The Verendrye Museum in Fort Pierre is named for Louis and
Chevalier Verendrye, two French brothers who explored the upper
reaches of the Missouri River.
In 1743, they buried a lead plate in a hill claiming the entire
Missouri River drainage for France. The Verendrye Museum is located
in the old American Legion Hall, a 1930’s vintage building owned by
the City of Fort Pierre. The Historical Society of Old Stanley
County had a vision of establishing a museum, which was realized in
1968 with the opening of the Verendrye Museum as a 501(c)3
non-profit corporation. The museum houses a collection of South
Dakota and regional artifacts documenting the early history of the
area.
The Verendrye Museum is open from 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through
Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm Saturday during the tourist season of
Memorial Day through Labor Day. If you are in Fort Pierre in the off
season you can see some museum displays at the Fort Pierre Log Cabin
Information Center located on the corner of Main and HWY 83. Special
arrangements can also be made to visit the museum in the off season.
Call 605-222-6071 for more information.
Current Museum Officers and
Directors:
| Darby Nutter -
President Tom Bown - Director
John Duffy - Vice President
Karl Fischer - Director
Anne Beckwith - Secretary
|
|
Arlen Keyser -
Director Connie Grittner - Treasurer
Zay Norman - Director
Brian Scott - Director
|
|
PO Box 665 Fort Pierre South Dakota
E-mail
verendryemuseum@dakota2k.net |