Dickinson Museum Center is a 12 acre campus conveniently located just off Interstate 94 in Dickinson, North Dakota. The Center consists of four complimentary components:
Badlands Dinosaur Museum houses the largest collection of real dinosaur fossils on display in North Dakota, including a complete Triceratops skull, six full dinosaur skeletons, hundreds of fossils, a colorful mineral collection—and hands-on activities. The window of our visitor-friendly fossil laboratory allows you to watch paleontologists at work preparing recently discovered fossils for research and display.
Joachim Regional Museum celebrates Dickinson, ‘The Queen City of the Prairie’ and southwestern North Dakota. Visit the Joachim for a taste of history and art from ‘The Western Edge.’
Prairie Outpost Park features historic and ethnic structures that help tell the story of southwest North Dakota. Stroll the grounds and view the buildings from the outside or join one of our guided summer tours to go inside. Tours operate between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Tour times and availability vary daily.
Pioneer Machinery Hall visit a marvelous collection of historic agricultural implements that take you out on the range or down to the farm. Open between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Presented by the Stark County Historical Society.
Dickinson Museum Center is a department of the City of Dickinson.
Museum Advisory Boards
The Dickinson Museum Center is supported in part by two stand-alone private non-profit advisory boards, the Southwestern North Dakota Museum Foundation (SNDMF) and the Stark County Historical Society.
The Southwestern North Dakota Museum Foundation traces its beginnings to the original trustees of Daniel Joachim’s estate, charged with developing a regional local history and art museum in Dickinson. The Foundation was incorporated December 18, 1981.
The Stated Purpose of the Foundation
The Southwestern North Dakota Museum Foundation Board is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that formed in 1981 to identify, preserve, interpret and promote cultural heritage in Southwestern North Dakota. We operate in conjunction with the City of Dickinson to ensure future preservation efforts reflect our regional heritage.
The Stark County Historical Society was incorporated October 21, 1975 and is a certified affiliate of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Mission Statement
To preserve the historic value, integrity, and knowledge of historical artifacts and history of Stark County, North Dakota, and to support and advise the development of the museum center complex.