Dodge City Boot Hill Museum
We got into Dodge City, Kansas fairly late but there was a few hours left until Boot Hill Museum closed so we decided to check it out. Its about as much of a tourist trap as you can expect to find with lots of curio shop trinkets in the gift shops that you can get in other curio shops just about anywhere else and the Front Street mock up is just a facade like an old movie set. That being said I still thought it was a interesting place to see with all the artifacts, guns and things inside. You can get a sarsaparilla and watch a can-can show, unfortunately we were too late for that, see mock gun fights or get your name printed on various wanted posters from an antique printing press. People really into life in the Old West would enjoy the museum parts and kids would like the touristy and show bits.
Talking to some of the old locals in town later there seemed to be a bit of a love hate relationship with the Boot Hill Museum. First they didn’t like it because its fake and not authentic and too touristy and detracts from the real history of Dodge City. I can understand that, many places in New Mexico have done the same thing. They also said that they were sad that at the same time that pretty soon the Museum would be the only place left where people could see our history and the way things were. Apparently theres still a bit of a sore spot that all the graves were moved from Boot Hill Cometary and those old wounds had been reopened as more artifacts and things were discovered and relocated during the course of building a new highway through town that was still being worked on when we were there. I didn’t get the whole story on that. So these residents anyway loved that the museum had worked hard to collect and preserve and display all the artifacts showing how life used to be but at the same time the buildings and setting is artificial.
If you are interested in the Old West, however, its well worth the visit. I’ve been to several historic Old West towns and museums and grew up next to Lincoln, NM but this Boot Hill Museum had many every day items that you just dont see very often and many things that I had never seen before. Very cool stuff, check it out if you are ever passing through the area.
This is going to be another 2 or 3 part series, stay tuned for more.
This drug store/apothecary was my favorite.
Old West drug store
Old West apothecary
Taylor's shop
The old west tobacco shop had lots of vintage samples and containers. Little Tom’s Havana cigars, Genuine Durham, Dill’s Best, and Revelation smoking tobacco, and more.
Tobacco shop
Gambling Hall
Piano
Undertaker's Supplies
You just don’t see this type of woodworking and detail in ordinary bank teller desks or checkout windows anymore.
Bank Window
School House
Looks like a few people spent quite a long time in here to carve holes in the walls.
Jail Cell
They had this interesting old house in there, it was already locked up for the day so we didn’t get to see inside. I love all the architectural details, check out the roof, front door and some of the windows.
Old House
Even nice houses in the middle of town had outhouses. Between that and the slaughter houses in the olden days.. whew!
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