Long before Gunsmoke fame, Dodge City defined the Old West, triggered by a stream of Santa Fe Trail voyagers. Boot Hill Museum transports visitors to that era, with interactive exhibits capturing the thunderous stampede of a buffalo herd and a virtual chat between Wyatt Earp and other legendary lawmen. Summer brings simulated shoot-outs to the museum’s full-scale replica of Front Street.
On Historic Trolley Tours, see the original location of Boot Hill Cemetery where many gunfighters were buried, and the railroad divider between what was once the gun-free north side and the rowdy south side.
Two former Dodge City train stations house the Central Station Bar and Grill (where you can eat in an old dining car) and the Depot Theater, spotlighting locally grown talent with plays and musicals.
On warmer days, hit the Wrangler Rapids wave pool and Gunslinger tube slide at Long Branch Lagoon, or get refreshed with an iced Shiver Me Timbers Maple latte from Red Beard Coffee.
