The goal of the South Dakota Museum of Geology is to conserve the geological heritage of South Dakota and the Black Hills through the collection, preparation, curation, conservation, and interpretation of significant mineral, rock, and fossil specimens, preserving them and their contextual data for future generations of South Dakotans.
which may be accomplished through our Institutional Mission:
and secondarily to:
The Exhibit Hall is located on the campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 501 East St. Joseph Street, Rapid City, South Dakota on the top floor of the O'Harra Building. Additional exhibits are housed in The Journey Museum and temporary exhibits may also occasionally be seen in other areas of the Black Hills.
O'Harra Building; Exhibit Hall, third floor.
Join us for a virtual tour of the Museum of Geology authored by emeritus Director, Dr. Philip Bjork (1981-2000) and current Director, Gale A. Bishop.
The Exhibit Hall in the O'Harra Building contains approximately 3521 geologic artifacts on exhibit drawn from a collection of approximately 300,000 specimens.
Major exhibit sections in the Museum consist of Minerals and Rocks
Major exhibits of Paleontology consist of:
Visiting Exhibits are occasionally scheduled and exhibited by the Museum of Geology.
O'Harra Museum Exhibit Hall schedule.
A small Museum Gift Shop is located in the Museum of Geology whose profits are used to directly support the programs of the Museum of Geology. Embedded within the Museum Web Site will be gift shop items appropriate to each area of interest.
Museum programs are supported by financial support from the "Friends of the Museum; The PalMin Society."
The major collections held in trust by the include rocks, minerals, and fossils and their documentation as well as archival information in the form of maps, books, reprints, and photographs used in performing research on the collections. The collections are accessible to the general public through the Exhibit Hall Collection and information on this web site. Scientific access is provided by direct contact with the museum staff upon presentation of a researcher's bona fides and a written request for access to a collection.
The Museum Staff consists of individuals whose jobs are intended to help you. Feel free to call upon us for help or advice (A contact list is presented at the bottom of this page).
The collections housed in the Museum of Geology are conserved to support research on the Geological Heritage of the Black Hills, South Dakota, and Northern Great Plains. Geological research is performed by Museum staff, faculty and students in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. Approximately 14 graduate and 20 undergraduate students are supported in their reseach efforts within the context of the Museum of Geology. The Museum operates a number of external programs including the Big Pig Dig, The Titanothere Graveyards, and The St. Catherines Sea Turtle Conservation Program (see Summer Field Programs below). The Museum of Geology is a repository for fossils collected on our region's Federally managed lands. It is dedicated to developing and using emerging electronic technologies in archiving and disseminating information.
The South Dakota School of Mines offers students the Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. degree (with emphasis) in Paleontology through the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering. The Museum of Geology and Department of Geology and Geological Engineering offers a M.S. in Paleontology.
The Museum operates several Summer Field Programs in paleontology and mineralogy each summer for graduate or undergraduate college credit. These programs allow students to enter the field and gain hands-on, real-world experience under direct supervision of the professional staff of the Museum.
Collection databases are maintained by each Curator for the collection(s) for which he/she is responsible. These databases are accessible to the public at a level consistent with the individual users' needs.
History of the Museum of Geology is summarized herein as a historical document.
The Museum of Geology may be contacted in several ways, the easiest is to search this web site for your information. If you question is still unanswered you may then e-mail for requested information. Should the immediacy of the question require you may want to call or fax the Museum. Remember our staff is small and our workload large.
Telephone |
605 394-2467 |
Fax |
605 394-2497 |