John Wayne spent five decades stepping into other people\u2019s boots. Cowboys, soldiers, oil field firefighters \u2014 men whose lives were defined by work, danger, and duty. And somewhere along the way, between long nights on set and dust-covered locations, he developed a genuine respect for the people who actually lived those roles, particularly those who run toward danger while the rest of us step back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This September, the Wayne family is tangibly extending that respect. First responders \u2014 police, firefighters, paramedics, paramedics, and emergency medical personnel \u2014 will receive 20% off walk-up admission to\u00a0John Wayne: An American Experience\u00a0with a proper ID.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The museum itself isn\u2019t just a nod to the \u201cDuke,\u201d but to Marion Morrison, the man. Room by room, visitors walk through the story of a boy from Iowa who grew into a towering American icon. The Wayne family has filled the space with personal letters, family photographs, and mementos that were once tucked away in private collections. What emerges is not just the image of a Hollywood star, but a fuller portrait of the values he carried both on and off screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And right now, there\u2019s even more to see. The museum\u2019s recent expansion allows for two rotating exhibits, each as unexpected as they are essential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first is\u00a0\u201cThe John Wayne Gun Collection \u2013 Guns that Won the West,\u201d on display through Dec. 31. It\u2019s an arresting walk through four decades of John Wayne films, from\u00a0\u201cThe Big Trail\u201d\u00a0(1930) to\u00a0\u201cThe Shootist\u201d\u00a0(1976). Highlights include the Remington 1861 New Model Army from Wayne\u2019s very first starring role, the short-barreled large loop Winchester Model 1892 \u2014 familiar to anyone who\u2019s watched\u00a0\u201cTrue Grit\u201d\u00a0or\u00a0\u201cBig Jake\u201d\u00a0\u2014 and even the Colt 1890 Gatling Gun that spit fire in\u00a0\u201cThe War Wagon\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cRooster Cogburn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The second rotating exhibit pulls the story in an entirely different direction.\u00a0\u201cThe John Wayne Family Portfolio Collection\u201d\u00a0features ten works from Andy Warhol\u2019s \u201cCowboys & Indians\u201d<\/a> series. Warhol\u2019s bold colors and sharp lines bring new dimensions to figures like Annie Oakley, Teddy Roosevelt, Geronimo, and, of course, Wayne himself. Seen together, it\u2019s a fascinating contrast \u2014 the grittiness of Wayne\u2019s on-screen life paired with Warhol\u2019s pop-art lens.\u00a0<\/p>\n