During your visit to this Sioux Falls, South Dakota attraction, you can explore three floors of public exhibit space that provides a colorful look at Minnehaha County’s past. The Museum Store, located on the first floor of the Old Courthouse Museum, carries unique Dakota-made gifts and keepsakes.
The Old Courthouse Museum Exhibits
Prairie Traveler Exhibit
While pioneers went west to seek fortune, adventure and begin new lives, many individuals who made the journey were ill-prepared for the dangers they would face. This exhibit showcases the highlights of Randoplh B. Marcy’s publication Prairie Traveler, a book that served as a manual for the individuals traveling westward by wagon or wagon train over rugged territory.
A City on Track
Learn about the important role railroads played in the evolution of the Sioux Falls community. A City on Track showcases the history of the different railroads in the city and the individuals who promoted them.
American Indian Artistry
Discover how early American Indian artistry methods like painting, quilling and beading evolved over time and were combined to create items of striking craftsmanship. Artifacts displayed in American Indian Artistry include an arrow with bird feathers attached to the shaft; a feather headdress made using a skull cap with a beaded sweatband, side pendants of fur, hair and a crown of eagle feathers associated with the Plains Indians; and Zuni pottery made with colorful designs and figures.
Chairs of Our Lives
Chairs of Our Lives features some of the history museum’s most interesting chairs including chairs with a great history, chairs with a wonderful design and chairs that bring back fond memories. Showcased in the exhibit is a barber chair used by James J. Hartigan in the early 20th century in a barber shop located in Woodstock, Minnesota; a wooden classical revival chair used by William McKinley, president of the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis in 1892; and a style of chair created using objects that represented the Wild West and American Frontier.
Minnehaha County Towns
Learn about the history of Minnehaha County. From its creation in 1862 to the present, Minnehaha County Towns interprets the story of Minnehaha County using artifacts and photographs.
Symbol of Freedom: The American Flag
Discover how the American flag has evolved throughout history. Symbol of Freedom: The American Flag explores how a flag is much more than a piece of fabric attached to a pole, but a symbol of national identity.
- The Old Courthouse Museum is ADA compliant.
- Do not forget your camera. Photography is permitted throughout the Old Courthouse Museum.