Highest-rated specialty museums in South Dakota by visitors

In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in South Dakota on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#24. George and Eleanor McGovern Library

- Rating: 4.6/5 (22 reviews)
- City: Mitchell South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#23. Grand River Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- City: Lemmon South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#22. Custer County 1881 Court House Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (105 reviews)
- City: Custer South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#21. Tri-State Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (107 reviews)
- City: Belle Fourche South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#20. Dakota Discovery Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (37 reviews)
- City: Mitchell South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#19. Keystone Historical Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (48 reviews)
- City: Keystone South
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#18. Gutzon Borglum Historical Center

- Rating: 3.9/5 (182 reviews)
- City: Keystone South
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#17. Pawnseum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
- City: Rapid City South
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#16. Ellsworth Air Force Base

- Rating: 4.6/5 (44 reviews)
- City: Piedmont South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#15. Dinosaur Museum

- Rating: 3.4/5 (109 reviews)
- City: Rapid City South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#14. Pioneer Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (58 reviews)
- City: Hot Springs South
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#13. Motion Unlimited Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (28 reviews)
- City: Rapid City South
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#12. Saloon #10 American Whiskey Bar

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1,069 reviews)
- City: Deadwood South
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#11. National Music Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (127 reviews)
- City: Vermillion South
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#10. Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame

- Rating: 4.4/5 (280 reviews)
- City: Sturgis South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#9. Black Hills Mining Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (160 reviews)
- City: Lead South
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#8. The National Presidential Wax Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (402 reviews)
- City: Keystone South
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#7. USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial

- Rating: 4.2/5 (189 reviews)
- City: Sioux Falls South
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#6. Pioneer Auto Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (272 reviews)
- City: Murdo South
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#5. The Brothel Deadwood

- Rating: 4.6/5 (56 reviews)
- City: Deadwood South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#4. Tatanka: Story of the Bison

- Rating: 4.3/5 (470 reviews)
- City: Deadwood South
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#3. The Journey Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (415 reviews)
- City: Rapid City South
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#2. Museum of Geology

- Rating: 4.6/5 (393 reviews)
- City: Rapid City South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#1. South Dakota Air and Space Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (962 reviews)
- City: Box Elder South
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.