Contact Information
117 Main Street
Hill City, SD 57745
Map
Tel: 1-605-574-3919
Website
Early-May Hours
May 1st – Memorial Day Weekend
Mon. – Sat: 9:30am to 5pm
Sunday: 12am to 4pm
Summer Hours
Memorial Day Weekend – September
Mon. – Sat: 9:30am to 7pm
Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Fall Hours
October – December
Mon. – Sat: 9:30am to 5pm
Sunday: 12am to 4pm
Winter Hours
January – April
Mon. – Sat: 9:30am to 5pm
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas
And New Year’s Day
Admission $7.50; $4 (ages 6-15).
Senior, Veteran and Military rates available
Museum at Black Hills Institute
South Dakota and the Black Hills are noted for natural beauty, scenic wonders and man-made mountain carvings. Discover wonders from the earth’s past with a visit to the Museum @ Black Hills Institute. There you will travel back in time to see the remains of ancient creatures that roamed land, sky and sea in the age of dinosaurs. See mineral treasures from around the world, with a special section dedicated to the regional area. Learn the history of the explorers and miners who forged the present and fossil hunters who shed light on past. Here is a story of the past speaking to us through the language of geology and fossils.
The Museum @ Black Hills Institute contains an extensive collection of dinosaurs, marine fossils, minerals, meteorites and area paleontological historical displays. Our museum features the world-renown Black Hills Institute collection and is the host to displays belonging to the Black Hills Museum of Natural History, a separate non-profit organization.
Hill City is the oldest existing city in Pennington County SD. The Black Hills Institute moved to Hill City in 1980 when they purchased the City Auditorium. The City Auditorium was built as a WPA project in 1938 on the site of the Miners Hall, which had burned down a few years previously.
The walls are lined with display cases filled with fossil vertebrates (dinosaurs, mammals, reptiles, birds and fish), invertebrates (cephalopods, trilobites, crinoids, pelecypods and gastropods) and plants. The main floor is a maze of ancient skeletons. The star of our show is “STAN”, one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever found! You will also encounter signboards with area (mineral, mining and fossil collecting) history including historic maps, pictures and cave schematics.
Featured collections belonging to the Black Hills Museum of Natural History include specimens from the Zeitner, Ashland, Henry, Pavin and Hayes mineral collections, lunar and Martian meteor collection and an original Struthiomimus named CLAWS donated by the Black Hills Institute and the Reutter collection of Fairburn Agates.
Conveniently located at 117 Main Street, Hill City (the Heart of the Hills), SD, it is easily accessed from all parts of the Black Hills. Located 30 minutes or less from Rapid City, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park and Crazy Horse don’t forget to include this modest but amazingly complete museum in your travel plans and/or day-trip.
Open 7 days a week and year-round, allow 30 minutes minimum or spend the day, looking; learning; and pondering.
