Draper Museum of Natural History
The Draper isn’t a mini-Yellowstone, meant to act as a substitute for the real thing, but a place that helps visitors understand the area better. Walk around the museum and learn why Old Faithful isn’t so faithful anymore; about why the re-introduction of wolves to the park in 1995 and 1996 was, and still is, so contentious and that the region has produced over 2 billion barrels of oil.

The first time I went to Cody it was to climb the frozen waterfalls that form in the canyons and gullies outside town each winter. But don’t worry, I won’t recommend that for you … at least not in the middle of summer. Cody has plenty of non-extremity-numbing things to do. The Cody Nite Rodeo, the longest running rodeo in the U.S. and the reason Cody was named the “Rodeo Capital of the World,” has been going strong at Stampede Park for over 60 years. The North Fork of the Shoshone has whitewater rafting perfect for rafters (there are commercial outfitters happy to take you) and kayakers. Fly fishermen and women will love the North and South Forks of the Shoshone as well as Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Browse antique shops and art galleries along Main Street. Hike in Buffalo Bill State Park and on area landmark Heart Mountain (the summit of Heart is a true test of how hard and fast your heart can pump). There are mountain biking and horseback riding areas within town limits and the nearby Shoshone National Forest has hundreds of miles of trails.

Looking for a comfortable place to recover from all these activities? The Irma Hotel, named after Cody’s daughter Irma Louise and built smack in the middle of downtown in 1902 by Cody himself, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While Buffalo Bill Cody is no longer around to hold try-outs for his Wild West Show (which he did right at the Irma), every night from June through September, the Cody Gunfighters stage a shootout on the street in front of the hotel. The hotel’s cherrywood bar – a gift to Buffalo Bill from Queen Victoria – is one of the most photographed features in town.