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Cody is also home to Buffalo Bill State Park, whose namesake epitomizes the Old West. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to partake in hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor recreation familiar to westerners. Visitors can also visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, which highlights America’s unique frontier history and the local dam and reservoir named after the American legend. Guides from the area facilitate wild horse tours, where the wild horses are descendants of Buffalo Bill’s animals.

People passing through the area can also check out a tour of Kirwin, one of the country’s best-preserved ghost towns, in an excursion that takes curious westerners hiking through the river crossings surrounded by the elk and moose that roam the area. Or, they can rent a three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot, allowing them to explore several scenic byways throughout the region. Thrill seekers can head to Sleeping Giant to ride the largest zipline in all of Wyoming or take in the Cody Firearms experience, where they can shoot more than 70 period guns.

Cody residents are a unique type who fully embrace and respect the western way of life. Stop by the local restaurants and retailers around town, and visitors will find that everything from food to clothing to cultural activities like local arts and crafts features a bold sense of western spirit. After all, there’s a reason that USA Today voted Cody, Wyoming, as 2023’s best western small town.

But at its core, Cody is a rodeo town built on the history and legacy of rodeo sports. Cody’s rodeo tradition kicked off in 1919, paying homage to Buffalo Bill and his Wild West show and tribute to the spirit of the “Old West” he personified.

“The reason our founder Buffalo Bill Cody loved it out here so much is that he lived the authentic western lifestyle,” says Ryan Hauck, the marketing director for Cody Yellowstone. “Rodeo is a big part of that. So he was a big reason why we became a town but also why we have what we have today, including the Cody Nite rodeo grounds.”

During the summer, Cody is the only place in the world where people can see rodeo sports any night of the week. The Cody Nite Rodeo runs every evening from June 1 to August 31, equaling 92 days of rodeo excitement, and is the only rodeo in the world to feature such an ongoing nightly format. The Cody Nite rodeo just celebrated what was not only its 100th year in operation but 100 years in a row. Even in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens of Cody and the surrounding areas figured out how to put on a show. These nightly events help support the area’s biggest rodeo event of the season, the world-famous Cody Stampede.

Come Fourth of July weekend, there’s no better rodeo destination than Cody. And frankly, where better to go to celebrate America’s birthday than the birthplace of rodeo? This year’s events kick off on June 30 with PBR Xtreme Bulls, followed by the 104th annual Cody Stampede, which will run from July 1 through 4. With $200,000 in prize money annually, it’s no wonder the best of the best visit Cody each year to try their luck in the arena.

Fourth of July weekend usually sees about 10,000 visitors from far and wide for the celebrations. The Wild West Arts Festival, which takes place from July 2 to 4, is an excellent place to buy or sell jewelry, unique wooden and metalcrafts like belt buckles and flasks, artwork exemplifying western tastes and culture, custom furniture, western-inspired photography, and a host of other fashion and home items. And the entire weekend is centered around the Stampede, making it a time-honored tradition that draws rodeo fans from afar.

On the nation’s birthday, thousands of spectators will line Sheridan Avenue in downtown Cody each year to commemorate the founding of America. Parades occur on July 3 and 4, and the community spends thousands of dollars on the July 4th fireworks show.