By Ruth A. Hill

William F. Cody — better known as Buffalo Bill — may have expired nearly a century ago in 1917, yet he's still welcoming visitors to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in his hometown of Cody, Wyoming.

Through the magic of holography, the man whose life story embodies everything anyone has imagined or written about America's Old West remains a sentinel at the cultural repository that bears his name. Located just 50 miles from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park, the Smithsonian Affiliate center is a destination unto itself and actually five museums under one roof. The collections and exhibits explore not only Cody's life and times but also the art, firearms, natural world and Indian culture of the region.

The town of Cody remains a welcoming small town of 9,000 where visitors can experience both authentic history and lore of the West. It's a great pairing with the nation's first national preserve and worthy of at least two days' exploration.

BUFFALO BILL MUSEUM

Buffalo Bill was an early self-made media celebrity whose Wild West Shows thrilled late-19th-century audiences for more than 30 years in both North America and Europe. This museum began in 1927 in a log cabin and had a couple of other iterations before the newest, 21st-century version debuted in 2012. It explores the man, his life and times, and his impact on the American story.

Artifacts range from the tree trunk Bill and his hunting partner, Monaco's Prince Albert I, autographed during a 1913 expedition to gigantic original posters advertising his spectacular show and his mother's parlor clock.

DRAPER NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

The ecology, wildlife and human history in the Greater Yellowstone region is the topic in this 20,000-square-foot museum. Through dioramas populated with taxidermy, videos and other contemporary media, the sounds and sights of birds, grizzlies, wolves, sheep and other wildlife draw visitors into the beauty of Yellowstone's natural world.

The Draper is a delightful departure from traditional glassed-in exhibits, so it appeals to all ages and levels of understanding. Classroom study programs, field research adventures and a live raptor display in the center's Sculpture Garden are in its repertoire.

CODY FIREARMS MUSEUM

This venue's headliner artifacts range from rifles that belonged to Annie Oakley and Ronald Reagan to its centerpiece Winchester Collection and European firearms that date from the 16th century. The exhibits explore the role firearms played in shaping the history of the West plus manufacturing technologies from the early days until now.

WHITNEY WESTERN ART MUSEUM

With the monetary and artistic largesse of the Whitney and Vanderbilt families, this museum opened in 1959. The dramatic outdoor 1924 rifle-toting equestrian bronze sculpture "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" by New York artist-heiress Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was this museum's first collection piece.

The collection is dedicated to heroes and legends of the West and includes original art by Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, and N.C. Wyeth, among others. Murals depicting seminal events in the West's history — such as Custer's Last Stand — dominate the galleries. Works of contemporary artists such as sculptors Grant Speed, Harry Jackson and Deborah Butterfield are included.

Reconstructed studios of Remington and Alexander Phimister Proctor and the original studio cabin of Joseph Henry Sharp acquaint visitors with the artist's work environment and creative process.

PLAINS INDIAN MUSEUM

This is the place to experience the lives and legends of the Plains Indian people, their struggles and legacies. Much of the collection is from the early reservation period, 1880-1930, and recognizes the Arapaho, Lakota, Crow, Cheyenne, Blackfeet and Pawnee nations. Display items range from paintings to quilts.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West recently acquired the Paul Dyck Plains Indian Buffalo Culture Collection, which is regarded as one of the most historic and important privately held assemblage of Plains Indian artifacts. Included are tipis and furnishings, shields, cradles, peace medals and clothing dating from the late 18th century to the 1890s.

The 33rd annual 2014 Plains Indian Museum Powwow is the weekend of June 21-22. The cultural celebration and competitive dance competition is a colorful event of tribal dancers, drum groups and artists who gather to celebrate their traditions and culture. Indian foods and art such as beadwork, clothing, basketry, pottery, paintings and sculpture are offered in vendor booths.

MCCRACKEN RESEARCH LIBRARY

Those who want to dig deeper into the center's repository of 30,000 books, 400 manuscript collections and half-million photographs about the West are welcomed by appointment. Available for study are collections relating to Buffalo Bill and his life, Plains Indians, dude and cattle ranching, fishing and hunting industries, the oil industry and Yellowstone National Park.

CODY'S WHAT ELSE

The vast cultural smorgasbord inside the Buffalo Bill Center is enough to keep one occupied for days, yet there's even more in the town of Cody to extend a visitor's time travel into the history and myths of the American West.

Nearly everyone takes a meal at the Irma Hotel, which has stood since 1902 at Cody's main intersection. Buffalo Bill built it and named it for his daughter. It became the town's social center and remains a must-see for today visitors. Wildlife wall mounts and the gigantic cherry-wood bar in the dining room recall the property's colorful past. You can sleep at the Irma, but a better choice is across the street at the quiet and charming Chamberlin Inn, whose origins are from the same era. The inn's family owners have renovated and updated the property to include contemporary comforts such as an atrium where guests enjoy refreshments and relaxation.

OLD TRAIL TOWN AND MUSEUM OF THE OLD WEST

This is a collection of 26 historic buildings and relics that have been gathered at one outdoor location. Step into the "Hole in the Wall" hangout cabins used by the infamous gang of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or the 1880 buffalo hunter's cabin where there's a display of the grizzly tools of that trade. Homestead cabins from the 19th century, a blacksmith shop, a post office and general stores from the 1880s are in the lineup.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

After the Draper Museum, venture into real nature in the nation's first preserve. The drive to the east gate through Waipiti Valley brings stunning scenery into view.

There's still as much excitement as there always has been in geyser eruptions and the park's other phenomena, but it's possible to go deeper into the ecology, geology and anthropology of the region with yLoop Road Trips' one-day and longer tours.

A good dining or lodging stop between Cody and the east gate is Elephant Head Lodge. With plenty of its own history dating to 1910 and Buffalo Bill's niece who built it, the rustic ambience and updated log cabins are a good base from which to tour Yellowstone (11 miles away) and Cody.

WHEN YOU GO

Information on the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is at www.centerofthewest.org. A good place to launch trip-planning for the Yellowstone and Cody region is at www.yellowstonecountry.org.

Old Trail Town and Museum of the Old West: www.oldtrailtown.org

yLoop Road Trips: www.ylooproadtrips.com

Elephant Head Lodge: www.elephantheadlodge.com

Buffalo Bill relaxes in his tent before the next Wild West Show performance, circa 1903. Photo courtesy of Ruth A. Hill.

Chief Sitting Bull was not the only Native American whom Buffalo Bill befriended and starred in his famous Wild West Show. Photo courtesy of Ruth A. Hill.

Ruth A. Hill is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.