Dacotah Prairie Museum - Aberdeen, South Dakota

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The Dacotah Prairie Museum of Aberdeen, South Dakota mounts both long and short-term exhibits concerning the prairie early settlers, their lives and lifestyles the railroad and its influence on settlement and Native American life.

The Northwestern National Bank was constructed in 1888-1889 using red brick and Lake Superior sandstone to create this three story Romanesque Revival style building. The large windows and arched entrances of the first floor and pairs of double hung windows on the upper floors were divided by vertical pilasters or columns which extend slightly from the building’s facade. Other decorative architectural features of the building include pressed metal trim atop the first floor windows, segmented arches over the upper story windows, and unusual arches over the three main entrances. Exterior walls are twenty inches thick (which is common in the buildings of this era using built in the Romanesque Revival with the space between the two walls of brick being used for insualtion purposes) style, and the foundations are cut field stones and mortar.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

During summer, a History Camp includes doing old-time chores, playing old-fashioned games, cooking over a camp fire, and exploring the buildings at Centennial Village is available for visitors as well as local residents.

Join the museum visitors for the Brown Bag Lunch Series which runs on Thursdays. Programs held on 2nd floor of Museum from 12:05-1:00pm. The public is invited to bring lunch to these sessions, coffee provided. Subjects to be announced.

If you have third and fourth graders bring them to the museum to enjoy An Afternoon Into the Past in which they dip candles, churn butter, spin and weave, and wash clothes on a washboard with lye soap.

The Museum only exhibits about 10% of its collection at any one time. Exhibits are planned for over a year in advance and are constantly changing. If you have visited the museum previously you will enjoy seeing the changing displays on a subsequent visit.

The archives are available to the public, with some limitations, contact the staff at the museum to find out the rules.

Location: 21 South Main Street, Aberdeen, SD

Hours: Open to the Public
Tuesday thru Friday
9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday and Sunday
1:00pm to 4:00pm

Admission is Free
Donations appreciated

Phone: (605) 626-7117