Who doesn’t like a good gunfight followed by a hearty meal and an entertaining variety show? If that sounds like your idea of a good time, get along down to the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, Kansas.
Disclosure: Visit Dodge City hosted our visit to the Boot Hill Museum. As always, all opinions are our own.
Boot Hill Museum is called that because it’s located where the original Boot Hill Cemetery was. The vision for the museum is to allow visitors to “experience the history and relive the legend of Dodge City.” They do a great job of creating an entertaining yet educational experience for the whole family, particularly those of us who remember shows like “Gunsmoke.”
The Boot Hill Museum is more of an immersive entertainment activity than passively walking along and enjoying displays. There are displays of course, with items that local folks used between the 1870s to the 1920s. But make sure you stay and partake in the more “active” events.
Buildings you can see on the property include:
- The Boot Hill Building
- Fort Dodge Jail
- Santa Fe Railway Depot
- 1915 one-room schoolhouse
- 1880 Carriage/Blacksmith Shop
- 1879 Cattleman’s Home
Start with a sarsaparilla in the saloon, then take a walk through the fascinating displays of buildings and period items that belonged to Dodge City townsfolk. Chalkley Beeson founded a museum after he started collecting the items in the 1870s. They were housed in the Beeson Museum, which closed in 1964. Those items were then donated to the Boot Hill Museum by the Beeson family. Today there are more than 60,000 items in the collection, which are housed in the Beeson Gallery. Chalkley’s collection and his family’s continued stewardship of it has been vital to the history and storytelling of Dodge City.
Next up, take a seat and get ready for the gunfight, because what is an old-west town really, if there is no gunfight. Yes, expect to jump with that first shot, even though you know it’s coming.
Whatever you do, do NOT skip the dinner and variety show. Dinner is served at 6:30pm and consists of a delightful and delicious old-style meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, cream corn, green beans, biscuits, apple crisp, tea and lemonade. Almost too much to eat!
After you’ve filled your belly, sit back and enjoy the “Long Branch Variety Show.” The show began in 1958 and is now billed as the “longest running seasonal theatrical show in the nation”. “Miss Kitty” runs the variety show in the saloon, and Can-Can dancers delight all ages with their wonderful singing and dancing. The character of Chalkley Beeson was added in 1984 as the owner of the Long Branch Saloon – which he really was for five years.
Most interesting for us was our connection to this site – it turns out that this famous Chalkley Beeson was David’s great-great-grandpa’s (Richard Beeson) first cousin (making him David’s first cousin four times removed). They must have been very close because Richard also named one of his sons Chalkley. So, there are two Chalkley Beesons in the family line.
If you have some time during your visit, stop in and get some fun photos taken at The Old West Photo Parlor, and then make sure that you stop in at the gift shop. Of course, you need a souvenir of this lovingly recreated historic site, and it’s also a great way to financially support it by buying those special memorabilia.
Boot Hill Museum is located at 500 W. Wyatt Earp Blvd., Dodge City, KS 67801
Parking is free and easy with a large parking lot that can easily hold your RV.
The museum is open year-round. Summer hours are 8am-8pm daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Off-summer hours are 9am-5pm Monday through Saturday, and 1pm-5pm on Sunday.
Entry fees are based on a “pass.” The “Deputy Pass” is available year-round. Seniors and Veterans are $18, Adults are $20, Kids ages 5-12 are $14, and a family of 2 adults and 2+ children is $68. This gives you entry to the buildings and the exhibits.
The “Marshal Pass” is available in the summer season, from Memorial Day to mid-August (check the website to be certain of dates) and in addition to the buildings and exhibits it includes the “World Famous Boot Hill Museum Gunfighters” performing at noon and 6pm. Also included is dinner at 6:30pm at the “Long Branch Variety Show” at 7pm. The cost is $50 for adults and $38 for children ages 5-12.
Leave a comment