Cultural Heritage Center Renovation Update

Most Recent Draft Gallery Design

Each year, the Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) welcomes more than 16,000 people from every state and 20 foreign countries. It has been a symbol of South Dakota heritage since 1989, when it opened as part of the state's centennial celebration. Three decades later, it's time to improve experiences as a place for South Dakotans and be ready to observe America's 250.

The CHC is home to the South Dakota State Historical Society, encompassing the state history museum, state archives, South Dakota Historical Society Press, state historic preservation office and our Foundation partners. Along with the Archeological Research Center in Rapid City, the Society empowers audiences to experience South Dakota's stories just as it has done since 1862. The Society will continue to provide its award-winning service from temporary headquarters while the remodel work is underway.

• - The first is performing maintenance and repair work on the building, including roof, HVAC, lobby, and more.
• - The second main area is creating more storage capacity to add an additional twenty to thirty years to the building's storage life.
• - The last goal will update the permanent exhibits of our museum with support from the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation.

• - Collections moved offsite
• - History on the Road placed museum artifacts in Sioux Falls, Spearfish, Pierre, and Yankton
• - Staff in Pierre working from temporary facilities
• - Project has passed 50 percent completion 
• - Project is on time and on budget 
• - Roof was finished in December 2023
• - New walls have been framed, drywalled, and painted 
• - The storage annex walls are up
• - The structure of the new education space can be seen from Governors Drive
• - Share Your Voice public input sessions about the new exhibit were held in 13 communities across the state

The plan is to reopen the renovated building in 2025.

Those interested in supporting the project by partnering with the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, please contact Catherine Forsch at 605-773-6003 or online.

To contact us, consult office and staff directories.

Those interested in bidding on the project, please contact the South Dakota State Engineer.

Fences have gone up around the Cultural Heritage Center to protect the public from the inherent dangers of an active construction site. Also please note the lack of flags meaning the site is not occupied by government workers.