The 2025 South Dakota Chislic Festival will be held at the Freeman Prairie Arboretum on the southwest edge of the town on the eastern edge of Hutchinson County – the heart of the "Chislic Circle" – on Saturday, July 26. The festival, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., features the unique "meat on a stick" delicacy tied to Germans from Russia who arrived in the region in the 1870s. Admission is free.
To learn more about the festival: https://www.sdchislicfestival.com/.
Located immediately north of the festival site, our museum is the "Family Zone" for the day with special activities planned. The museum's admission wristbands enable guests to come and go throughout the day.
Heritage Hall Museum & Archives is a cultural hub that celebrates and shares the history of the larger Freeman community. Our collection tells the story of the Germans-from-Russia immigrants who arrived in southeastern Dakota Territory starting in the 1870s. Our two exhibit halls and four historical buildings include thousands of artifacts that tell the story of the settlers who came from Amish, Hutterite, Lutheran, Reformed and Mennonite faith traditions. Our archives are filled with thousands of photos, documents and books available for research. We are open year-round.
As a member of the Heritage Hall Museum & Archives, you enjoy free admission, discounted admission to programs, and discounts at our gift shop . Your membership supports our mission to preserve and share the history of our community.
Lured by the Homestead Act of 1862, and in search of freedom and opportunity, Germans-from-Russia immigrants from Amish, Hutterite, Lutheran, Mennonite and Reformed backgrounds – and others – began arriving in southeastern Dakota Territory starting in the 1870s. They brought with them their religious traditions, strong work ethic and determination. They persevered, not only surviving the hardships of life on the prairie, but working together to establish the larger Freeman community. Our exhibits and archives tell their stories.
With over 25,000 square feet of displays featuring everything from old cars & buggies to household items to agricultural equipment to artwork & musical instruments, Heritage Hall Museum has a vast variety of artifacts that span everyone's interest areas.
The Archives Library preserves more than 10,000 books, maps, periodicals, documents, and photos pertaining to the local history of the Freeman community and beyond.
Sit at a desk in the one-room school house, peer into the Russian oven of an early 1880s pioneer home, or admire the simple elegance of two early rural churches in one of the buildings preserved on site.
Learn about how Heritage Hall Museum evolved from a simple idea of community stewardship to the multi-faceted facility it is today. There is something for everyone in the family to enjoy.