above sea level, 34 miles from the town of Meeteetse, WY. Visitors explore the storage/shop facilities, cabins, sheds, mining offices, various collapsed structures, assay office and machinery remaining at the location. A short hike away is the foundation of Amelia Earhart’s cabin, intended to be her summer home before her disappearance. Travelers can reach the remote backcountry spot via ATVs from Kirwin Ghost Town Adventures.

Old Trail Town/Museum of the Old West. This enclave of 28 authentic frontier buildings includes one used by Butch Cassidy and his infamous Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. One of the town’s many gravesites belongs to Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnston – portrayed by actor Robert Redford in the 1972 film.

Barracks at the Heart Mountain WWII Interpretive Center. During World War II nearly 14,000 (120,000 total at various camps in the West) Japanese Americans were forced from their homes – primarily in California – and dropped off at what was basically an open field where they lived in hastily built, poorly insulated barracks until the war ended. The barracks were sold off for $1 each after the war, and many could be found in the region being used as barns, warehouses and outbuildings. Two of the barracks were reclaimed and reconstructed on the site where the original structures sat.

The Chamberlin Inn. Agnes Chamberlin was the owner and proprietress of the Chamberlin Inn, now a centrally located boutique hotel that is a popular gathering place. She opened the hotel as a boardinghouse in 1900 and gradually expanded the building and added touches of luxury. The hotel was the place to be and be seen, and she often hosted high-profile guests like Ernest Hemingway and Marshall Fields. She was a civic leader who founded the Cody Women’s Club and often hosted Cody Club Chamber meetings.

The Irma Hotel. Buffalo Bill Cody opened a hotel on Cody’s Sheridan Avenue in 1902 and named it after his daughter. The hotel has two sections – the original wing and a newer section as well as a popular restaurant and lounge. In the restaurant, the Cherrywood bar was a gift from England’s Queen Victoria to Buffalo Bill. Don’t miss the nightly prime rib buffet dinner in the dining room. It’s been called the best prime rib in Wyoming.

Cody Country Visitor Center and Cody Country Art League. This popular Cody destination was the original location of the Buffalo Bill Museum, which is now one of the five museums under the roof of the nearby Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The building was modeled after Buffalo Bill’s TE Ranch on the south fork of the Shoshone River. Today, the Art League showcases the creations of local and regional artists while the visitor center provides helpful tips and information to Cody Yellowstone visitors.

Buffalo Bill Boyhood Home. Built by Isaac Cody, the father of Buffalo Bill Cody in 1841 at LeClaire, Iowa, the house was purchased as a tourist attraction by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and was moved to Cody in 1933. The house can be seen at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Cashman Greever Garden adjacent to the Buffalo Bill Museum.

Sear Roebuck Houses. Long before Amazon and Home Depot were selling tiny home kits, Sear Roebuck was selling houses through its catalogs. Cody has some excellent examples that are featured on the tours offered by Cody Trolley Tours.

The Cowboy Bar & Café.Located in Meeteetse and in business since the 1890s, the Cowboy Bar has seen its share of outlaws and has the bullet holes in the walls to prove it. Butch Cassidy was a regular patron and was arrested once as he walked out of the bar. Amelia Earhart drank there in 1934 while staying at a local guest ranch. More recently, an escaped prisoner from Arizona spent two evenings soaking up as many local stories as he could shortly before he was recaptured.

The Poker Church.About the last thing you might expect from a group of raucous men playing poker in Cody in 1902 would be for them all to pledge that the winner of the game would put all of his winnings towards the church of his choice. But these men had wives who wanted more churches in the burgeoning town. When Buffalo Bill’s friend George Beck won the game, he pledged his winnings to build the Christ Episcopal Church, which locals know fondly as simply the “Poker Church.”

Smith Mansion. One of Cody Yellowstone’s more curious buildings, this multi-story log house is perched on a cliff on the southern side of the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway in the small town of Wapiti. The house was built by hand by a local Cody resident named Lee Smith, who remained resolute in his project for several decades. He lived in the home with his wife and two children even though it never had electricity. On a windy day in 1992, Smith fell to his death from the roof of the house. The structure today looks like it could topple over at any time, earning it the nickname of Crazy House.

Cody Heritage Museum.One of Cody’s earliest Sheridan Ave. buildings, this tiny museum was once the home of Charles DeMaris who came to Cody after hearing about the healing powers of the nearby hot springs. His health improved after soaking in the springs, so he built a hotel and bathhouse near the springs while living in the Sheridan Ave. home. The museum showcases Cody’s history through memorabilia and exhibits.

JH Vogel Building. Now the home of The Cowboy Palace, the JH Vogel building used to serve as a furniture store in the front and a morgue in the back. The building features a freight elevator that transported coffins to the morgue visitation room from the embalming room in the basement. And yes, there have been reports of ghost sightings in the building.

Carnegie Library. Now the site of the Millstone Pizza Company, the Carnegie Library was the brainchild of a group of intellectually inclined Cody women who promoted literacy to residents of Cody in the early 1900s. The library was funded in part by a contribution from Andrew Carnegie. After several decades, the original library building was demolished due to irreparable termite damage, and a new building was erected in its place. The library was moved to another location in 2008, and that’s when the popular pizza restaurant was established in its place.

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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.

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Media contact:

Mesereau Travel Public Relations

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