Museum Tour
Into the Arena
Into the Arena fills people with adrenaline as they discover the graceful athleticism of champion cowgirls. These stalwart heroines give first-person accounts of life in the arena, from great rides to daring deeds, to the difficulties of being on the road.
“Greatest Rides,” captures the thrill of arena events in sound and image -- from Tad Lucas trick riding at the Deadwood Rodeo, 
to jockey Julie Krone’s win at the Belmont Stakes. Visitors gather around an “arena” located at the center of the gallery to watch some of the greatest rides in history on three, swinging projection screens that rotate much like the gate of a rodeo chute. Alongside the “arena” is a case displaying two magnificent saddles – Sheila Welch’s cutting horse saddle, and Julie Krone’s racing saddle.
Examine rodeo fashions in “Arena Style,” a display as unique as the cowgirls who wore them. Here examples of rodeo style, such as shirts, pants, and chaps, are displayed on a mechanized rack. Glimpses of flamboyant color can be seen as the clothes move towards a viewing window where the outfits are showcased one at a time. 
This rotating rack moves in direct response to a flat-panel, touchscreen display -- featuring details and additional information about the outfits -- placed in front of the case; the two work in tandem, threading together a rodeo star’s story with her corresponding clothing.
Also in this gallery is an interactive bronc riding experience, where visitors can ride, albeit at a docile pace, a “bronc” that has been modified from training bulls used by rodeo riders. The visitor’s ride is captured on video, sped up, and composited into footage from an old-style rodeo to make a one-of-a-kind movie. 
After the ride a ticket prints out with a unique password -- visit our website after noon the following day and download the movie to your computer. Accompanying text panels relate the history of women’s bronc riding and a nearby case contains an early bronc riding saddle.
Other exhibit highlights of Into the Arena:
- An interactive computer that focuses on life on the rodeo circuit. This exhibit features one-on-one interviews with such famous cowgirls as rodeo announcer Pam Minick
and barrel racer Kappy Allen, each of whom discusses the perils of the rodeo and the hardship of being on the road. - An array of rodeo memorabilia, from rodeo programs to felt badges to photographs. These span a range of times and styles, helping to convey, along with the accompanying text, a sense of longstanding tradition.
- An exhibit case containing artifacts of the famed Annie Oakley, one of the most famous women of Wild West Shows, on loan from the Garst Museum of Greenville, Ohio.
- A colorful, mechanical Wild West poster -- constructed like a pop-up to make it appear as though leaping from the wall. Nearby cases contain beautifully beaded items from the turn of the century -- gauntlets, gloves, a Wild West Show costume.
- Classic and rare images of Wild West shows
and early rodeo gathered from the photo archives of the Museum and other archives in North America. Photos and posters are reproduced in the highest quality possible. - Trunk-like cases used to illustrate the progression of rodeo history with artifacts, images, and text. Graphic panels tell visitors about the brave heroines of early rodeo, the glamorous women of the Golden Age, as well as today’s living legends.
