My husband and I had passed by the Old Courthouse Museum many times since moving to Sioux Falls, but for Mother's Day we decided to do something a little different and finally stop in for a visit. We both love old historical museums, and this turned out to be one of the nicest surprises we've had since making South Dakota our home. The courthouse itself is beautifully restored. The architecture alone is worth the visit. Walking through the building really gives you an appreciation for the craftsmanship of another era. One thing that especially fascinated me were the old architectural drawings on display. It honestly amazed me to think that all of those detailed designs were created entirely by hand without computers or modern drafting programs. The amount of patience and talent required must have been incredible. The museum gives a wonderful glimpse into the early history of Sioux Falls and how different life once was here. Looking through the exhibits, furnishings, photographs, and displays made me reflect on how much simpler life must have seemed back then, even though I know it certainly had its own hardships. As newer residents of Sioux Falls, it also helped us feel more connected to the city we now call home. Sometimes when you move somewhere new, you know the streets and stores first, but not the story underneath them. This museum helped fill in some of those gaps for us. We also wound up spending far too much time in the gift shop and left with quite a few souvenirs. Mostly though, I just enjoyed spending the afternoon strolling through the museum with my honey, learning a little more about the history of the community we've become a part of. It made for a very peaceful and memorable Mother's Day. read more

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This museum is really cool and interesting with lots of information about the building and the town, as well as lots other items from history. read more

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A beautiful structure inside and out; the old re-purposed courthouse is now a museum. The current exhibits featured displays and artifacts of WWI, motorcycles, toys and games, cinematography, and some general local history. I was unable to go into the courtroom because of a wedding banquet being set-up. The price is free and is a great place to visit while downtown Sioux Falls. read more

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Very good. Nice exhibits, especially enjoyed the way the building has been restored and the Radiomen room was really informative -- but please, fix the Morse code key so it works! Admission was worth every penny. Recommended. read more

Very nice small, community museum. Very welcoming staff. As noted by other reviewers the building is the main attraction.

The museum is a beautiful structure and is located in the old Courthouse (as you can tell by the name). There are a lot of features of the building itself that are maintained in its original form. Different floors have different exhibits with several artifacts. Staff were friendly and helpful. It may have been the exhibits there, but we did not find the place all that interesting. read more

This is a great little donation only museum. We have been twice now. The WWI display is impressive and interesting - life size trenches and impressive displays of clothing and equipment. My boys love the bison and feeling all the objects made from bison bones/teeth/hide, etc. The teepees and depictions of Sioux life are amazing. The upstairs courthouse is gorgeous. They are doing some renovations upstairs as well and we look forward to those on future visits. It's a great way to spend a rainy or cold day. Takes about 1-2 hours to go through (if you read a lot). Great downtown activity (low cost). read more

Old Courthouse Museum - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Sioux Falls, South Dakota

They have 3 stories of history and exhibits. The staff were very pleasant and informative. They're open daily AND it's free admission. read more

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Pretty neat! We stopped in Sioux Falls for a night and wanted things to do. We found this. It's neat if you're into history! It need a bit more well kept but as a museum, 10/10 job well done! read more

Boyfriend and I randomly stopped in here one afternoon just to see what was up. They were offering a free children's concert up top with popcorn, but we didn't check that out. They have a lot of interesting stuff on the main floor. Old chairs, relics from the early settlers who came to the region in covered wagons, things like that. And there's a life-size buffalo with dried body parts for the kids to touch and see how the Native Americans used every part of the animal. And they had a lot of historical background on all their artifacts as well. It could take a few hours to go through the whole thing if you read every plaque. All in all its a good place to stop in, especially if you have kids. Free admission, but there's a donation box at the front if you feel the need to give back. read more

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The Haunted Bus Tour is WONDERFUL! A comfy limo bus? Spooky stories? A well planned out route with corresponding stops and a GREAT narrator!? Why have I waited so long to do this! I'll never miss another year, as long as I live...and maybe I'll even join in the afterlife...BOO! read more

The woman at the desk was super friendly and helpful. Free admission is always a plus. We went on the first and second floors. Lots of great info and some really awesome displays. You can tell the people that run this are passionate about what they do. Sort of random that there are offices open and meetings going on. This prevented me from wanting to continue to roam. read more

The building that houses this museum is quite wonderful. It has lots of dark woodwork and beautiful flooring. The bathrooms are original except for the updated hardware. The exhibits are usually pretty good. Some are lame like the fur trade and others are simply excellent like the World War II exhibit and the baseball in SF exhibit. I like this museum. read more

Good history of Sioux Falls and some interesting displays. Interactive displays and things for kids to do.

Wow-with a name like Siouxland I expected a native american themed museum. I was disappointed as there was one exhibit on beadwork and that was it. Are there natives in the area? Is the sioux part just a name of your town and not connected to the natives. As a tourist I am vastly interested in the native culture and was fooled into thinking this museum might have something to do with natives--there is an exhibit entitled the history of underwear. really? you should be so ashamed of your content. the gift shop is dark, murky and unwelcoming. The use of the name Sioux is a disgrace to the Sioux Nation, read more