WAXIPEDIA

The "NEW" Gunfighters Wax Museum

~ Dodge City, Kansas, USA ~

In 1957, Dodge City, Kansas photographer Larry Yost did something unexpected.

While visiting a traveling carnival that had taken up residency nearby, he became intrigued with a display of a half-dozen Wild West wax figures on display. The second floor of his photography studio, at 603 Fifth Ave, was vacant and eventually Mr. Yost did what any rational person would do: he went back to the fair, bought the wax outlaws and started what was to become "THE MIDWEST'S FAMOUS GUNFIGHTERS WAX MUSEUM". 

He would eventually commission enough artists to fill the halls of his waxen world and then opened his dream! Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill and some of the cast of the (then) hit television show GUNSMOKE were all there, as were the likes of Dracula and the Wolfman and Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. 

What did monsters and Presidents have to do with Gunfighters and the old west, you might ask? Well, in an 1985 interview with the Dodge City Daily Globe, Larry made that very clear; "There's no real reason..."

In 1982 Larry Yost sold the building to the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame, who (to their immense credit) have kept it operating ever since as a duel attraction. Educators of note and merit on the first floor and a decapitated outlaw and outlaws and murders on the second - both included in a single admission price!

The Wax Museum has remained opened to the public virtually unchanged from how it appeared in the very early 10960s. When so many wan museums have closed over the years, this little one keeps meeting on Main Street at high noon, takes ten paces, turns and shoots to live another day!

Here for your enjoyment is shared a vintage, brochure guide for THE MIDWEST'S FAMOUS GUNFIGHTERS WAX MUSEUM, courtesy of the personal collection of Timothy Randall.

(click the pictures for full-sized High Definition images)

Enjoy this trip through time? Why not visit the GUNFIGHTERS WAX MUSEUM next time you're in Dodge City, Kansas? Just tell them WAXIPEDIA sent you!

 Or if you want more daily fun and excitement join WAXIPEDIA's always exciting FACEBOOK GROUP!

Dedicated to preserving the history of Wax Arts, and the unique stories of all those involved in its development, WAXIPEDIA strives to be the number one source of information on the subject of Wax Museums and their role in the attractions and entertainment industries. Through the sharing of photographs, brochures, movies and stories we hope to enlighten, engage and entertain all who discover us. 

As a resource, the WAXIPEDIA ARCHIVES was established in 2014 as a repository for physical examples and information pertaining to these educational goals. Consisting of thousands of items (ranging from century-and-a-half year old guidebooks to life-sized wax figures) the ARCHIVES are the backbone of WAXIPEDIA's mission. Anyone interested in supporting these efforts through donating are encouraged to visit patreon.com/WAXIPEDIA and contact us at waxipediaofficial@gmail.com. Items donated will be digitally scanned, photographed and eventually restored to be credited to their specific donors and made available to future generations of artists, designers, historians and fans. 

~ Thank You ~