The Historic Sheridan Inn, Sheridan

The Historic Sheridan Inn was the home of Buffalo Bill Cody, as well as the site where he auditioned acts for his famous Wild West Show. The building's unique architecture has also been a cause for fascination—in 1949 it was named in Ripley's Believe It or Not as "The House of 69 Gables."

Burlington & Missouri Railroad and the Sheridan Land Company let the contract for construction of the Sheridan Inn in December of 1892. The Inn, three-stories high and boasting 69 gables along with its original 69 rooms, three fireplaces, a Grand Ballroom, and a huge covered veranda, had a reported construction cost of $25,000. It opened for business on May 27th, 1893 with a Grand Opening following on June 27th.

The Sheridan Inn's significance is derived from its contribution to the history of America. It represents the settlement of the West for its connection with the railroad. The Sheridan Inn's integral connection with Buffalo Bill Cody and his "Wild West Show" adds further significance as he transported an aura of western history and culture to the nation and Europe.

Still further significance is attributed to the Sheridan Inn's architect, Thomas Rogers Kimball, who was recognized nationally. Kimball drew on both his education and travels to Europe and Great Britain in his work. His unusual design for the Inn is attributed to a visit to a Scottish hunting lodge.

If these factors alone were not significant, there is the Inn's extensive list of famous guests - politicians, generals, and cultural luminaries. In 1964, the Sheridan Inn received our nation's highest historic designation as a National Historic Landmark.

The departure of the last guest from the Sheridan Inn was a little more than forty years ago. The Inn closed its total operation on May 1st, 1965. It was sold to a developer who was planning to build a gas station on the site! The building itself was donated to the Sheridan County Historical Society on the understanding that it would be moved to another location. However, this proved unfeasible and by 1966, it was scheduled for demolition.

At this time, Neltje King came forward to save the condemned Inn, and made the first round of investments in the Inn's future. She had renovations done on the Inn and operated it for several years as a successful restaurant.

In 1990, the Sheridan County Historical Joint Powers Board purchased the Sheridan Inn out of bankruptcy, and leased it to the Sheridan Heritage Center who paid off the loans and later received title. By 1996, the Sheridan Heritage Center had made the second round of investments, some $1.5 million dollars, yet always knowing that more was needed, especially once it was discovered that low-bearing capacity of the soils under the foundations of the Inn had caused massive structural deterioration. Over $2 million was put into the structural stabilization of the Inn, when the deteriorating foundation threatened to bring the Inn down.