About Us

The idea for a community museum in Aberdeen dates back to the early 20th century.

The idea for a Museum…  in Aberdeen originated in 1938 when John Murphy, a Northern State Teachers College (now Northern State University) professor, and Marc Cleworth, a salesman, created the Northern South Dakota History Museum, which was housed in the Central building on Northern’s campus.

This museum closed in 1941 when space was needed on campus to train WWII glider pilots.  The nearly 500 artifacts collected were either returned to donors or placed in storage where they remained until 1970 when they were added to the collection of the new Dacotah Prairie Museum.

A New Museum is Born

The idea of a museum resurfaced in 1963 when a group of past presidents of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) met to consider possible community projects for the group. By 1964 the AAUW committee, along with representatives of other community groups, had chosen a museum as their project and had begun looking for possible sites.

In April 1968, the Aberdeen Parks and Recreation Department offered the Anderson Recreation Center (now Senior Center) as a temporary home for a museum.  The museum’s board of directors accepted the offer and, in 1969 opened the Dacotah Prairie Museum, but the search for a permanent site continued.

The Museum Finds a Home

On March 11, 1970, Fred Hatterscheidt, local businessman, offered the building at 21 S. Main to Brown County for use as a museum.  The commissioners accepted the offer and soon renovations to the building began.

On October 25, 1970, the Dacotah Prairie Museum opened the doors of its new home to the public.  Governor Frank Farrar spoke at the opening ceremony.

In 1970 the museum’s exhibit area included only portions of the first floor, as it shared the building with several other tenants. As the decade progressed, the museum expanded its exhibit space to the entire first floor and half of the second. By 1980 the Dacotah Prairie Museum occupied the entire building. Staff and volunteers worked to ready new found spaces to accommodate staff, exhibits and collection storage.

The 1980s and 1990s

During this time the museum continued to define itself.  A mission statement was adopted, and policies of operation were put into place.  Staff numbers increased, as did the museum’s tax-supported budget.  The Dacotah Prairie Museum Foundation was incorporated in 1985 to assist the museum in raising outside funds to supplement the annual budget.

During these two decades, several professional assessments were conducted to help the museum improve its collection management methods, maintain the integrity of its historic building, and strengthen its overall operations.

The 2000s and 2010s

Renovations to the building’s exterior and its major first floor gallery spaces were the focus of work during the early years of this period.  The feasibility of an expansion project to double DPM’s size was explored in 2007 (and again in 2017). But economic conditions postponed action on that front.

In 2013 the first floor “Squire Gallery” was renovated with help from the Ka Squire family. It highlights “Opening the Dacotah Frontier” with its full-size Red River cart, fur trading, native Lakota family, Fort Sisseton and fine lady in a carriage vignettes.

In 2016 the former Toy and Fan exhibits gallery was renovated into an open space, removing walls and the “maze” as it was called to create a new space for changing exhibits. Other updates include all-new LED lights in the majority of the exhibits and common areas at the end of 2019, and the last two skeleton key locks were replaced at the same time. Also in 2019 new bathroom pedestal sinks in the second floor restrooms replaced the mid-century versions and all of the common areas on first and second floor, including the stairwells, received a fresh coat of paint. New vinyl lettering now welcome visitors in the lobby.

2020 and Beyond

The Lamont Gallery was the next major remodel within the building in 2021-22, resulting in an additional 170 square feet of exhibit space, along with a new ceiling, picture hanging system, sound system, and new lighting.

In 2022, the gift shop was updated. The entry ramp also saw the removal of the 90’s era half-wall and was replaced by an oak and wrought iron banister, as well as, new oak paneling on display areas, and new entry carpet. A great first impression!

In 2023 the children’s exhibit began a complete remodel, removing the interior walls, raising the ceiling with new lighting, sound system and ceiling fans. The newly dedicated Decker-Schooley Gallery open in 2024 as “Country School Days.”

(Dacotah Prairie Museum Foundation is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. EIN: 46-0389362)