Driving thru the town we saw signs for a Fish Hatchery. Not knowing what to expect we decided to check it out. What a beautiful area. Many ponds of fish throughout. Great place for kids as they sold bags of fish food to feed them. You can walk down a lower level and view fish under water. Very cool!! You can also visit a rail car that used to transport fish across the country and an ice house. If in town you must stop in and visit. Such a wonderful fine. read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

The fish hatchery was unexpectedly awesome- and free! My family and I spent several enjoyable hours feeding the fish (you can buy bags of food from the window shop), watching them, and exploring the beautiful grounds. We were able to bring our leashed dog to the outdoor areas and Michelle gave a wonderful house tour to my son and I. I highly recommend checking out the hatchery when in Spearfish! read more

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I wasn't expecting much as I was visiting after they had closed down for the season, but I was pleasantly surprised. There are plenty of exhibits outside like the fish car that you can marvel at. As the natural fisheries were being overfished, fish hatcheries were being tapped as a source to replenish them. But, how could the fish be transported? The answer was by rail in specialty designed rail cars to aerate the water and maintain the correct temperature. In the present, the fish are being trucked around and flown. Less cool, isn't it? There are a few ponds, including one with an underground viewing area where you can see the fish up close. I loved how there was a legend so you could identify the fish easily. There's plenty of walking around you can do, and I even saw some wild turkeys. read more

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This is a free side stop on my trip through South Dakota! There is a walkway through with signage that talks about this historic old trout hatchery. It was clean and had alot of information. I was so happy we stopped and checked it out. read more

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As an adult, I find this place boring. Nice concept but not for me. It's free to enter but our friend's kids ages 4,6,8 seem to enjoy it. You can buy a bag of food in the vending machines to feed the fishes. You can post a photo on social media and tag them to get a free bag of food. They''s an underground area and you can see the fish eat from people feeding them up top. But these windows are so foggy that you won't see a thing. Many more things to do here but it was too hot to walk any further. read more

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Every time we go to SD we plan a visit here. The whole family loves it. This trip we took our two adult daughters and our granddaughter. We loved viewing the fish underground. My granddaughter loved feeding the fish and watching them get frenzied when she tossed the food in. Feeding the ducks was fun, too. The gift shop has all kinds of things to choose for mementos. Check it out! read more

This place is awesome for families. We started going to the fish hatchery on our family vacations before we moved to Spearfish. Not only is it free but you can purchase some fish food to feed the fish and it will support the fish hatchery. We also support a fish hatchery as members. My son participated in a summer program when he was younger called Hatchery Helpers and absolutely loved it. They discontinued it several years ago unfortunately. read more

What a lovely venue! Part museum, part hatchery, part beautiful park. Lots of places to stroll, look at and feed fish, and learn history.

My family and I camped at the Spearfish City Campground, and the fish hatchery was right next door, making it an easy walk! My kids loved seeing and feeding the fish (bring some quarters!), especially the underwater viewing. The volunteers were knowledgeable and very helpful, and we learned a lot walking through all the open exhibits. read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - The underwater viewing area - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

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We got a bit lost coming into town and went to the information spot. They told us about the Hatchery. It's a cute little place to visit. At the gift shop you can pick up some fish feed. Minimum purchase with a credit card is $5.00. You can feed the fish at different locations along the path and view the fish from below at a glassed observation room. There was a momma duck with her ducklings and other ducks in the water to view too. My kids are older but got a kick out of feeding the fish. read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - Underwater observation - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

Really cool spot to check out & learn about fish. It's right next to the Campground, which is also really nice. Beautiful area, exhibits are well done and you can feed the fish. The underground fish lookout is really neat. Highly recommended for kids & adults. If you are staying at the Campground, you can walk there. Otherwise they have a visitor parking lot for about 10 cars. read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - Cool fish - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

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Spearfish creek is famous for being a destination to fish for Rainbow, Brook, and Brown Trout, but do you know why? Well it is because of the D.C. Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery. Yearly this location spawns 20,000 to 30,000 Rainbow Trout and that's not included the other species. This hatchery opened in 1896 and still holds up with beautiful brick walls filled with water to allow the trout to be raised here. Originally they spawned blackspotted trout which is no longer here. Today you can feed the fish with a type of feed which you can purchase. When you throw a handful in the water you can actually see trout jumping over each other to reach the food first. You can view one of the ponds from below with a underground viewing area. This is by far the coolest fish hatchery we have ever been to. read more

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Everything but the main shop was closed. I'd like to visit when it is open in full force. It is a nice small place to take the kids who love fish and a great way to learn about nature and conservation. They do loan out fishing poles and I thought that was pretty darn cool. We didn't get a chance to feed the fish but man you can tell they are well fed. Between the fish and the ducks, they know when they see a human, they are getting food and they followed me around the pond. I got a kick out that lol. Not a bad place, stop by. I only gave it 3 stars bc I couldn't walk through some of the stuff....o you gotta check out the fish cemetery. read more

If you love fish you will love this place, Stop and feed the big trout. they will come up and eat out of your hand. My kids love it and so do I . Its also free and open year round. Free historic tour of the original fish hatchery and walk the grounds and see various stages of fish development. Its super family friendly and a blast. Then stop to eat and go back to fee the trout some more, they swarm like nothing you have seen before. read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

I loved this place. Very educational on the stocking of fish in the area. The gift shop has items you can't find anywhere else.

Serendipity. Happy Accidents. Such is the case with this little gem in Spearfish, SD. On vacations, from time to time, good things just "happen." A quick right turn on the way home to our hotel landed us at the DC Booth fish hatchery. Such a fun little spot to take a break and feed some ravenous fish. The grounds are beautiful and it would make for a quiet spot to just wander. Our two girls got a kick out of keeping the many fish happy and were even able to go down to the viewing area to get a better look at the beautiful fish in action. A gem of a spot - and free (short of a few bucks for fish food) Highly recommended! read more

Well worth the stop if you like fish and nature. The facilities were closed but we still enjoyed the stop.

This place is so great. It's calm and tranquil. Tons of historical plaques all over to learn about it, too. I have seen weddings happen on these grounds and they are so gorgeous due to the locale! It's free and kids always seem to be having a good time whenever I go here. It's a nice little treat on a summertime afternoon. read more

Excellent stop this morning after leaving our campsite. They don't have to be open for you to stop in and see all the different fish. They have a very cool underground viewing area so you can see all the big fish right up close! read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

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I grew up in Spearfish and this is hands down the best place to just go and wonder before or after visiting the City Park next door. Sure it is nothing crazy exciting in the sense of racing cars, but they have an under water viewing area, ducks, fish feedings, nature trails, a old rail car, and the original house from like 1900. It is free to get in and walk around, so why not? Bring your kids and stroll through the Fish Hatchery and Parks nearby. read more

FREE family fun! What a neat place to stop in and tour the beautiful grounds! The trout were awesome! It's a blast to watch them fight over the fish food! But what was really cool was learning about the history of fish preservation. I mean -- I had no clue they used train cars to haul fish to and from places. The grounds are beautiful. The only disappointing factor is that the underwater viewing tank is so overrun with green algae you can't really see the fish. Stay above ground for the best views! read more

Beautiful, interesting and Fun for kids of all ages! Kids have been bored to death while visiting SD history attractions, this was great and had a nice park and creek nearby to play in afterward. read more

The fish hatchery is a very pretty, nice, clean park. A great place to go for a walk, feed the fish & ducks, bring a little picnic etc. Best of all it's free! read more

I thought this was great! You can purchase a handful of fish food for a quarter, or a ziplock for $1. Nearby is a beautiful spacious park, a great way to spend a few hours. read more

My children love to see the fish swimming, so it is the perfect place. You can spend an hour easily here. Feeding the trouts in the pond was fun, and I enjoyed seeing a lot of young trouts in the hatchery ponds. read more

This is a perfect place to stop, especially if you're just passing through and need to stretch your legs. Grab some chicken or sandwiches in town for a picnic, then follow the signs to the hatchery. It sits right next to the city park. IT IS LOVELY! The park is bordered by a wonderful little river. The kids can play at the playground, then cool their feet in the water. Next, head up a few yards to the hatchery entrance. The grounds are well cared for, the volunteers are very nice, and the history is fascinating. Of course, all the kids will want to do is feed the fish. Let them. It's quite fun. read more

My hub and I visited this wonderful fish hatchery about two weeks ago. I live near a fish hatchery in my own town and it does not compare at all to the one in Spearfish. My hub and I were blown away with so much to see and do here. It was more than a fish hatchery, it Is a park, museum, gift store and more. It was a relaxing place to get away from the crowds at more popular touristy attractions, like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, etc. Also right next door to the fish hatchery is Spearfish City park, a perfect place for families. If my hub and I lived here, we would go to these two places frequently. read more

This historic place is well maintained, very clean, fun for kids, and informational. The volunteers are wonderful, and we enjoyed our visit a lot. read more

It's Free............It's beautiful....................It's educational. That being said it is a must stop if you happen to be in Spearfish SD. read more

DC Booth Historic Fish Hatchery - Fantastic stop - Museums Near Me - Spearfish, South Dakota

A picturesque stop with a variety of interesting displays. We stopped during an off season weekend, and it was still entertaining. A local fisherman, who caught a brown trout and showed it to us, recommended driving the Spearfish canyon from here and it was a good suggestion. It filled up a solid half day and when the canyon road divides you can choose more scenery to the Rushmore area or head north to visit historic Deadwood. read more

As far as fish hatcheries go I give this 5 stars. It's super clean and pretty. There is a museum on the premise as well as a train car and a boat. It is attached to a very nice city park where you can play and tube in the river. read more

A must see. This is a very neat fish hatchery, very tourist friendly. We always stop here when in South Dakota!

Beautiful, peaceful spot right in town. I walk through the Hatchery every day...it is well worth a visit.

It's a good place to drop by if you have some extra time, but not worth an extra trip. 30-45 min should be enough time. It's small but interesting. The most amazing part was seeing how big trout can grow. read more

Fabulous place. Although it's not a breeding hatchery any longer, it has a fabulous history and really covers the history of fish hatcheries around the country. Great museum, old RR car and original house. Fun to feed the fish. Nice gift shop and outstanding volunteers. Not to be missed! read more