Cody Firearms Museum Virtual Tour

The Cody Firearms Museum is a part of the Buffalo Bill Center for the West, and one of the very best firearms museums in the US (if not the world). It incorporates a number of substantial donated collections, the most impressive of them being the Winchester factory collection. Thanks to this, the museum has a fantastic array of Winchester production and prototype arms, as well as an extensive archive of factory documentation and correspondence. Unlike many museums, it also makes a concerted effort to actually display as much of its collection as possible – currently approximately 4,000 of its 7,000 weapons are visible to the public.

A project is in progress to completely renovate the galleries, bringing yet more of the collection into displays, and improving the interpretation and information presented with the guns. I’m really excited to see that process take shape; I think there is a tremendous potential for it to to really set a bold standard for arms museums everywhere. The Curator, Ashley Hlebinsky, is an energetic and passionate advocate for the institution (I will be posting an interview with her next Monday), and has a great vision for the institution!

The Museum is located in Cody, Wyoming and is part of a larger overall institution, the Buffalo Bill Center. Alongside the firearms museum there is also a natural history museum, a museum of the Plains Indians, a Western art museum, and a museum dedicated to Buffalo Bill Cody himself and his Wild West Show. This is an assortment sure to provide plenty of interesting diversion for any follow travelers who may not want to spend a day in a firearms museum (I know, who wouldn’t want to do that?). You can have a great time there, and then continue your trip into the glorious Yellowstone National Park just a few miles west of Cody. Or if you are more interested in human events than nature, two and a half hours to the northeast is the site of the epic Battle of the Little Bighorn (or as its victors called it, the Battle of the Greasy Grass).

But whatever finds you in Wyoming or Montana, the Cody Firearms Museum is a must-see stop for anyone interested in firearms history and development.

14 Comments

  1. The video plays fine for me using Chrome. And WOW, what a great museum! Thank you Ian, I gotta get there.

  2. Went to both Cody and Greasy Grass as a kid on family vacation, went back five years ago as an adult, enjoyed it even more. Cody also has a rodeo many summer weekends. The drive over the Bighorns is great, and the Beartooth Pass is even cooler, if windier and a little scarier (they were replacing guardrails when I went over).

    Little Bighorn is a great site to wander. Make sure you drive out to the further sites where the other Cavalry troops were cut off trying to reach Custer. Most often, you’ll have the whole place to yourself, since most people just get off the freeway and go to the monument.

  3. A great place to visit again and again. And, like you say, can be combined with visits to many other spectacular places. ^__^

  4. Ian, love the videos but have one suggestion. When panning please go MUCH slower. The rather frantic pace was quite vertiginous. I know you were probably trying to get as much in as possible but perhaps two videos would be a less dizzying alternative. Your other more stationary videos are often the highlight of the day for this elderly firearms enthusiast, please keep them up. Thanks.

  5. Great video Ian. Is there a way to contact this museum and Beretta to thank them for letting you have access?

  6. I believe they have an example of a gabbett fairfax mars pistol; it would be an incredible thing if you could do a disassembly on video (and very beneficial to pubic firearms knowledge) assuming you are still over there.

  7. Cody get’s voted Best Museum in the World, and for good reason. Those of you who may not have been, don’t think you can do it all in a day. I think I must have spent 5 days there in 3 visits, and only seen half of it.If you can get out of the Plains Indian Museum without blubbing your’e a better man than I am (Gunga Din)

  8. Only one problem Ian,

    You missed out the Walter Hunt Volition (only one in captivity) case with the Jennings, Smith Jennings and of course Horace’s best – the Volcanic. These are the Grand-sire’s of the great American Lever gun. I know it was a quick tour, but for many of us, that one case is the main reason to visit Cody.

  9. Ian
    Have you ever thought of trying to find out what happened to the APG collection and if possible viewing it ?

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