About the Sheridan Inn
a historic experience behind every door.
The Historic Sheridan Inn first opened on June 18th in the summer of 1893. Funded in part by the Burlington and Missouri Railroad and the Sheridan Land Company for a cost of $25,000.00. Construction had been launched in December of 1892 and on a warm evening in 1893, the first electric lights to ever be turned on in Sheridan were seen streaming out each of the Inn’s 69 gables. The architect that designed the Inn was named Thomas Kimball and featured 64 rooms split between the second and third floors with a single bathroom on each floor. Kimball fashioned the historic piece of property after hunting lodges he had visited in Scotland. The European influence can be seen throughout the building’s interior and exterior. Kimball was educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston and the L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. The Inn was fabricated to accommodate businessmen, politicians, and families needing a place to stay as they fulfilled their roles in the economic expansion of the West. The Inn’s most well-known occupant is Col. William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. He took up residence of the Inn from 1894 to 1902. During that time, Cody would use the front lawn to hold auditions for his ‘Wild West’ show. The show depicted life of the ‘old west’ featuring Native American culture and reenactments of frontier events such as a Pony Express Relay Race and most famously, the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The show featured many well-known individuals including Annie Oakley and Sitting Bull.
The Sheridan Inn’s significance in our nation’s history lies primarily in its direct connection with William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who developed and sold the concept of the Inn to the railroad and as part owner, he directed hotel management. Buffalo Bill pulled together one of the most interesting cast of true-to-life characters that has probably ever been assembled. Some he had known as a young frontier scout and others he met later as a Pony Express rider, military scout, cattle rancher, mine owner, or in one of his many other enterprises.
Each of the twenty-two rooms at the revitalized Sheridan Inn focuses on Buffalo Bill and twenty-one other key characters from his life. Each suite will present the times and individual histories of these people in the room’s overall finish, furnishings, art, artifacts, and exhibit. You will know some of the characters as icons of the American West, while others you may never have heard of previously, but they are all people you will want to know. Together, they have helped shape how we as Americans see ourselves and how others in the world see us as well.
Our Story
Some members of our management team have been together for close to a decade, and the team as a whole has worked together for going on five years now. We share a wide number of goals, values, and understanding of the hospitality industry. Customer Service, high standards, strict attention to detail, hard work, and leading from the front are those traits we all share. Like all effective teams, each member has their own individual strengths - and any weakness is offset by the strengths of each teammate. And we like each other, which is a bonus! We thoroughly enjoy working together - and it is not uncommon to find us partaking in events together around Sheridan outside of work.
Our employees are of the utmost importance to us. We value their skill sets - and their sacrifices and commitment to our team. We hold employee get-togethers monthly as our team is spread across departments (and properties) - and don't always get the opportunity to see each other regularly. We believe in the mantra take care of your employees - and they will take extra care of your guests.
Our team also recognizes the significant role the Sheridan Inn holds in the community of Sheridan. We equally understand the historic nature of the Inn and her allure to travelers near and far. Those things responsible for this allure and community importance are the things we strive daily to preserve.
Additionally, it is our intent to return a number of events and services to the Sheridan Inn that the community has asked for. The first mission accomplished was the "Dancing Couple" statue followed by The First Peoples Pow Wow. There are more on our targeted to-do list. Some take time, just know - your voices are heard, and we are making progress each day!
Thank you for stopping by!