The main Deadwood museums are the Adams Museum, the Days of ’76 Museum and the Historic Adams House, with two mining museums just up the road in Lead. In one afternoon you can see Potato Creek Johnny’s gold nugget, walk among original stagecoaches and tour a Victorian home that sat closed for nearly 60 years.
The Adams Museum and Days of ’76 Museum stay open year-round, so they’re one of the most reliable indoor activities in the Black Hills when the weather turns.
Where to Find Deadwood Museums
Downtown Deadwood
Three museums in and around downtown, close to many of our Deadwood vacation rentals.
Adams Museum
Founded in 1930 by pioneer businessman W.E. Adams to preserve the history of the Black Hills, the Adams Museum is the best place to start. Highlights include Potato Creek Johnny’s 7.346 troy ounce gold nugget, the Thoen Stone (a record of an 1830s gold discovery that predates the official rush), an N.C. Wyeth sketch of Wild Bill Hickok, and a rare plesiosaur fossil.
Best For: First-time visitors, families, and anyone short on time
Location: Sherman Street, Downtown Deadwood
Hours: May – September, daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | October – April, Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission: By donation (suggested $5 adults, $3 children)
Local Tip: Give it at least an hour, and don’t skip the lower level – it is the hands-on space for kids and the quietest part of the building on a busy summer day.
Days of ’76 Museum
The Days of ’76 Museum began as a home for the wagons, stagecoaches, and carriages from Deadwood’s Days of ’76 celebration, which dates to 1924. Today it is the largest of the Deadwood museums, with original horse-drawn vehicles alongside rodeo saddles and trophies, frontier artifacts, and two galleries of Plains Indian clothing and beadwork.
Best For: Western history fans, rodeo fans, and families
Location: 18 76 Drive
Hours: May – September, daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | October – April, Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission: $10 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free for 5 and under
Local Tip: The museum pairs naturally with the Days of ’76 Rodeo in late July, but rodeo week is also its busiest. If crowds aren’t your thing, go the week before or after.
Historic Adams House
Built in 1892, the Historic Adams House is a Queen Anne home that tells the story of two of Deadwood’s founding families, including W.E. Adams. After Adams died in 1934, his wife closed the house, and it sat for nearly 60 years. That is why the oak staircase, stained glass, original wallpaper, and furnishings survived almost untouched.
Best For: Architecture lovers, couples, and anyone who prefers a guided tour
Location: 22 Van Buren Street, a short walk uphill from Main Street
Hours: Seasonal, typically spring through fall (guided tours)
Admission: $12 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free for 5 and under
Local Tip: Seeing more than one museum? The combo pass covers the Adams Museum and Days of ’76 Museum for $13, or all three, including the Adams House, for $22 during the season.
Up the Road in Lead
Lead sits a few miles up the road and was home to the Homestake Mine, the deepest gold mine in the Northern Hemisphere. Two stops there tell the side of the story that happened underground.
Black Hills Mining Museum
At the Black Hills Mining Museum, guides lead visitors through a life-size recreated underground mine, and the main floor covers more than a century of gold mining with ore cars, hoists, and tools from the Homestake era.
Best For: Families with kids
Hours: Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., mid-May through mid-October (last tour at 4 p.m.)
Admission: $10 adults for exhibits, $15 adults with the underground tour, $8 ages 7-12
Local Tip: Book the underground tour, not just the exhibits. It is the part kids remember.
Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center
The former Homestake Mine is now home to the Sanford Underground Research Facility, where scientists run physics experiments deep underground. The visitor center overlooks the Open Cut, the massive pit left by early mining, and covers both the mine’s history and the science happening below.
Best For: Science fans, teens, and budget-friendly stops
Hours: Monday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission: Free, with free parking
More History Stops Around Deadwood
Two more ways to dig into the gold rush and the Plains, both a short drive from Main Street.
Tatanka: Story of the Bison
Tatanka centers on one of the largest bronze sculptures in the world: 14 bison pursued by three Lakota riders, with an interpretive center on Plains culture.
Best For: Families, art lovers, and a quick stop on the way into town
Location: 100 Tatanka Drive, off Highway 85 North across from The Lodge at Deadwood
Hours: Daily 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., spring through October 22 (last admission 3:30 p.m.)
Admission: $12 ages 13-59, $6 ages 6-12, $2 off for ages 60+, military, and veterans
Local Tip: Tatanka closes for the season on October 22, so a fall trip needs to land before then.
Broken Boot Gold Mine
Broken Boot is a 30-minute guided walk into an 1878 mine just off Main Street.
Best For: Families and anyone who wants to go underground without leaving town
Location: 1200 Pioneer Way
Hours: Daily 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (last regular tour at 5 p.m.)
Admission: $12 adults, $10 ages 6-17, seniors 60+, and military, free for 5 and under
Local Tip: The 5:30 p.m. Candlelight Ghost Tour ($14, ages 12+) has limited space, so plan it as the last stop of a history day.
A Short History of Deadwood
Deadwood began in 1876 as a gold camp in a narrow gulch on Lakota land, settled in violation of the Fort Laramie Treaty. That same summer, Wild Bill Hickok was shot during a poker game, and Calamity Jane made the camp her home. Both are buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery above town.
A fire in 1879 burned much of the original wooden town, and Deadwood was rebuilt in the brick and stone that still lines Main Street. The Homestake Mine in Lead carried the region for more than a century. In 1989, Deadwood legalized gaming to fund historic preservation, and the entire town is now a National Historic Landmark.
For cemeteries, saloons, and other landmarks, see our guide to the top must-visit places in Deadwood.
Tips for Visiting Deadwood Museums
01
Start at the Welcome Center
Housed in the old train depot, it has maps and current hours and sells the combo pass.
02
Grab a free PastPort booklet
Collect stamps around town to unlock free trolley rides between museums.
03
Save one for bad weather
Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, and the downtown museums make an easy backup plan.
04
Plan about an hour each
A half day covers the three downtown museums, and a full day lets you add Lead.
Pair Deadwood Museums with Your Stay
Spend the morning in the galleries, grab lunch on Main Street, and finish with an evening at one of the casinos in Deadwood. With a vacation rental close to downtown, you can come and go on your own schedule.