Nestled at the edge of the Great Plains, just 8 miles from Bighorn National Forest and 35 miles from Sheridan, Wyoming's best-kept secret town, is the Old West city of Buffalo. Built in the 1880s, Buffalo spreads over 4.5 square miles of land and has a population of around 4500. The city fully embraces its frontier roots, and alongside all of the history, art, and shopping you can do, there is also a weekly rodeo competition in the summer, a farmers market, and live music in the historic saloon that
you can enjoy.
People who really want to immerse themselves in the Wild West vibe should stay at the Historical Occidental Hotel, but there are many other hotels, inns, and motels in Buffalo. If you want to take advantage of the natural beauty around the city, Bighorn National Forest has a bunch of campgrounds and cabin rentals, and there is also camping available at Lake Desmet, which is just under 10 miles away -- be careful though, because legend has it that the lake is home to its own version of the Loch Ness monster named Smetty.
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Buffalo's Historic Downtown And Museums
Statues of cowboys and their horses greet visitors as they enter the city, serving as an instant reminder of Buffalo's origins. There are several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Buffalo Post Office, Carnegie Public Library, Johnson County Courthouse, the Buffalo Main Street Historical District, and three churches, which make for some interesting photo ops.
Buffalo served as the inspiration for the popular Western-themed book and Netflix series, "Longmire." The series author Craig Johnson lives nearby and named several establishments in his books after real-life places in Buffalo. The city hosts annual Longmire days, which feature autograph signings by Johnson and members of the cast, in addition to talks, auctions, a parade, a street dance, and horse riding.
As you stroll through the historic downtown area, you will pass a range of eclectic stores selling antiques, art, instruments, authentic Western clothes, and merch from "Longmire." There is also street art around the center, with murals depicting pastoral scenes of cows and horses springing out of the side of buildings.
Experience Old West History At The Occidental Hotel
Those who want to brush up on their Wild West history should also pay a visit to the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, which tells the story of the city's first pharmacist, the building's namesake, T.J. Gatchell. It holds an extraordinary collection of Native American artifacts, many of which were given to Gatchell -- who was a friend to the area's Indigenous people -- as gifts. Thanks to the contributions of other current and former Buffalo residents, the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum now has a collection of around 40,000 items. If you want to get deeper into Wild West lore, check out Rawlins, Wyoming's spooky city with ghost tours.
For a quintessential frontier experience, you should stay at the Occidental Hotel. Built in 1880, this perfectly restored hotel, where outlaws once slept, was one of the most renowned establishments of its kind around the turn of the century. Many historical characters have walked through its doors, including Butch Cassidy, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ernest Hemingway. Much of the hotel's original look remains intact, thanks to restoration efforts in the early 2000s.
The Occidental Hotel has a cafe, restaurant, beer garden, and a classic Wild West watering hole attached. Built in 1908, the Historic Saloon retains much of its original interior. The black bar that you sit at is over 100 years old, animal heads line the walls, a stuffed black bear guards the billiards room, and if you look closely, you will still see bullet holes in the ceiling. You can book a historic tour of Buffalo through the hotel, and the Occidental also has its own little museum, featuring artifacts, antiques, and photographs from the times of cattle wars and outlaws.
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