Lookout Mountain Park is the burial site of the internationally famous western frontiersman William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1889, a group of prominent area businessmen and residents proposed the idea of creating a mountain park as a getaway point for people from the urban city.

Although the area for the original Lookout Mountain Park, as it became commonly known, was acquired by the syndicate, little manmade construction took place since finances were stymied by the Silver Crash of 1893.

After languishing due to this and the deaths of its aging stockholders, Lookout Mountain Park was acquired by businessman Rees Vidler, who constructed a funicular incline railway to the top along with other attractions.

The museum continues to host visitors from around the world, a testament to Buffalo Bill's global appeal even a century after his Wild West exhibition last performed.