The family-oriented historical showcase was established 20 years ago when a partnership of four major Rapid City museums formed and joined with the city to tell the story of the Black Hills, from dinosaurs to space programs. The museum encourages students and families to participate in educational programming, and periodically offers "Free Day" as extra incentive.

     Mark Slocum says, "The Journey Museum is the 2.5 billion year history of the Black Hills. It's a natural and cultural history museum. It takes you through geology and our geological record through the paleo people that lived here, the Native Americans, and when gold was discovered and the pioneers came in." Since opening in 1997, over one million visitors have enjoyed the modern, interactive collection and educational programming.

Cheryl Lee