Old Courthouse Museum
Old Courthouse Museum
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Beautifully restored 1800s quartzite building has three floors of regional history exhibits.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Old Courthouse Museum and nearby attractions
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
298 within 5 kms
Attractions
106 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
159 reviews
Excellent
75
Very good
67
Average
16
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Ken W
Gretna, NE147 contributions
July 2022
This three level self guided tour was full of photos and pieces, some going back to stone tools. The original court room is now empty but the walls, ceiling, and floors have been restored, highlight of the building for me. The quartzite stone used for the building is different for the midwest, i.e., its not limestone.
Written 28 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Miranda
108 contributions
June 2024 • Solo
I spent one day in sioux falls and it rained all day! I decided to try this museum out and see what was inside! It is a decent little museum with 3 levels. Nice place to spend an hour or so on a rainy day.
Written 11 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anacreon100
Winnipeg287 contributions
Nov 2019
This place is worth going to just for the architecture, but there is more to see than that. Exhibits include a WW1 section, a collection of vintage toys, an exhibit on prohibition and women's sufferage....really, it's all over the map and that is part of its appeal. The building itself is magnificent and the history of it is explained as you walk through it. There are presently some unrestored sections that give you an idea of the scope of any restoration efforts.
Written 2 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bilyclub1
Chicago, IL88 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
Stayed overnight in Sioux Falls and checked out local sights. The old courtroom is restored and a great room to check out. Some of the historical exhibits on display are interesing.
Written 16 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dawson L
Pierre, South Dakota, United States51 contributions
Mar 2017 • Couples
Good overview of the history of the Sioux Falls area. The architecture of the building, dating back to the early 1900's if great to see as well.
Written 23 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PhilJ925
Brownsburg, IN188 contributions
Aug 2015
This is a very nice choice for people who want to learn local history. Plus, it is simply a beautiful piece of architecture. Be sure to visit the court room on the upper floor. Also, this is a freebie!
Written 22 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TmBunger
Pittsburgh, PA3 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
It's free, it's a beautiful old building that has been well-restored, and the whole family can easily learn something. The displays have interactive things for the kids, even the chance to pretend driving a stage coach. It was a great visit.
Written 28 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim P
Sioux Falls, SD13 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
The exhibits are a window into the amazing history of Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. Well worth the time you will spend, with some displays being permanent and new traveling exhibits.
Written 19 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jahoduluth
Duluth, MN181 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
My wife and I visited the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Sioux Falls while in the area recently. This is the former Minnehaha County Court House designed in Romanesque style with its landmark 165-foot working clock tower. It has not served as the county court house for over 40 years, however much of the building has been restored to show how it looked in its original decor and configuration. Areas that have not been restored have largely been converted into exhibit space on a wide variety of topics.
Three floors of the building are open to the public. Admission is free, as is nearby parking for up to two hours. A free will offering box is placed near the exit with a sign suggesting a donation of $5; funds go toward continued restoration of other areas and ongoing maintenance. Overall, for a building over 120 years old, the staff has done a remarkable job of restoring the building and preserving it given its age. One of the highlights was on the second floor where the main courtroom was immaculately refurbished back in the late 1980s to how it appeared at the beginning of the 20th Century. Researchers were able to determine actual paint colors, styles of light fixtures, and other details and replicated the same with painstaking accuracy. The intricate designs on the ceiling and walls show the workmanship that went into this effort. The building retains much of its original woodwork, still largely in excellent condition. Also on the 2nd floor, the restrooms have retained their original character, however they are fully functional. The third floor balcony for viewing court proceedings is also in outstanding condition.
The building is much more than just an old court house. The museum exhibits include some artifacts pertaining to the local judicial branch of government, however much of it covers a variety of other topics. Some are regional interest, such as westward expansion across the United States and how one prepared for the trip across the country. Others appeared to be more temporary, perhaps traveling displays, such as one on coins and another on ladies' purses. You might check with the museum in advance of your visit to determine if these are still on display or what other exhibits are in their place. Yet other displays included one on local railroad history, a biography of the building's architect and a tribute to other buildings he designed, a Norwegian loom where museum volunteers make rugs by hand that are sold on site, and much more. A genealogy research room is also available. There is even a small gift shop on site. Our total visit was about an hour and a half, which was enough time to tour all three floors and visit the gift shop.
Whether you like 19th Century architecture, are interested in regional history, or have another specific interest, the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls is well worth the visit.
Three floors of the building are open to the public. Admission is free, as is nearby parking for up to two hours. A free will offering box is placed near the exit with a sign suggesting a donation of $5; funds go toward continued restoration of other areas and ongoing maintenance. Overall, for a building over 120 years old, the staff has done a remarkable job of restoring the building and preserving it given its age. One of the highlights was on the second floor where the main courtroom was immaculately refurbished back in the late 1980s to how it appeared at the beginning of the 20th Century. Researchers were able to determine actual paint colors, styles of light fixtures, and other details and replicated the same with painstaking accuracy. The intricate designs on the ceiling and walls show the workmanship that went into this effort. The building retains much of its original woodwork, still largely in excellent condition. Also on the 2nd floor, the restrooms have retained their original character, however they are fully functional. The third floor balcony for viewing court proceedings is also in outstanding condition.
The building is much more than just an old court house. The museum exhibits include some artifacts pertaining to the local judicial branch of government, however much of it covers a variety of other topics. Some are regional interest, such as westward expansion across the United States and how one prepared for the trip across the country. Others appeared to be more temporary, perhaps traveling displays, such as one on coins and another on ladies' purses. You might check with the museum in advance of your visit to determine if these are still on display or what other exhibits are in their place. Yet other displays included one on local railroad history, a biography of the building's architect and a tribute to other buildings he designed, a Norwegian loom where museum volunteers make rugs by hand that are sold on site, and much more. A genealogy research room is also available. There is even a small gift shop on site. Our total visit was about an hour and a half, which was enough time to tour all three floors and visit the gift shop.
Whether you like 19th Century architecture, are interested in regional history, or have another specific interest, the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls is well worth the visit.
Written 5 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randy K
Des Moines, IA3,282 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
This is actually rather interesting. The exterior is made of large stone blocks which I think are called brownstone.
The interior has lots of older style rooms. Some original wallpaper.
The exhibits are rather interesting covering the history of the area.
The interior has lots of older style rooms. Some original wallpaper.
The exhibits are rather interesting covering the history of the area.
Written 10 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What is the average amount of time that somebody stays there?
Written 8 March 2022
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing