The Journey Museum — Attraction in Rapid City

I was in the area with time to spend and after some research, decided to check this place out with my preschooler. We went on a Friday afternoon and nearly had the place to ourselves! We had a BLAST in the archeology dino digs- looking at fossils and playing in the super fine sand table were my preschooler's favorite. The STEAM corner was somewhat small, but with no other kids present, we had so much fun checking out the plasma ball and the giant microscope. My preschooler thought it was the BEST launching the parachute up the wind tube and racing to see who could catch them as they fell down! Although most weren't my toddler's speed, the curation of artifacts from early Americans was absolutely beautiful. The amount of native beadwork and garb as well as pioneer regalia was really impressive and well displayed. The frequent nooks for kid activities were well thought out and very engaging. We spent nearly 2 and a half hours here and enjoyed every moment. The only point of potential improvement would be that the bathrooms while marked as handicap, are not fully handicap accessible. Although we are not ourselves handicapped, we do work closely with those that are and noticed some things weren't quite up to our hopeful expectations. The sinks, soap, and paper towel were all too high and while you could maneuver a mobility aid in, it could be challenging to close the door due to the inward swung hinges. Aside from the room for improvement in the bathrooms, this place was a 10 out of 10 for us and my preschooler has already asked when we'll be back. If you're in the area, this is a place worth...

We discovered the Journey Museum when we first moved her 9 years ago. What a beautifully curated museum! We have taken our grandchildren there on many occasions throughout the years and they never tire of the exhibits and the stories that are presented. There are exhibits tailored to families and children, many with hands-on participation. It is well known as the Sioux Indian museum with many interesting exhibits. One very special offering here is the Friday lunch called Turtle Soup - there is a small charge and reservations are needed. Every Turtle Soup features a history lesson on historic figures and events that influenced the Black Hills history and include a featured soup from a local restaurant. Have never been disappointed! The presenters are well versed on the history and we always learn something new. By joining the museum as a supporter your admission is free. Well worth it to keep this treasure here...

Absolutely gorgeous building. Wow. The staff is super friendly and chatted with me about the architecture. :)

The museum itself has some good movies to show, some interesting and great exhibits (if you don't know much yet about Native American history, you are in for a big treat). They also have exhibits that come and go. There was an Oscar Howe exhibit when we went, and it was EXCELLENT.

Very enjoyable, cheap to get into.

Someone said there is not much for kids to do. I have to wonder if we went to different museums, because this place was absolutely loaded with stuff for kids to enjoy, lots of hands-on learning to be done.

Loved this place. Fun, interesting exhibits, BEAUTIFUL, cool building, nice staff.

PS There was a massive hail storm which arrived just as the museum was closing. They did not kick us out and let us wait out the storm there. :) And they were really nice even before...