Buffalo Bill Cultural Center

Come On In!

Visitor Center offers Kansas state maps, brochures, and a great gift shop featuring many Kansas made products.  Come in for travel assistance, enjoy a cup of coffee, and stay for a picnic lunch.  The restrooms are always clean with baby changing stations available for mom’s and dad’s.  Plenty of room to exercise your dog.  Well behaved pets are welcome inside.  Our spacious parking lot can accommodate cars, RV’s, buses, and trucks of any size.

Free Wi-Fi access throughout, so relax, check your email and post your pics on Facebook and Instagram!

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Bigger Than Life

From 1867-1868 the Kansas Pacific Railroad was being built in the heart of buffalo country. From points west of Hays, Kansas, fresh meat was hazardous to obtain due to hostile Indians. The railroad employed hunters to provide fresh buffalo meat for the crews. "Buffalo Bill" was one of the buffalo hunters.  This was the inspiration for the Buffalo Bill bronze sculpture, located just west of 2nd St. on U.S. Highway 83. The twice life-size bronze sculpture, by Charlie and Pat Norton of Leoti, KS, voted one of the "8 Wonders of Kansas Art," and one of the largest in the world, commemorates the 1868 contest between William F. Cody and William Comstock and "The Birthplace of the Legend" of Buffalo Bill.

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Storyboard & Displays

The outside storyboard has interpretive panels representing our area culture both past and present, including; The Smoky Hill Trail, Buffalo Bill and the Wild West, Annie Oakley, local Native American culture and modern agriculture.

Inside displays include historic and cultural interpretive panels and art along with fun, interactive and educational displays for the kids.

Center Hours:  Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm, Sat 11 am to 5 pm. The sculpture and storyboard are available to visit 24 hours a day, year round. For more information, call 785-671-1000 or visit the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center.

Read more here: buffalobilloakley.org and visitoakleyks.com/buffalo-billcultural-center