Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum

Rogers took the idea of building a museum after visiting the Will Rogers Museum in 1938 and finding it with few heirlooms. Rogers decided to start a collection of his own materials and upon retirement in the 1960s put them on display.[2] Two prized and unique possessions of the museum were Trigger, Rogers' horse, and Bullet, Rogers' dog, in taxidermy.[3] The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum first moved within California in 1976 from Apple Valley to Victorville, where it stood for 27 years. Following the death of Rogers (1998) and Evans (2001) the museum moved in 2003 to Branson, Missouri.[4] Struggling financially during a down-turn economy, the remaining family decided to close its doors on December 12, 2009.

The majority of the collection was sold in July 2010 for $2.9 million,[5] with Trigger and Bullet being purchased by a Nebraska-based TV network named RFD.[3] The Autry National Center acquired key artifacts including newspaper clippings, Rose Parade programs, Roy Rogers Show memorabilia, sheet music, and the rare plastic saddle he used on Trigger.[6]

Another significant item that sold in auction was Rogers’ 1964 Pontiac Bonneville for the price of $254,500. Artist Nudie Cohn, Rogers’ tailor, outfitted the car with silver dollars, chrome-plated pistols, horseshoes, miniature horses and rifles, many of which were functional parts of the car such as door handles, switches and controls.[7]