Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum

The Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum in downtown Pawnee celebrates the birthplace of one of American comics' most influential characters. Chester Gould, who created Dick Tracy in 1931 and drew the strip for 46 years, was born here in 1900. The museum covers Gould's life, the history of the strip, the villains he invented (many of whom are still cultural touchstones), and the various film and television adaptations.

Small but well-organized, with original artwork and strip archives on display. The building is in the historic courthouse square area, making it an easy combination with a look at the Pawnee County Courthouse. Budget an hour.

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A story
Chester Gould was born in Pawnee in 1900 and created Dick Tracy in 1931, introducing a level of graphic violence to newspaper comics that was genuinely shocking at the time. Tracy was the first American comic strip detective and established the template — square-jawed, uncompromising, defined by his technology — that all subsequent versions would react against or embrace. Gould drew the strip himself for 46 years without missing a daily deadline.