The Old West Comes Alive in Dodge City - Dodge City Kansas
Dodge City, Kansas has a rich and somewhat notorious history. Dodge City began as a Santa Fe Railroad stop to both supply the area residents and also to take longhorn cattle beef to the east. Cattle were driven from Texas to Dodge City starting in 1875, and the number of Texas longhorns that arrived there increased each year. With the thriving cattle trade, the city also grew in leaps and bounds.
Dodge City earned a reputation as a wild town. Saloons numbered in the double digits, and the famous lawmen of the time earned their reputations on the streets of Dodge City. While the movie industry has exaggerated these incidents, there were still many opportunities for Wyatt Earp, the Masterson brothers, Doc Holliday, and many others to earn their places in history.
Visitors today enjoy getting a glimpse of the Old West in Dodge City. One fun way to do this is to visit the Boot Hill Museum. Built on the site of the real Boot Hill Cemetery, the Boot Hill Museum re-creates life in the 1870s in a western village. This is a chance for visitors to see why Dodge City got the nickname of "The Wickedest City in the West."
There are many exhibits on display in the Boot Hill Museum. One of these details the people on the plains who lived in the area. Other exhibits include the Beeson Gallery, the Long Branch Saloon, Hardesty House, an interesting exhibit of guns of the Old West, and the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Each of these exhibits and many more are designed to give museum visitors a genuine idea of what life what like during Dodge City’s heyday.
The museum also hosts a variety of other fun summer activities. The Occidental Saloon is the site of a nightly chuckwagon dinner that features beef brisket and apple crisp. The Boot Hill Gunfighters re-enact gunfights daily at high noon and at night on their fictitious Front Street for the enjoyment of visitors.
The Long Branch Variety Show starts after you have had your fill of the delicious chuckwagon supper and watched the gunfighters settle their differences. The variety show features singing, dancing, comedy and can-can dancers. Onlookers can enjoy a sarsaparilla or cold beer while they are entertained. There are plenty of other things to keep everyone busy throughout the day, including storytelling and learning how to do the can-can.
Located on Front Street in Dodge City, the museum has both summer and winter hours. Summer hours are in effect from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and it is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Winter hours are from Labor Day to Memorial Day, and the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Boot Hill Museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Admission prices for summer hours are $8 for adults, $7.50 for senior citizens and children over the age of six. Children under the age of six are free, and they have a family price of $25, if that is less costly. Winter admission prices are one dollar less than summer admission prices. However, the price of admission is well worth the entertainment at Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City.
The Old West Comes Alive in Dodge City - Kansas City
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