Cowboys: History & Hollywood

Step into the boots of America’s most enduring icon in Cowboys: History and Hollywood, an all-new exhibition that explores the real-life grit and the silver-screen glamor of the American Cowboy.

October 18, 2025 - April 19, 2026

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

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Included with Museum admission

Get ready to ride into the story of the American Cowboy—real and reimagined

From the open range to the big screen, this exhibition blends true Western history with Hollywood mythmaking. Discover how the cowboy—once a rugged laborer driving cattle across unforgiving terrain—became a larger-than-life legend symbolizing strength, self-reliance, and freedom. Explore authentic gear, rare photographs, historic artifacts, and costumes from classic Western films that shaped the cowboy image we know today.

Learn how presidents—including Ronald Reagan himself—embraced the cowboy persona, connecting leadership with the values of hard work, liberty, and determination.
Whether you grew up playing cowboy or fell in love with them through film, this exhibition will take you on a journey through fact, folklore, and the cultural legacy of a figure that still rides tall in the American imagination.

This one-of-a-kind exhibition brings the enduring spirit of the American cowboy to life—past, present, and on the silver screen. Trace the evolution of the cowboy’s work from the dusty trails of the 19th century to today’s high-tech animal management, where helicopters and ATVs have joined the herd. Don’t miss the showstopping centerpiece: a Robinson R22 helicopter, with the Ronald Reagan Rancho del Cielo Brand, which is what modern cowboys use today to round up cattle.

Additional artifacts on display include: historic saddles, hats, firearms and gear from the 1800s; Roy Rogers’ legendary companions Trigger and Bullet, along with Dale Evans’ horse, Buttermilk; iconic Hollywood costumes and props from Yellowstone, The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, Back to the Future Part III, Nope, and Annie Get Your Gun; personal items from Western icons John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and President Ronald Reagan; Reagan’s own 1953 Willys Jeep CJ-6 from Rancho del Cielo; a playful NSYNC tour cowboy costume; and even the autographed guitar of “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood.

This unforgettable journey through history and pop culture shows how the cowboy spirit still rides tall in American life.

“Cowboys can sometimes grow up and be President.”

June 5, 1985

“I seem to remember a famous country and western song warning mothers not to let their babies grow up to be cowboys… The song forgot to say that cowboys can sometimes grow up and be President.”