25 Market St   Aberdeen, SD 57401

Office Hours 8:00-5:00 M-F

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Dacotah Prairie Museum


VISIT OUR FOUNDATION WEBSITE HERE 


605.626.7117 (Hours click here)
Want to support the DPM? (Donate click here)

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE DPM?
(Month of MARCH, 2024)

Gallery & Gift Shop Hours: Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 11am-4pm
Closed Sundays, Mondays & Major Holidays
(Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm)


HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:

Closed these upcoming days:

MARCH 29, FRIDAY - GOOD FRIDAY
MARCH 30, SATURDAY - EASTER WEEKEND

Holiday Schedule Continues HERE


NEW! 2022 DPM ANNUAL REPORT

Click HERE to see our uploaded history resources for researchers.
Free to download and use.

 


NOW OPEN!

 

The new one-room country school-themed exhibit for children features a barnyard and house where the children will be encouraged to complete their chores and pack a lunch for a day spent at the country school, where reading, writing, and arithmetic are the order of the day. A special area for toddlers and an abundance of role-playing activities for elementary-aged children will keep young ones and their families occupied with historical fun! Historical photos and facts about Brown County one-room country schools will be included for adults to enjoy and share their one-room schoolhouse memories.

Decker-Schooley Gallery. The renovated space has been renamed the Decker-Schooley Gallery within the museum to honor the two main contributors to the project. Esther Decker was a long-time elementary school teacher in Aberdeen and Brown County who generously left a bequest to the DPM to be used for children’s programming. Richard Schooley was the DPM custodian for over 30 years; memorials in his name were earmarked for the children’s exhibit by his family.


NOW SHOWING

Life in Miniature

“Life in Miniature” Lamont Gallery (Jan 6 to May 4) Models, miniatures, doll houses and furniture, and small-scale replica toys from the museum collection will fill the Lamont Gallery with an exhibit in which careful attention to detail will entice viewers to appreciate the small things.  Several of the artifacts have been handmade and include models of seven well-known historic buildings from Brown County made by Don Miller.  Also on display are a 6-foot working wind turbine model recently donated by Aberdeen’s former Molded Fiberglass of SD, a model of Aberdeen’s former Grain Palace made by Joe Hauck, a working model of the Grafunder prototype field seeder, a hand carved replica of a four-mast 1800s ship and more!  An exhibit addition still in progress is a recently donated dollhouse, an exact scale (1 inch =  1 foot) replica of Aberdeen’s own Longfellow House on North Main Street.  Once cleaning and repairs are complete, this impressive addition will be revealed!         

ART EXHIBITION

“Awesome Places – Beautiful Faces: Artwork by Doris Symens-Armstrong”
Dacotah Gallery (Feb 24 – Apr 20) Symens-Armstrong is a prolific artist from Watertown, SD, who had a sculpture included in our recent “Artists of the Prairie” exhibit. Her exhibit will feature numerous oil paintings and a few bronze sculptures.


NEWS FLASH!

HATTERSCHEIDT WILDLIFE GALLERY SAFE FOR VISITORS

CLICK HERE FOR FULL PRESS RELEASE


NOW OPEN:

 

“Home Sweet Home” Lamont Annex (December 1-30 ) An exhibit of photos from the DPM archives featuring historic black and white images of homes from the area.  Interior and exterior views provide a glance into the heart of home life from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.  Experience these treasures of history that were preserved on film.  

 


 

“Dacotah Prairie Museum: 50 Years & Growing…” 50th anniversary display now on exhibit. A commissioned model of the DPM building was handcrafted by Randy Pfutzenreuter and is on display. Exhibition cabinets will address the different areas of museum activities; collections, education and exhibits along with telling the stories of our museum beginning and history.  Life size standees of founders “speak” to tell their stories. On display are rare artifacts such as the Harvey Dunn painting “Leave the Past Behind”, a watercolor print by Oscar Howe “Ghost Dancer”, Native American artifacts, and other significant Brown County history items. This exhibit is an interesting, informative, and fun experience for everyone! Thanks to 3M for their 2020 grant monies for this project.


 


SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSEUM!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS.

 

Want to help support the Dacotah Prairie Museum?

Your donation contributes to conservation and preservation of artifacts, traveling exhibits, new technology, and numerous educational programs.

Thank you for your support!

DONATE NOW: 

Click here for the www.dacotahprairiemuseumfoundation.com donation page.

 


Come see us, Buster has missed you!


 

 


 

MUSEUM STORE & GALLERY HOURS:
Tuesday - Friday: 10am - 5pm
Saturday: 11am - 4pm
(Closed Sundays, Mondays & Major Holidays)

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm

605.626.7117

Patricia Kendall - Director

>Click here to become a member.<
(Dacotah Prairie Museum Foundation
is an
exempt organization as described
in
Section 501(c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code.
EIN: 46-0389362)


HOLIDAY SCHEDULE CONTINUED:

(Museum closed Sundays, Mondays & Major Holidays)

JANUARY 1, MONDAY - NEW YEARS DAY
JANUARY 15, MONDAY - MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
FEBRUARY 19, MONDAY - PRESIDENTS' DAY
MARCH 29, FRIDAY - GOOD FRIDAY
MARCH 30, SATURDAY - EASTER WEEKEND
APRIL 1, MONDAY - EASTER MONDAY
MAY 27, MONDAY - MEMORIAL DAY (OBSERVED)
JUNE 19, WEDNESDAY - JUNETEENTH
JULY 4, THURSDAY- INDEPENDENCE DAY
SEPTEMBER 2, MONDAY - LABOR DAY
OCTOBER 14, MONDAY - NATIVE AMERICAN DAY
NOVEMBER 11, MONDAY - VETERANS' DAY
NOVEMBER 28, THURSDAY - THANKSGIVING
NOVEMBER 29, FRIDAY - BLACK FRIDAY, SPECIAL HOURS: 11-4PM
DECEMBER 24-25, TUE/WED - CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS
DECEMBER 28-JANUARY 1, SAT-WED - NEW YEARS BREAK

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2024 Tax Exempt Certificate - Brown County, SD

2023 Abby Award Nomination - Community Involvement Non Profit

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Dacotah Prairie Museum * 21 S Main St * Aberdeen, SD 57401 * 605.626.7117 * dacotahprairiemuseum@gmail.com
"Things to do in Aberdeen, SD."