Time Capsules Displayed at Center of the West Today

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is taking a trip back in time today.

The annual Buffalo Bill Birthday celebration at the Center of the West today opens the doors to the public for free from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and as part of the event, a display of items from time capsules that have been discovered on the property will be featured.

Rebecca West, curator of the Plains Indian Museum, says the time capsules are from behind the cornerstone that was placed when the Whitney Gallery Wing construction started in 1958; and from the Buffalo Bill Museum Wing that opened in 1969.

West says the time capsules are being opened now partially because of the Centennial celebrations, but adds that the process began after the 1968 time capsule was damaged during the Draper construction in 2000.

West says there are images of the capsules being sealed by Bill Cody’s niece Mary Jester Allen in 1958, and Ernest Goppert, Sr. in 1968. She added that when work began for this year’s Centennial events, the decision was made to open the capsules and keep the materials in the archives rather than having them remain in the capsules.

At 4:00 today, West says that the items from the 1958 and 1968 capsules will be presented in a display, which will include historic documents, a few objects, and letters that include personal memories.