Museums-Glimpsing the Past
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Museum of the Mountain Man
Years ago they paddled the Snake, loaded with furs for trade and a gun to protect their cache, but now old-time trappers only exist in bookstand in museums. The Museum of the Mountain Man, in Pinedale, Wyoming, inspects the rough life of trappers in the West and their epic struggle to live off the land. Authentic, educational exhibits take visitors into an era long gone and leave guests with hair-raising stories of what it was like to settle in the virgin West.
Green River Valley Museum
In downtown Big Piney, Wyoming, the Green River Valley Museum explores the valley's past, from prehistoric to present times. Exhibits include: prehistoric Indian artifacts; a restored homesteader cabin; pioneer homesteading and town site development; early ranching and branding equipment; oil and gas field development history; campfire girls display and other visiting exhibits. The early 1900s branding and ranching mural and the Wardell Buffalo Trap mural depict life in the valley many
years ago. Oral histories round out this look back into the past of the Green River Valley.
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Besides the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, houses three galleries in its 237,000-square-foot complex.
The Plains Indian Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, and Cody Firearms Museum give visitors a taste of what being a cowpoke is all about. See page 44 for more information.
Old Trail Town
Old Trail Town in Cody a Sturbridge Village of the West recreates an early Western settlement. Visitors can walk through buildings and read about famous Western characters on tombstones. Watch for the one etched Jeremiah Johnson: his nickname was Liver Eatin' Johnson. Bon appétit!
Old West Miniature Village
Although not the world in a grain of sand, Cody's Old West Miniature Village and Museum captures just enough of the Wyoming frontier to keep even the keenest eye enthralled for hours. Complete with Native American villages, wagon trains, railroad trains, forts, soldiers, battle sights and more, the museum also includes old West memorabilia and a gift shop.
Indian Arts Museum
North of Jackson at the Colter Bay Visitor's Center, in Grand Teton National Park, the Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum exhibits a vast collection of Native American crafts and artifacts. The two-story gallery displays everything from art to clothing to tools used by the first inhabitants of the West.
River Runners Museum
Historic boats and rafts hang from the walls of the new River Runners Museum located in the Mad River Boat Trips "wedge" south of Jackson. Follow William H. Ashley's bull boat expedition on the Green River and John Fremont's 1842 voyage in the first inflatable raft. Artifacts and replicas throughout the museum backpaddle visitors into another era, when river running was a courageous and risky means of travel.
Jackson Hole Museum
The Jackson Hole Museum and Jackson Hole Historical Society maintain more than 2,500 artifacts and 7,000 photographs of the early days in the valley. Dive into the oldest dude ranches in the country and get to know the eccentric characters who settled the "Hole" nearly 100 years ago in the museum's 3,000 square feet of exhibit space.
National Museum of Wildlife Art
With 1,300 works by more than 100 artists spanning 170 years, Jackson Hole's National Museum of Wildlife Art is a mecca for art aficionados. John Clymer, Charlie Russell, and Thomas Moran grace the walls of the building, transforming its maze of hallways into wilderness trails. Keep an eye out for traveling exhibits and workshops at the museum and check Cook Auditorium for special events. The museum maintains a dynamic summer schedule, and its displays are guaranteed to intrigue any visitor.
The Grizzly Discovery Center
Five blocks from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park in West Yellowstone, Montana, the Grizzly Discovery Center thrills visitors with eight grizzly bears and 10 gray wolves. The center gives a real-life view of how predatory animals behave in the wild. Educational exhibits illustrate the decline in bear and wolf populations in the last 100 years and also offer prospects for their return. Videotapes shown daily bring visitors further into the life of the powerful animals.
National Big Horn Sheep Center
Located in Dubois, Wyoming, the National Big Horn Sheep Center is a one-stop journey into the life of one of the most unique alpine animals in the world. Learn where sheep lurk in the Wind River and Absaroka Mountains, and discover how they forage for food while evading predators. Life-size displays at the center depict the animals in their habitat and explain how sheep survive harsh weather with a sparse food supply.
Dubois Museum
For a glimpse into the lumber and gambling days of Dubois, Wyoming, check out the Dubois Museum on the west side of town. From 1914 to 1946 "tie hacks" cut wood around Dubois for 10 million railroad ties and floated the trees to Riverton. The museum displays artifacts from the logging era, as well as memorabilia from the lumberjack's gambling houses.
Porter Fox
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