The national award-winning museum exhibit at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre will come to a close after Sunday, April 11. Honored with the Award of Excellence from the American Association of State and Local History in 2020, “Silent Silos: South Dakota’s Missile Range” will have been on exhibit for nearly two years.
The exhibit focuses on the story of South Dakota’s intercontinental ballistic missile field, the missileers who operated the silos, and it provides the first look that many South Dakotans have had at the equipment and materials underground, from the launch keys to uniforms.
The exhibit is the product of a two-year collaboration between the Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
“It was a pleasure to work with the staff and volunteers from the Minuteman Site,” said Jay Smith, museum director for the State Historical Society. “We were able to share knowledge, expertise, and resources in a creative way. Our only regret is that we wish that the pandemic would not have slowed visitation during 2020-21 as reviews of the exhibit from our visitors were really terrific.”
The next exhibit in the Hogen Gallery at the museum is “South Dakota’s Wardrobe: Selected Pieces from the Collection” featuring clothing items over time. The exhibit is scheduled to open on June 12, and many of the materials to be exhibited have never been displayed before.
There is now free admission to the museum for all South Dakota residents. Out-of-state adult visitors pay an $8 admission fee or $6 for out-of-state seniors 60-and-older. The museum is open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CDT Monday through Saturday, and 1-4:30 p.m. CDT on Sundays and most holidays. Call 605-773-3458 for more information about exhibits, special events, and upcoming activities. Call 605-773-6000 for information about membership in the State Historical Society.
About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution since 2013, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing, and administrative/development offices. Call 605-773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.
