Fort Cody is the great Nebraska interstate paradox: a 20,000-square-foot Old West showroom you can absolutely get lost in, and it is completely worth the stop. The centerpiece is Buffalo Bill’s Miniature Wild West Show — 20,000 hand-carved pieces in animated dioramas — and the free Old West museum is genuinely interesting rather than a sales funnel.
The name isn’t decoration. Buffalo Bill Cody ran his ranch just outside North Platte, and this place has been trading on that heritage since 1963 without much irony. The inventory runs from handmade Native American jewelry to Minnetonka moccasins to walls of western books.
You can do a walkthrough in 30 minutes or burn two hours. It’s open year-round right at the I-80/Hwy 83 exit — longer hours in summer, Sunday afternoons only. Huge free parking, RVs and buses included.