The Journey Museum and Learning Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Journey Museum

Journey Museum Logo
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Established	May 18, 1997
Location	Rapid City, South Dakota
Type	Historical
Visitors	Estimated 75,000-80,000 in 2008
Public transit access	City View Trolley stops at door of museum, Rapid Ride's Lincoln Bus Route stops at corner of block.

The Journey Museum and Learning Center is a cool museum in Rapid City, South Dakota. It has 7 acres (about 28,000 square meters) of beautiful gardens! The museum takes you on an amazing trip through the history of the Black Hills.

You'll start with Native American creation stories. Then, you'll explore 2.5 billion years of Earth's history. This includes geology (how rocks form) and paleontology (studying fossils). You'll also learn about archaeology (old human history). Finally, you'll discover the story of the Native American people and the pioneers who moved west.

Main Exhibit Galleries

The Journey Museum has many exciting areas to explore. Each gallery tells a different part of the Black Hills story.

Geology and Paleontology

The Geology Gallery shows a huge wall of rocks. This wall tells the story of 2.5 billion years of the Black Hills area. The Museum of Geology helps explain this long timeline.

Next, you'll find the Paleontology section. Here, you can see real fossils! Many of these fossils are on loan from the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc.. You can even see a model of a dinosaur dig site. It feels like you're right there with the scientists! Look out for the models of a T-Rex and a Triceratops. They even make roaring sounds!

Archaeology

After the dinosaurs, you'll step into the Archaeology Gallery. This area is split into five sections. Each section covers a different time period in history. The gallery has artifacts and information from the South Dakota Archaeological Research Center.

Here are the different time periods you'll explore:

Sioux Indian Museum

The Sioux Indian Museum is the next stop. It holds 5,500 amazing pieces of art and history. These items are managed by the United States Department of the Interior's Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Most of the collection came from a Native American arts collector. He owned a trading post on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. These items were collected between the 1890s and 1930s.

You'll see beautiful beaded items and special ceremonial objects. There are also traditional Native American clothing and items made from animals. Kids' items, like dolls and games, are on display too. You can also see musical instruments, Native American saddles, and tipis. A cool holographic Native American elder even tells three stories!

Pioneer Gallery

The Minnilusa Pioneer Gallery is the last main gallery. It shows what life was like for early settlers. You can see a trapper's cabin and a boardwalk. There are even saddles you can try out! The gallery also has a hardware store model. It looks like the first big hardware store in South Dakota.

You'll learn about famous local people like Jim Bridger and Wild Bill Hickok. You'll also discover stories of Native American leaders like Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Red Cloud. The gallery shows how Native Americans and early settlers interacted. It covers their journey from first meetings to modern-day understanding.

Other Permanent Exhibits

The Journey Museum has other cool exhibits. You can find them inside or between the main galleries.

• Star Room: Your visit often starts here. This room shows the time from the universe's beginning to the Black Hills' rock formation. A voice tells both scientific and Native American ideas about how the universe started.
• Paleontology Field Tent: This is an interactive exhibit. You can dig for dinosaur bones and do puzzles. You can even touch real fossils! The tent also has a fossil preparation lab. Here, you can see tools paleontologists use in the field.
• Custer's Black Hills Expedition of 1874: This exhibit is between the Sioux Indian Museum and Pioneer galleries. It has photos and items from the expedition. You can see a gun, eating tools, a stirrup, and a canteen. It also tells about the expedition's geologist, Newton Winchell. You can even see his journal!
• Aviary Room: This room is off the Hardware Store in the Pioneer gallery. It has over 100 stuffed birds and animals. These animals are all from the Black Hills area. They were collected by Henry Behren between 1888 and 1911.
• Flood Exhibit: This exhibit is at the end of the Pioneer Gallery. It tells the story of the 1972 Black Hills flood. This flood happened on June 9, 1972. It was a huge event for Rapid City and the Black Hills. The flood destroyed much of the city. This exhibit is a memorial to the event. It has maps, pictures, and stories from people who lived through it. You can also see news articles and a timeline. A touch screen shows information about the recovery efforts. It also talks about the "green spaces" created after the flood. You can watch a short film about the flood while sitting on an old-fashioned bench.
• Black Hills Forests Then and Now: This exhibit is next to the flood exhibit. It shows how the Black Hills forests have changed over 11,000 years. It also talks about how people have used the forests for the past 500 years. You'll learn about common Black Hills wildlife, like the American Bison.

Activity Tables

Every gallery has fun activity tables. Kids and adults can enjoy them! They have coloring pages, books, and activities. These activities are always related to the gallery you are in.

Grounds and Gardens

The museum is surrounded by many acres of beautiful gardens. These gardens feature plants native to the Black Hills area. They also have other plants found in the Western Hemisphere. Many volunteer gardeners help take care of them. The large garden area has several smaller gardens. You can find vegetables, flowers, and trees growing there.

Events

The Journey Museum hosts many regular events. They also have special events throughout the year. These might include a sculpting class for kids. Or, you might find a presentation on how to make gingerbread houses!

Education

The museum has many educational programs. These programs are a big part of its mission. Weekly programs include Toddler Tuesdays and Discovery Expedition. They also have "Journey Into Space." The museum offers special learning experiences for school groups and tours. They even have an inflatable planetarium program that can visit schools!

Children's Learning Lab

The Children's Learning Lab opened on July 1, 2008. It is located in the Archaeology area of the museum. This lab is a center for classes and drop-in activities. You can find books, puzzles, games, and puppets there. They also have microscopes and "discovery boxes." These boxes are small and full of activities, information, and objects. Each box is about a certain topic. You can even check out these boxes and take them with you into the rest of the museum!

Recognition

In 2021, the museum won the CORES award. This award is for promoting science through outreach activities. It was given by the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

See also

In Spanish: Museo del viaje y jardines para niños