Buffalo Nation

Buffalo Nation
January 30, 2026 – January 30, 2028
at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Imagine gazing over vast grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see. Countless buffalo lumber, wallow, and graze as dust rises around their enormous backs and the scent of sagebrush hangs in the air. Deep bellows roll across the prairie, mixing with birdsong in a scene that feels timeless. For generations, this was the dominant rhythm of life on the plains. Before long the buffalo—once numbering an estimated 30 million or more—were driven to the brink of extinction within a century of the Declaration of Independence.

Now, as America approaches its 250th anniversary, the Center of the West invites our region and the nation to reconnect with the animal that has shaped the American story like no other. Buffalo Nation is a two-year, immersive exhibition that surrounds audiences with the sights, sounds, art, science, and spirit of the buffalo—past, present, and future. It is a full-sensory journey into a North American icon whose persistence mirrors the nation’s own and whose survival points to what’s possible when communities commit to restoration and respect. Center of the West CEO Rebecca West adds, “In addition to the six Spotlight Exhibits and Special Exhibition, in May of 2026 visitors can anticipate new, large scale audiovisual experiences featuring the American Bison as they enter the Center. We want to set the stage for the variety of exciting offerings and share the enthusiasm for the 250th and beyond!” Big things ahead!

Chosen in 2016 as the national mammal of the United States for representing “unity, resilience, and health,” the buffalo is more than wildlife—it is a living symbol. Buffalo Nation digs into that symbolism and then goes further, revealing the animal’s deep ties to place, to diverse cultures, and to the ongoing work of ecological renewal. Across the exhibition, audiences discover four powerful themes:

• The buffalo is the past, present, and future of the West. Its story precedes but was profoundly shaped by nation-building.
• The buffalo has significance to diverse peoples and universal meanings among many cultures.
• The buffalo’s story is tied to place and deeply rooted in the American West.
• Buffalo persist as a physical presence on American lands as a powerful symbol in stories, legends, and belief systems.

Six Spotlights. One Big Story.

The experience begins with six Spotlight Exhibitions located throughout the Center of the West’s campus. Each offers a different doorway into the buffalo’s world through extraordinary objects drawn from the Center’s interdisciplinary collections—fine art, photography, firearms, natural history specimens, and archival treasures. Whether drawn to contemporary Native art, historic photographs, or the science of prairie ecosystems, each spotlight offers an entry point into the larger story.

John Hitchcock (left) adds a dragonfly to Buffalo, Deer, Bird, 2025.

In August of 2026, the heart of Buffalo Nation opens in the Anne & Charles Duncan Special Exhibition Gallery. Audiences are welcomed by a short introductory film from acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, setting the stage for what follows: a dynamic environment packed with hands-on activities, compelling objects, and moments for reflection. Floor-to-ceiling photographic murals by Yellowstone photographer Tom Murphy transport audiences into bison country. Touch screens invite exploration; touchable hide, horn, and bone make the animal tangible.

Families will enjoy the “Bison Wallow,” a soft-seating zone for relaxation and learning, and a giant “buffalo chip” model—an amusing entry into studying what bison eat and why manure matters so much to prairie health.

Voices That Bring the Story Alive

Four interactive Storyteller Modules present questions and responses in a simulated conversation format. On screen, a Wyoming bison rancher, a lead bison biologist from Yellowstone National Park, and two Indigenous leaders connected to cultural preservation and tribal restoration appear. The result is an honest, hopeful exchange—one that celebrates deep knowledge rooted in land and community while facing the realities of conservation in a changing world.

Art, Science, and a Bison Skeleton

Momentum for Buffalo Nation began early with two artist residencies in summer 2025. A striking new mural in the Plains Indian Museum—Buffalo, Deer, Bird—by John Hitchcock and Emily Arthur was installed with the help of community members and celebrates the mutual bond between land, people, and the buffalo.

Then there is an anatomy lesson that leaves a lasting impression: an articulated bison skeleton prepared by Draper Natural History Museum staff with volunteers and Lee “The Boneman” Post. Transferred from Yellowstone and carefully reconstructed, the skeleton reveals the powerful engineering beneath the buffalo’s fur—an unforgettable look at how form follows function on the plains.

Robert Martinez (Northern Arapaho/Chicano). Buffalo Bull (Heeneecee), 2020. Acrylic and oil on linen. Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Gift of The Alexander Bodini Foundation in memory of Alexander Bodini. NA. 705.10B

Programs for All Ages—All Year

From film screenings and speaker series to Indigenous dance and music, buffalo-themed culinary events, and family activities, the Center of the West will host a lively lineup throughout the exhibition’s run. Two large-scale LED features—one greeting visitors in the front window and another in our Hub—will showcase videos of grazing and running buffalo, animated art and images, and a full audio soundscape. Lunchtime Expeditions, artist residencies, and member programs all lean into exhibition themes. For educators, blood-and-bone science meets living culture with new lesson plans and field trips (virtual and in-person), including herd visits for students across Wyoming and Montana.

Built by the Community to Share with the Nation

Buffalo Nation is a true community project, shaped by an Exhibition Advisory Council and enriched by student work, tribal partnerships, filmmakers, photographers, scientists, and global AV professionals. New films were shot with the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative and Antlers Ranch, and a major publication by Tom Murphy and Yellowstone biologist Chris Geremia arrives in August 2026 with a special exhibition edition.

Why It Will Be Remembered

Because Buffalo Nation is as emotional as it is educational. The exhibition presents the animal that powered westward expansion—and nearly paid for it with extinction. Living voices rebuilding relationships with bison today are central to the narrative. History, landscape, conservation, culture, and community emerge as inseparable. As America celebrates 250 years, Buffalo Nation offers a timely question: what kind does the future hold? The buffalo’s comeback proves that renewal is possible. The story continues.

Plan a visit

CenteroftheWest.org • 307-587-4771
720 Sheridan Ave., Cody, Wyoming

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