South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center facts for kids

The South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre, South Dakota, is a special place that helps keep the history and culture of South Dakota alive. It's the main office for the South Dakota State Historical Society. This center opened in 1989 and is home to many important parts of the Historical Society.

Here, you'll find offices for managing the society, protecting old buildings and sites, and doing research and publishing. The Center also has the State Archives and a Museum. These different parts work together to save and share the stories of South Dakota and its people.

The Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society started way back in 1901. It now has over 30,000 items! The State Archives was officially created in 1975, but its collections go back to 1891. The Archives holds a huge amount of records, over 12,000 cubic feet, which show many parts of South Dakota’s past.

How the Center Started: A Look at Its History

The South Dakota State Historical Society began as a group called the Old Settlers Association of Dakota Territory in 1862. After South Dakota became a state in 1889, people realized they needed to save its history. So, the State Historical Society was officially founded on February 27, 1890.

The group became more organized in 1901 when the state government created the Department of History. Doane Robinson was chosen to lead it. Their main job was to "collect, preserve, exhibit, and publish" materials about the state's history.

In 1932, the Historical Society moved into the new Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Building. This building was built to honor World War I veterans. It gave the society its own space for offices, collections, archives, and exhibits. The Society stayed there until 1989. To celebrate South Dakota's 100th birthday, the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center was built to show off the state's history.

The Cultural Heritage Center Building

Important people, including Governor George S. Mickelson and his wife Linda, started the building of this research center on May 1, 1987. Staff moved into the finished building in early 1989. The center opened to the public in May 1989. Governor Mickelson officially dedicated it on November 3, 1989, as part of the state's 100th birthday celebration.

The building is 63,000 square feet and is built underground. This design reminds people of the earth-covered homes of the Arikara Indians who once lived along the Missouri River. The building is covered with native prairie grass from Jones County. It's also surrounded by native plants. Just like the sod houses of early settlers, the Center's grasses are home to many small animals that eat the wild flowers and herbs growing there.

Building the center underground helps keep the temperature steady. It also saves energy and protects the valuable items in the Museum and Archives from damage.

Explore South Dakota's Past: The Museum

The Museum has a large gallery, about 15,000 square feet, that explores South Dakota's history. This includes its economy, social life, politics, and culture. The Museum’s main exhibit, The South Dakota Experience, has three galleries. These show the state's history from its first people to today.

Oyate Tawicoḣ’aŋ: The Ways of the People

This gallery explores the history and culture of the Oceti Ṡakowiŋ (The Seven Council Fires), also known as the Sioux. The Oyate Tawicoḣ’aŋ gallery shares the values and beliefs of the Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota people.

Proving Up: Early Settlers and Pioneers

Proving Up shares the stories of explorers, trappers, settlers, miners, and immigrants who came to this faraway territory. This gallery shows how pioneers and leaders helped build a growing state.

Changing Times: South Dakota in the 20th Century

Changing Times - South Dakota in the 20th Century looks at the changes and challenges people in South Dakota faced during the 1900s. This gallery follows South Dakota history from the growth of railroads and cars to the hard times of drought and the Great Depression. It also highlights how electricity came to the plains, how telephones connected people, and how highways made distances feel shorter.

Special Exhibitions: Hogen and Observation Galleries

New exhibitions are often shown in the Museum’s Hogen Gallery and Observation Gallery. Exhibits in the Mavis T. and Florence Brown Hogen Gallery focus on different topics in South Dakota history and culture. The Observation Gallery is above the main Museum gallery. It offers a great view of the State Capitol Building and the bluffs along the Missouri River.

The Museum is open to everyone seven days a week. For more information on hours and how to visit, check the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center online at South Dakota State Historical Society.

Discover History: South Dakota State Archives

The South Dakota State Archives holds over 12,000 cubic feet of records. These documents tell the story of South Dakota’s history and heritage. Since 2012, the South Dakota State Archives has been making old records digital. This is called the South Dakota Digital Archives. It has photos, maps, old writings, and much more.

For more information about the South Dakota State Archives, including online resources for family historians, researchers, teachers, and students, visit online at South Dakota State Historical Society.

The South Dakota State Archives is open for research Monday through Friday and on the first Saturday of each month. For details on hours and any fees, visit the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center online at South Dakota State Historical Society.