Gene Autry was one of America's most-loved entertainers whose sixty-year career spanned every aspect of the industry including radio, music, film, television, and even rodeo. The quintessential cowboy, Autry's dream was to build a place that would honor the heritage of the West and the accomplishments of its people. The Autry National Center was established in 2003 and is comprised of the Museum of the American West, the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, and the Institute for the Study of the American West.
Exhibits take visitors on a journey that explores the Old West and its landscape, cowboy life and culture, Native American Indian culture, and the transformations that took place after the Civil War. The Museum offers audio tours and a full schedule of events including lectures, workshops, symposia, plays, concerts, film series, demonstrations, and family activities.
