Who We Are
"The South Dakota State Railroad Museum, Ltd. is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization established for the purposes of preservation, education, promotion, and interactive interpretation of railroad equipment, memorabilia, and the ever-changing historical material specific to South Dakota and related American railroads. It is a destination designed for all ages and levels of interest."
This is our mission statement, but it's easier to say that we're all about "People, Places, and Trains."
South Dakota has a long and interesting history with railroads. From the fertile farm country east of the muddy Missouri River to the mineral-rich Black Hills in the western reaches of the state, railroads have fueled and supported South Dakota's economy. Today, railroads like the Rapid City Pierre and Eastern still transport bulk commodities like ethanol, grain, and cement from facilities in South Dakota to places all over the continent. Railroads connect our communities economically, but they also have had an impact on our state's culture. The window to the outside world for towns big and small all across the state was the railroad depot. Our work at the South Dakota State Railroad Museum is to preserve that history and tell the story of South Dakota's railroads to the public.