Bad Humored Island was the backdrop of a meaningful exchange between Lewis & Clark and the native tribes that called the region home. As the journals discuss, Black Buffalo and the other chiefs were invited to…

The Big Bend of the Missouri refers to the famous landmark that bends expansively along the Missouri River. Famous before Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery even reached it, the bend stretches an…

Wednesday, September 26, 1804 The expedition and Black Buffalo together traveled 4 1/2 miles to his village (now Oahe Campground 3), where a feast and celebration were being prepared. Chief Black Buffalo raised the pipe…

The Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center is a historical museum devoted to the legendary sport of South Dakota rodeo; the history and its stars. In our two-story museum you will find rare memorabilia of…

As the name suggests, The Chicago and North Western (C&NW) Railroad completed the Chicago and North Western Railroad Bridge in September 1907. The bridge provided the first permanent Missouri River crossing in central South Dakota…

One of the famous trails in South Dakota is the Fort Pierre to Deadwood Trail (1876 to 1906), which began where steamboats would dock at the end of Hustan Ave in Fort Pierre near the…

Fort Pierre Chouteau stood as a symbol of the relations between Euro-Americans and American Indians and their interdependence for nearly 25 years. Continually growing in size and influence, the fort evolved into a trading center…

With the planned 1907 construction of a railroad bridge across the Missouri River from Pierre to Fort Pierre, the Chicago and Northwestern railroad track was quickly laid from Fort Pierre to Rapid City. Along the…

Fort Pierre and its surroundings have significant connections to the Lewis and Clark expeditions. The expedition’s first introduction to the region was on the evening of Monday, September 24, 1804, when Lewis, Clark, and their…

Verendrye Monument The Verendrye Monument, on Verendrye Hill overlooking the city of Fort Pierre just northwest of where the Bad and Missouri Rivers come together, is one of only a few verifiable sites associated with…

The original Log Cabin Visitor Center (30’ x 50’) was built in 1975 with log walls/beams, cedar shake shingle roofing, pine wood ceiling/flooring, and a full basement costing $36,738.38. It is owned and maintained by…

This recreational park with its camping ground provides travelers the good opportunity to take a break and enjoy accommodation in a beautiful environment. This recreational area is surrounded by magnificent rolling hills, vast stretches of…

Called the “Mount Vernon of Illinois,” the Pierre Menard Home was completed in 1802 for Pierre Menard, a fur trader and entrepreneur who rose to political prominence as the first lieutenant governor of Illinois.  The home…

Pierre, now the capital of the state of South Dakota, has significant connections to the Corps of Discovery. The expedition’s first introduction to the region was on the evening of Monday, September 24, 1804 when…

Founded to encourage curiosity, the South Dakota Discovery Center is housed in the historic Pierre Power Plant, built in 1933, and has been at the heart of all-ages scientific exploration in the state for over…

The South Dakota State Historical Society museum aims to educate the public about South Dakota’s heritage. The largest exhibit is divided into three galleries looking at different eras of South Dakota’s history. The Oyate Tawicoh’an…

Turtle Effigy is a large stone alignment  in the shape of a turtle. No one knows for sure who made the effigy, but according to one story not attributed to a specific tribe, “An Arikara…

The Verendrye (Var-en-dree) Museum was established in 1968, when the Old Stanley County Historical Society and many other historically-minded individuals worked together to bring to life their vision of a place where Fort Pierre’s colorful…