Journey Museum asking for community support in continuing to share Black Hills history

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - At Monday night’s city council meeting, the Journey Museum & Learning Center presented a unique project.

25 years ago, one of Rapid City’s first Vision Fund projects was the Journey Museum & Learning Center, aimed at teaching locals and tourists the past and present history of the Black Hills.

Monday night’s presentation updated the council on how the museum plans to continue that mission but also expressed the need for community support.

Now, the museum is anticipating receiving ‘shoebox’ history, or pieces of people’s lives tucked away in a box, that will eventually be viewed in an exhibit rather than collect dust.

“I think it’s very personal for each and every individual throughout the community which is why we use the term of shoebox,” said Troy Kilpatrick, the executive director of the Journey Museum. “It could be someone’s grandparent’s paperwork from when they immigrated to South Dakota and settled their ranch and created generations and generations of South Dakotans.:”

Kilpatrick added that we need to determine how to share today’s history with future generations and that may mean more money down the road.