The mission of the journey museum is to preserve, educate and explore the heritage, cultures and environment of the black hills region to understand our past, enrich our present and sustain our future. The vision is to inspire all audiences to learn and play in a vibrant and dynamic atmoshphere; create wonder and curiosity through exhibits and programs that lead to life-long learning; reveal cultural, historical, and scientific connections to foster new knowledge, appreciation and understanding in our community and its visitors.
The journey museum houses artifacts and materials that assist in the education and understanding of our area's history, heritage, and culture. The museum includes a wide variety of prehistoric and historic artifacts that tell the complete story of the black hills region - from the perspective of the lakota people and the pioneers who shaped its past, to the scientists who now study it. The journey museum educates, supports and provides learning and cultural awareness to community members and visitors. Activities include a learning lab stocked with educational materials, youth educational experiences, school and group tours, and adult educational programs. The journey museum saw approximately 30,000 visitors in the museum in 2025. The museum also seeks to collaborate whenever possible with other organizations and potential partners while always honoring our current partnerships. We believe collaboration is essential to organizational success. In 2025, the journey museum acquired all assets of minnilusa historical association, a 501c3 organization that maintains a pioneer museum. The acquisition allows the journey to expand its collection. The hope is that the combined resources and aligned objectives will result in visitor growth.