Must-Visit Western Museums

Plan your next trip around a visit to one of these Western museums.

The Old West is one of the most fascinating and popular periods in American history. What most people know about this period comes from film and television. But if you really want to know what the Old West was all about, visiting a museum dedicated to this era in history is the way to go. Many well-preserved artifacts from this time have found their way into some of the most wonderfully curated museums in the United States.

The vast majority of museums of the West are located in states that were an integral part of that history. These museums not only create a picture of what life was like in the Old West, but some also give voice to modern artists who have been influenced by this dynamic and romantic time in history. Here’s a look at some of the best Western museums in America.

The Autry Museum of the American West – Los Angeles, Calif.

Founded in 1988 by Western film star Gene Autry, the Autry Museum’s mission is to bring together the stories of all peoples of the American West, connecting the past with the present to inspire a shared future. Located in Griffith Park, the museum features unique galleries filled with paintings, sculptures, film memorabilia, photographs, historic firearms and more, all connected to the American West. The Autry’s collection of more than 600,000 pieces of art and cultural objects includes one of the largest and most significant of Native American materials in the United States.

The Autry is also home to Native Voices, the only Actors’ Equity theatre company in the U.S. devoted to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and First Nations playwrights. theautry.org

Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West – Scottsdale, Ariz.

Located in historic Old Town Scottsdale, Western Spirit opened in 2015, and encompasses two stories and 43,000 square feet of exhibit space. The museum showcases art, culture and history spanning 19 states in the American West, Western Canada and Mexico. The museum’s goal is to immerse guests in the unique story of the greater Western region, illuminating the past to better shape the future. 

Exhibits rotate periodically, and have included “Fine Art of the American West: People and Places,” “Courage and Crossroads: A Visual Journey through the Early American West,” and “Inspirational Journey: The Story of Lewis & Clark,” to name just a few. scottsdalemuseumwest.org

Kit Carson House – Taos, N.M.

The Kit Carson Home and Museum is located in the four-room house where frontiersman Kit Carson and his wife Josefa raised their children. Built around or before 1825, it was purchased by Carson in 1843 as a wedding present for his bride. The one-story house is in the Spanish Colonial style and has adobe walls more than two feet thick. The courtyard and interior remain today much as they were when the Carsons lived there.

Inside the courtyard, visitors will find artifacts from the mid-19th century, while inside the museum, photos of the Carson family and other historical figures, as well as artifacts such as Josefa’s sewing box with red silk lining, Carson’s U.S. Army sabre and scabbard, his Masonic hat and a replica of his .50 caliber Hawkins rifle are displayed. taos.org/places/kit-carson-house-museum

Buffalo Bill Center of the West – Cody, Wyo.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West was founded in 1917 and features five different museums under one roof: the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indians Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Draper Natural History Museum, and the Cody Firearms Museum. The museums are connected by the unifying theme of the history, culture, art, and natural science of the American West, and feature artifacts and artwork relating to the Old West.

Founded to preserve the legacy and vision of Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is the oldest and most comprehensive museum complex in the West. centerofthewest.org

C.M. Russell Museum – Great Falls, Mont.

The C.M. Russell Museum contains more than 3,000 pieces of Western art, with 16 exhibition galleries, educational programming spaces, a dedicated research center, and an outdoor sculpture garden. It also contains nearly 1,000 creations by the famed Western artist Charles M. Russell. 

Also showcased are Russell contemporaries, who captured the traditions of North Plains Indian life, Montana wildlife and landscapes, and cowboy culture in paintings and sculptures. cmrussell.org

National Oregon/California Trail Center – Montpelier, Idaho

Located within the Bear Lake Valley of southeastern Idaho, the National Oregon/California Trail Center is situated on the historic site of the original Oregon Trail. 

The Center interprets the story of the pioneers who traveled the six-month, 2,000-mile journey across the unsettled American West, from Missouri to the Oregon Territory. The Center also includes the Simplot art exhibit featuring Oregon Trail paintings, the Rails and Trails Museum, and exhibits from the Bear Lake County Historical Society, Union Pacific, and Daughters of Utah Pioneers. oregontrailcenter.org

Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center – Chamberlain, S.D.

The Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center opened in 1991 on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School, and honors and preserves the rich culture of the Lakota people and the students at St. Joseph’s Indian School. Thousands visit the 14,000-square-foot museum each year. 

The facility provides visitors with a living lesson on the American Indian way of life, both past and present. The museum is a tribute to the Sioux nation, and offers visitors a rare glimpse into the Lakota culture. Visitors take a visual journey through the proud heritage of the Sioux and into the excitement of contemporary Sioux art. aktalakota.stjo.org  

This article about Western museums appeared in the April 2024 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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