2000s
The year 2000 marked our 50th anniversary. Cowtown received Heller Cabin as
a donation in 2000. The Cowtown Vintage Base Ball Club started in 2004 and
continues to entertain today. The Visitors Center building opened in 2005.
Financial struggles were fixed by the City of Wichita taking on operations.
Cowtown expanded events during this decade. Women of the West started in
2003, recognizing a woman’s place in the old west. Rails and Trails explored the
importance of the railroad and cattle trails; longhorn cattle were driven down
the museum streets. Age of the Gunfighter was highlighted by quick draw
competitions. Hay, Hooves, and Halloween began and continues to draw a
crowd as many people’s favorite event here.
2010s
Events expanded. Cowtown began hosting a Civil War weekend using Kansas volunteer
reinactment groups. In November of 2010, Cowtown hosted Wichita’s first
Steampunk Day; recognizing a growing movement, Cowtown reached a broader
audience meshing Victorian times with science fiction. And stretching our
normal timeframe, Cowtown began celebrating a Roaring Twenties event. Our
Season Launch Party now opens the year every April. Added scary events
littered the program towards the end of the decade like Boos and Brews, Historic
Hautings, and ghost tours.
Exhibits continued to grow and expand. The Masonic Lodge opened in 2016 in
partnership with local lodges. And the Music Store opened in 2017. The hotel
rooms reopened after decades of closure. The volunteer room grew in size. A soda fountain was added to the drug store, and a new safe graced the bank
exhibit. The Kids of Cowtown group was formed to engage more children in the
museum exhibits.
2020s
The eighth decade of Cowtown continues to go strong. The Kansas poet
laureate composed a poem to celebrate our 70th anniversary. New events have
included Little House on the Prairie, A Day in the Life, People of the Plains,
Night in Old Delano, Wild West Days, and Cowboys & Cocktails. New
exhibits include the Wichita Carriage Works and a history walk signage area.
New volunteer groups have emerged such as the Empire House Players in 2022
and the Garden Guild in 2024. And this year in 2025, we are celebrating our 75th
anniversary; thank you all for being a part of that!
