During your visit to the DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, learn about the history of the site, current operations at the hatchery and fish facts as you explore the hatchery’s historic buildings and grounds. Be sure to stop by the Pond Gift Shop to browse hatchery souvenirs.
Historic Buildings
The Von Bayer Museum
Discover the vibrant history and rich heritage of the American fisheries workers in the Von Bayer Museum. Housed within the historic 1899 Hatchery Building, the Von Bayer Museum collection is the largest collection of fisheries artifacts in the country, boasting over 185,000 items including fish management and culture items and equipment, periodicals, publications and personal artifacts, some of which are on display in the museum.
The Booth House
The Booth House was originally built for the first superintendant of the hatchery, Dewitt Clinton Booth and his family. Step inside the Neo-Colonial Revival Booth House to learn about the history of the house and the families that lived and worked at the hatchery. The Booth House features two expansive porches with classical columns, huge oval windows, a bay window and a rear balcony. Little renovation has taken place since the Booth House was built in 1905 and with interiors decorated in period furnishings and Booth Family memorabilia, the house appears much as it did during the early 20th century.
The Railcar
Learn how fish were moved from hatcheries to lakes and rivers around the country before the invention of refrigerated tanker trucks. DC Booth boasts the only fisheries railcar exhibit in the country. Showcasing a replica of Fish Car No. 3, the exhibit explores the history of the Fish Car Era, a 66-year period that played a key role in fisheries propagation.
The Yellowstone Boat
Step inside U.S. Fisheries Boat #39, a wooden Great Lakes-style cabin crusader, to discover the story of the early hatchery workers who went on expeditions to Yellowstone National Park in search of trout eggs. The Spearfish National Fish Hatchery began to operate an egg-gathering substation in Yellowstone National Park in 1901 to collect black-spotted trout eggs, ship them to Spearfish for hatching and distribute them to other areas. The annual expeditions, conducted from 1901 to 1911, left Spearfish in June. Hatchery workers traveled by rail as far as possible, then made the last portion of the journey on wagons, piled high with boats, nets, troughs and other equipment.
The Grounds
Stroll along the winding paths that outline the boundaries of the 10 acre DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, offering scenic overlooks of the ponds, rock walls, water systems and buildings that contribute to the hatchery’s historic significance.
Shopping in the Pond Gift Shop
Be sure to stop by the Pond Gift Shop. DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and South Dakota related merchandise are available to purchase.
- The DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery is ADA complaint. Wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the Pond Gift Shop.
- Do not forget your camera. There will be exciting photo opportunities during your visit to the DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery.