A Bison Trek to the National Museum of Natural History

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026

In 2026, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is celebrating the American bison. On March 11th, three larger-than-life bison sculptures crafted by renowned paleo artist, Gary Staab, and gifted to the museum by Naoma Tate and the family of Hal Tate, took a most unusual week-long trek from Colorado to Washington, D.C.

Followed by a team of documentarians, photographers, filmmakers, and storytellers, the circuitous cross-country stampede began by bolting the statues to a flatbed truck to drive them to their destination. With brief layovers in Denver, Lincoln, NE, Iowa City, IA and Chicago, IL, stopping points hosted tribal and educational activities honoring the legacy of these mighty mammals.

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026

“The journey was not without challenges,” says Photographer Audrey Hall. “A tight timeline competed with high winds, a fire in the Sand Hills, rain, snow, and vehicular drama.” The trip also coincided with the migration of the Sand Hill Cranes, an annual event that draws avid birders from across the country.

“Each challenge was gracefully overcome, helping us arrive only one day late with our precious cargo,” explains Hall. Fellow traveler and Author, Chase Reynolds, says that the caravan’s difficulties were mitigated by witnessing the reaction of onlookers as the huge sculptures were spotted on the road. “I will never forget the experience,” she says.

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026

Upon arrival in Washington, D.C., the sculptures were craned into place as a permanent exhibit outside the museum. “The museum building was completed in 1910 and features plinths that just remained empty over all these years,” says Hall. “The bull sculpture sits on one plinth, and the rendering of a bison cow and her calf sits on the other.” A time capsule containing artifacts and a platinum print account of the journey is sealed beneath the bull.

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026

The arrival of the bronze bison sets the stage for Bison Standing Strong, a new comprehensive exhibition exploring the cultural endurance and ecological legacy of these fuzzy bovines. Near extinction in the late 1880s, the bison prevailed with the help of conservationists and remains one of the most recognizable symbols representing the majesty of the American West.

The new exhibit, Imagining Bison, opens May 21, 2026. The display will feature rare drawings and Indigenous artwork, illustrating the intersections of art and science as they relate to preserving the natural world. A future book by Reynolds and Hall is also in the works. The museum’s salute to bison will be open through May 2029, and the bronze sculptures will welcome future generations of visitors.

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026

Photo: © Audrey Hall, 2026