Museums in the Mount Rushmore Area

The Journey Museum - Rapid City

Welcome to the Journey Museum

The Journey Museum displays four major collections of prehistoric and historic significance that bring visitors through the times of dinosaurs, the Lakota peoples, the pioneers, to today.

Take a break from your adventures in the great outdoors on your trip to Mount Rushmore and explore the many interesting museums in the area. Your family will love exploring the history, geology, and cultures of the area and the native inhabitants. There are several museums in the that are worth spending some time exploring.

At the Journey Museum in Rapid City, you will find dozens of exhibits, displays, and artifacts on the inhabitants of the area. The museum covers the time of the original native inhabitants through European settlement. While you're exploring this museum, you can learn more about where dinosaurs are buried in the area, the Sioux and Lakota culture and beliefs, what life was like as a pioneer in the area, and more. In the summer, the museum is open daily from 9am to 6pm. The remainder of the year, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. Free guided ninety minute tours are available throughout the day.

Also in Rapid City, you will find the Museum of Geology. This amazing museum features over 250,000 vertebrate fossils and close to 6,000 minerals. You will see well-preserved fossils of the Badlands' prehistoric mammals as well as marine and non-marine Jurassic and Cretaceous reptiles and mammals. Some of the most interesting and rare exhibits include a pregnant oreodont, and skeletons of the titanothere, monosaur, and plesiosaur. During the summer months, the museum is open from Monday through Saturday from 8am to 6pm, and Sunday from 12 noon to 6pm. For the rest of the year, the museum is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 4pm, and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.

Another popular museum is the Black Hills Museum of Natural History, located in Hill City. Here you can view a vast collection of dinosaurs, as well as fossils of fish, mammals, reptiles, and plants. The museum also features a large exhibit on minerals and meteorites that have been collected both locally and around the world. The museum also features a gift shop. You can tour the museum on your own or take a guided tour. Reservations are required for guided tours. During the summer, the museum is open from 9am to 7pm Monday through Saturday, and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday. During the fall and spring, the museum is open from 10am to 5pm on Monday through Saturday, and 12 noon to 4pm on Sundays. Call ahead for winter hours.

These and many other museums are located in the Mount Rushmore area, giving you a great opportunity to take a break from your outdoor adventures and learn more about the history and culture of the area.