Wonderful museum housing many artifacts of the Deadwood area. Started by a wealthy businessman Adams. Recommended $5 donation upon entry. The level building, elevator not working for those that struggle with stairs. Short movie discussing the fire in Deadwood. Spent about an hour checking out the tons of historical items. A must see. read more

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Amazing deadwood gold rush museum of 1876. View: 1. the first gold nugget found by Potato Creek Johnny - a showman by trade. 2. the first locomotive utilized for gold extraction. 3. View / Enjoy the history of Deadwood, SD. read more

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The Adams Museum is a nice little stop while in Deadwood. It's three stories of information on the history of Deadwood along with a number of artifacts on display. There is no entrance fee, but you are encouraged to make a donation to keep things running. It was started by WE Adams, who was a wealthy businessman in the 1930s, who did a lot for Deadwood. It's good for an hour at the most. read more

Adams Museum - Museums Near Me - Deadwood, South Dakota

This is a well put together museum. There's so much stuff to see and read. I really enjoyed the binders of the city ordinances. That neat and some of them a little ridiculous. It's 3 floors and the stairs are very narrow. They have a elevator, however it's very slow and small. read more

Worth visiting and there is no fee, it's donation instead. Lots of neat things to see and learn. It was fun walking around. The elevator was broken when we came and the steps are steep, so take your time. I'm glad we got to visit. read more

Learn about the tall tales of the Wild, Wild West at The Adams Museum. Founded by a prominent, pioneer businessman in 1930, W.E. Adams aimed to preserve and pay tribute to the sorted saga of the Black Hills. The museum is an eclectic collection that honors the history of the legends of the area like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Charlie Utter, and Seth Bullock. Interesting to learn about the Gold Rush, saloons, brothels, gambling, fires that devastated the town of Deadwood and how families lived amidst the drama that unfolded in the area. Treasures on display include Potato Creek Johnny's 7.346 troy ounce gold nugget, Wyeth's pencil sketch drawing of Western legend Wild Bill Hickok, Thoen Stone's record of the Ezra Kind party's discovery of gold, and a J.B. Higgin train. Imagine travelling in an open carriage back in the day when countless dangers could threaten your journey. The Adams Museum admission is by suggested donation of $5. Good for a quick visit to learn about Deadwood. Would also recommend the Historic Adams House. Both are also on the NARM/ROAM passports. read more

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This is a beautiful little building with three levels. There is plenty to do and learn inside, and the staff is just wonderful. Well worth the small suggested donation fee to get inside. You can learn about every aspect of the town here, and there are many opportunities to delve deeper on any topic. There is a reading area upstairs and many hands-on activities for everyone to enjoy. read more

This town has so much history for only being established in 1876. Many of the stories can be found in this museum. Be sure to stop in and read up about it. read more

Lots of cool stuff to look at and touch. They have this thing on the bottom floor with sand and lights I could have spent hours playing with. Stuff for adults and kids. 30 or 45 minutes you can see everything before or after a bus tour. read more

Adams Museum was voted the 3rd Best Western Museum by True West Magazine in 2009. The museum is three floors of remarkable changing exhibits. They have stairs as well as an elevator. With original artifacts like Potato Creek Pete's gold nugget, Seth Bullock's chair, taxidermy, lavish period furnishings (monogrammed silver), J.B. Higgin train ,Thoen stone and Wild Bill and Calamity Jane personal items, there is much to see so take your time. Notebooks accompany the exhibits and I liked reading about the home schooling practices of an early Deadwood resident and her young family. Photos, personal correspondences support the turbulent wild history of Deadwood and it's legendary figures. The museum is located just behind the converted railroad station which is now the history and information center. You might want to go to the Deadwood History and Information Center first followed by the Moriah cemetery where Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, and others are buried. Admission to the cemetery is only $1. Admission to the Adams Museum is by donation. They suggest $5 which is well worth the expense. read more

Adams Museum - Adams Museum - Museums Near Me - Deadwood, South Dakota

Overwhelming with so much history, My head is still spinning. Lots of information. Tons of information about Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane! Even a two headed calf!! A great museum in a wide open Western town. All they ask for is a donation. Oh, it does rival the Autry Museum in So. California for western information. read more

