This reference provides the first comprehensive guidebook to the remnants of a key period in American history. Danilov examines both the real and mythical history of the trans-Mississippi region from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s through the lens of more than 1,500 historic sites and museums in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Locations including missions, trails, landmarks, forts, ghost towns, and Native American villages are featured here, along with details of what is on view.The early American West has taken on mythic proportions, coming to be regarded as a time and place unlike any other. In Historic Sites and Museums of the Old West, Victor J. Danilov examines both the real and mythical history of the trans-Mississippi region from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s through the lens of more than 1500 historic sites and museums in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Locations including missions, trading posts, trails, landmarks, military forts, battlefields, railroads, ghost towns, and early Native American villages are featured here, along with details of what exhibits and artifacts are on view.Helpfully organized both by classification and by location, this reference volume provides the first comprehensive guidebook to the remnants of a key period in American history. As such, it will prove useful for libraries, historians, history buffs, and travelers alike.