From Visitor to Curator: Paul Hutton’s Journey to the Buffalo Bill Museum

You may have heard about one of the hottest new history books on the New York Times bestseller list, The Undiscovered Country by Paul Hutton. It is a fabulous read that keeps the pages turning. Taking an unvarnished look at the whole of the Westward expansion, Hutton paints a more complete picture using the lives of a few legends, ending with Cody’s own, Buffalo Bill.

However, this is an article about the author and how he’s recently (finally, he might say) joined our community as the Interim Director of the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

The Road to Cody

Paul Hutton is not new to Cody but has finally called it home. His first visit to Cody was in 1968 when he took a country-wide trip with friends in a VW Bus. Classic. Each chose locations they wanted to visit to plan the trip, and Paul’s choices were naturally history-related. He wanted to see the Custer battlefield and Cody, Wyoming, the town Buffalo Bill built.

What he found in Cody was a strong sense of community, support for historical sites and museums, and a rich cowboy culture. Returning repeatedly since 1977, he forged good friendships in Cody, with Paul Fees and Peter Hassrick among many others.

One of his trips to Cody was for his wedding. Naturally, he planned it to embrace history. Married in a church funded by the winnings of a poker game (the Poker Church), by a Justice of the Peace (Judge Webster). His best man, Paul Fees, also adored history, and the reception was held at the museum—a perfect combination for him and his bride.

While a history professor at the University of New Mexico, he built a distinguished writing career that led him to work on over 150 documentaries and as a film consultant. His ability to understand and communicate history in an accessible manner has been a key to his success as a teacher and an author. He is passionate about Western history and brings it to life for all to enjoy in an engaging style that allows for rich understanding.

A Constant at the Buffalo Bill Museum

Paul Hutton has been a consistent presence with the museum for 25 years. He served on the McCracken Library for many years and was asked to serve on the board for the Buffalo Bill Museum. He has been a long-standing board member for over two decades, bringing continuity. Being good friends with Jeremy Johnston, he was devastated by the sudden loss of this good man and historian.

With his retirement earlier this year, the continuity for the Buffalo Bill Museum rises to another level when he was offered and accepted the positions as the Tate Chair of Western History and interim Curator of the Buffalo Bill Museum. And with the acceptance, he is finally making Cody his home.

A Vision for Connection

As he settles in, he is looking at how to make the Buffalo Bill museum even more lively and colorful, just like Buffalo Bill himself. To that end, he is examining other towns that have a strong sense of community and support for historical sites, museums, and cowboy culture throughout the state. He plans to do his research to define Cody’s uniqueness better and find ways to capitalize on that.

He comes from New Mexico, which has a deep Spanish influence. The country is turning 250 years old next year, but Cody (and much of the West) is 130 years young. He says Cody is like a teenage rockstar in comparison, and we need to look at how we handle that. His work at the museum will build on the good work done by Jeremy Johnston, and he will infuse it with his unique way of sharing history. He hopes to continue more closely intertwining the museum and the history there with the town.

He plans to keep Jeremy’s memory alive by establishing a Speaker Series in his honor. Watch for more information as it develops further.

Meet Paul Hutton

Mark your calendars for a talk by Paul Hutton at the Cody Library on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 6:00 pm. He will share about his most recent book, The Undiscovered Country. The talk is sure to be full of fascinating history – you won’t want to miss it!

This article is proudly sponsored by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West