The American West Heritage Center reinvents one of its past events

The American West Heritage Center in Wellsville will be launching its bison tour as a stand alone event on Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Years ago the bison were here in the valley but just last year we hosted a bison tour event in conjunction with our fall Harvest Festival and baby animal days in the spring,” said Rebecca Getz, the marketing manager at the center. “This year we are trying to reintroduce the bison tour as an event of its own.”

Staff members from the center will lead guests in tractor-drawn covered wagons into the bison enclosure where they can see the animals up close.

“People drive all the way to Yellowstone to see bison, but what a lot of them don’t realize is that we have them right here in our valley,” said Sarah Gunnell, the accounting and building rental coordinator at the center. “Sometimes the bison come right up to the wagon and you can feed them cubes of hay. It really is an experience of a lifetime.”

Each tour will be 25 minutes long. Advanced reservations must be made to ensure a spot on the wagon. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids. More information can be found by calling 435-245-6050.