Top 10 History Museums in The Black Hills, The Black Hills

Wade's Gold Mill is CLOSED for 2020. Please take care and God Bless! Wade's Gold Mill is an authentic, historic experience.

Perched at the edge of the Open Cut, we offer surface tours (summer only) and guided indoor tours! Come learn about Lead's (pronounced leed) history with the Homestake Mining Company, its present and its future as scientists search for dark matter, neutrinos and other secrets of the universe.

Features a 5-State Regional Museum founded to honor the Old West Pioneers and American Indians of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. Western Artifacts, Western Art, Live Animals and Family History Displays are used as a determinant of Historical Events.

Aircraft that have been flown throughout the eras are on display at South Dakota's premiere free aviation museum! The museum has two major static display venues: First, a outdoor air park filled with WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War, and present day aircraft lets you get close to & touch history. This includes the currently flown B-1B Lancer. Secondly, four historical hangars showcase military history & technology,space tech & EROS, SD aviation, and EAFB local military history in a fresh and immersive walk-through. Mid-May through Mid-September bus tours of nearby Ellsworth AFB and the Minuteman II missile training silo are offered at a nominal fee. You will be able to go inside the silo and on base for a 50 minute guided tour of the only MMII silo open to the public. Make sure you bring your ID or Passport (Non-US) to enjoy the tour!

The Historic Adams House was built in 1892 by Deadwood pioneers Harris and Anna Franklin. Local contemporary press described the home as "the grandest house west of the Mississippi." The elegant Queen Anne-style house heralded a wealthy and socially prominent new age for Deadwood, a former rough and tumble gold mining town. Harris and Anna Franklin’s son Nathan bought the house for $1 in 1905. In 1920, Nathan Franklin sold the house to W.E. and Alice Adams for $8,500. Adams' second wife Mary closed up the house in 1936, two years after W.E.'s death, leaving the contents and furnishings intact.

The Adams Museum is the Black Hills’ oldest history museum. In 1930 pioneer businessman W.E. Adams founded the Adams Museum in downtown Deadwood with the purpose of preserving and displaying the history of the Black Hills. The Adams Museum is home to some of the Black Hills’ greatest treasures including Potato Creek Johnny’s gold nugget, beloved American illustrator N.C. Wyeth’s pencil sketch drawing of Western legend Wild Bill Hickok, the mysterious Thoen Stone record of the Ezra Kind party’s discovery of gold in the Hills in the 1830s and a one-of-a-kind plesiosaur (marine reptile). In addition to exhibits on all three levels, the Adams General Store is located on the main floor.

The Mining Museum is currently open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm. Walk through time with the "miners" in timbered passages of a simulated underground gold mine, constructed by over 130 Homestake miners. View historic mining artifacts and local history exhibits. Pan your own gold and visit the gift shop. We will be closing for the season after October 17th, 2020

Live re-creations of the town's rich history started in 1924 through the Days of '76 celebration and award-winning rodeo. The celebration began as a way to honor Deadwood's pioneers - the prospectors, miners, muleskinners and madams who poured into the Black Hills in 1876 to settle the gold-filled gulches of Dakota Territory. Deadwood's newest museum documents the celebration and rodeo. The Days of '76 Museum features exceptional displays of carriages, firearms, American Indian artifacts and illustrates Deadwood's enduring friendship with Buffalo Bill Cody. The Days of '76 Museum is wheelchair accessible. The Mercantile gift shop is located on the first floor.

Tours for groups of 10 or more are available Oct through April. Book on our website -- or use the contact page on the website. Step back to 1776 and America's founders! We're all about the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War and the perfect stop to or from Mount Rushmore! The centerpiece is the life-size iconic "Declaration of Independence" painting by John Trumbull in a 3-D diorama. Hear the dramatic story of the 56 men who staked their lives and sacred honor for your liberty. The staff introduction to the Revolution which is followed by an 18 minute narrated sound and light show. Afterwards, take in brief biographies of all 56 signers. You can also shoot a flintlock long rifle or ring a full-scale replica of the Liberty Bell. The gift shop features books, games and puzzles about the American Revolution. We're the replica of Independence Hall between Mt. Rushmore and Rapid City. Hours 9am to 4pm daily, May through Sept. The flintlocks are available until 3:00pm.