DESCRIPTIONS OF BUILDINGS
- WILLIAM & MABEL PETERSON BUILDING: Museum entrance and office. Houses wildlife exhibits, official SD Fishing Museum, farm tools, traps, Native American artifacts, printing press and library. Built by William and Mabel Peterson.
- OSCAR & BETTY AKERSON BUILDING: Adjoins the Peterson Building. Includes models of an early home, millinery shop and various displays such as an optometrist, bank, medical, baseball memorabilia, doll and plate collections, children’s and sewing areas. Built by Oscar and Betty Akerson.
- REX N. BATIE MEMORIAL BUILDING: Home of tractors donated by the Batie family and antique signs. Built by the Batie family.
- DICK & MARVEL WASHNOK BUILDING: This building houses fire engines, an antique boat and is the home of museum activities and events. Built by Dick and Marvel Washnok.
- JACOB & SELMER BUEHLER FARM HOUSE: The house was moved to the museum grounds from rural Butler. Four generations of the Buehler family have lived in it.
- AG/TRACTOR BUILDING: The home of tractors, ag-related equipment, tools and a chicken display.
- CARL M. JOHNSON FARM BUILDING: This building houses antique tractors and farm equipment owned by the Johnson family. Built by the Johnson family.
- WILLIAM N. NAESSIG MEMORIAL BUILDING: This building was built to house horse-drawn equipment and tools. Many of these were used by the family. Built by the Naessig family.
- BRISTOL DEPOT: This depot was built in Bristol by the Milwaukee Railroad in the 1880s. It was donated by the Northern Railroad and includes displays, pictures and memorabilia. * A PUBLIC RESTROOM IS LOCATED IN THIS BUILDING *
- GRAMBERG BLACKSMITH SHOP: Owned by the Gramberg family, it was brought to the museum from Waubay , SD.
- WALLACE TELEPHONE OFFICE: The building was brought in from Wallace, SD. One of the operators lived in it.
- MILDRED O’NEILL’S SHOE HOUSE: Built by Mildred O’Neill to share her collection of over 11,000 shoe-related items with the public.
- FERN’S FASHIONS: Fern Buehler was a collector of vintage clothing. She had this building brought in to house her collection.
- ELMER VEVANG’S BARBER SHOP: Elmer’s shop was located in Roslyn, SD, before it was brought to the museum. Elmer was a barber for over 50 years.
- GRENVILLE JAIL: This building came to the museum from Grenville, SD.
- ROBERT O. NELSON SHOE AND HARNESS SHOP: This building came from Waubay, SD, where Nelson did harness repair and oiling as well as shoe repair.
- KOZY KORNER KAFE/CREAMERY AND COUNTRY STORE: This building was moved to the museum from Butler, SD.
- SOGN HOUSE: Built in Bristol, SD in 1890. Ingrid Sogn raised three daughters by herself by doing laundry and cooking for threshing crews.
- MORTON METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: This church was originally located in Morton Township.
- SIGURD ANDERSON MEMORIAL BUILDING: Built to honor the nineteenth governor of SD, Sigurd Anderson. This building holds his memorabilia as well as a military display.
- ORTLEY POST OFFICE: The building was moved to the museum grounds from Ortley, SD, but the mailboxes are from the Butler, SD Post Office.
- RUSK TOWNSHIP SCHOOL #110: Rural one-room school brought to museum.
- LEE AUTO BUILDING: Building built by John and Shirley Lee to hold classic and antique automobiles.