Really cool museum covering Deadwood's history and famous residents. A donation of $5 or more is suggested for adults so it's very affordable and located only steps away from the Deadwood History Center downtown. The folks here are super friendly upon entry and then leave you to peruse all the amazing artifacts, documents and info. They even have old newspapers and archives you can check out, along with statues, artwork, guns, relics and all kinds of crazy stuff. The museum is three floors and very easy to navigate. There's also a handy elevator. The Adams Museum has more Deadwood artifacts than anywhere else so it's a must-see stop. You will get a much deeper appreciation of the town and its geography and history. Recommended highly. read more

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We were here with friends and we all agreed this place gave us a good learning experience and improved our knowledge of the area. Many interesting exhibits. Well worth the price of admission. We did our own tour without a guide. read more

Fabulous Museum! Had a really interesting section on Calamity Jane Wild Bill Hickok poker Alice and others. Plus when they found out that I was playing the Wild Bill Me game the docent helped me which I really appreciated. I can't wait to come back to this Museum! read more

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Fun museum, lots of neat artifacts and displays! Avoid using the elevator if at all possible. They move very slowly and we thought we were stuck! read more

Is definitely a place to visit when you are in Deadwood. If you are a history buff this is definitely up your alley.

So much information! Really cool artifacts to look at! This is not high tech or fancy like some other museums, but that is what makes it really special! We only spent a day in Deadwoood, but this was definitely worth the hour or two to walk through. The interactive stuff for kids in the basement was closed due to COVID-19. Its a great way to learn more about the history of the area. read more

It is a relatively small museum but they had information that would interest anyone whether it be from the photos, the antiques, art, etc. It is a free museum but do ask for donations at 5$ per adult. Children will find entertainment with the Americana section as they are encouraged to do a mini scavenger hunt. It is always good to support History and art! read more

No visit to Deadwood would be complete without a trip to the Adams Museum! The museum is donation only, so as others have suggested, bring some cash. They've got a little bit of everything, from the taxidermied spaniels of a mine supervisor to Seth Bullock's chair. I really enjoyed browsing the Adams and reading all about the items which I found interesting in the notebooks which accompany each exhibit. I wish that more museums would adopt this format, as the little signs that are placed around objects in most museums often don't provide much information. I particularly loved the folk art found on the second floor... there was a big display case of wood carved horses and human figures, I can't recall the name of the artist, but his work was incredibly remarkable. The animals he carved had very lifelike expressions, and from a distance, I assumed they were simply acetate Breyer models! If I ever win the lottery, I'll collect his stuff. Also, the basement level has a lot of treasures, my favorite was the exhibit which discussed the homeschooling practices of an early Deadwood resident and her young family. read more

They take donations only with hopes of getting $5-10/pp. Take this place in. The building itself is great and the history you find here is fantastic. It is not only an account of Deadwood, but of many other interesting items from times gone by. The historic travel center across the road is the old train depot. That place should be your first stop in Deadwood unless you are only here to pull slots. read more

This museum is worth the "donation" they ask for. Make sure you go downstairs to see the fossil! Lots of information, lots of exhibits.

Six of us were on vacation in the Black Hills, so the Adams Museum is a must. Lots of history here relating to the Gold Rush, mining, Wild Bill Hickok, etc. There is no charge but donations are expected and it's well worth your time and money. Make sure to visit. read more

What a treasure! There is something that came over on the mayflower. Very well put together. Very worth the stop.

Why on earth is this place not called " DEADWOOD MUSEUM?" I have been coming to Deadwood for years and had no desire to go to a museum about someone named Adam. Come to find out it's actually a museum about Deadwood, ridiculous name for this museum. Many people are being denied the joy of this museum simply because of the poor name. I get that Mr. Adams founded it, but name is all wrong. Stupid. Having said that, this is a good museum. Too bad about the name. read more

Well kept building. Not a whole lot to look at but with a free will donation, how can you complain. Be sure to stop and get passport at visitor center before coming here. read more

Great museum that show the importance of preserving historical artifacts. A MUST for any trip to Deadwood, SD.

amazing collection of memorabilia and artifacts from the area covering so many areas of interest. native american, pioneers, science, early travel. you can pretty much name it and they have it. read more