605.925.7545

Heritage Hall Museum
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      • Our Story
      • Movie
      • Blog
      • Gallery
    • Visit Us
      • Museum
      • Historic Buildings
      • Archives
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      • Freeman, SD
      • The Chislic Story
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    • News & Events
    • Get Involved
      • Involvement Opportunities
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Heritage Hall Museum
  • Home
  • About
  • Visit Us
  • Mercantile
  • Gallery
  • News & Events
  • Get Involved
  • Contact

Winter Hours

October through April

Monday - Friday 12-4 pm

and mornings and weekends by appointment

(Closed holidays)

Summer Hours

May through September

Monday - Friday 9 am-4 pm

Weekends 1-4 pm
Our archivist is available Monday-Friday or by appointment. 

Contact Us

Collections at Our Freeman, S.D. Museum

The collections in our unique museum tell our community's stories.  Heritage Hall Museum has over 25,000 square feet of displays to explore. There is something for everyone! 

Germans from Russia

Germans from Russia

Germans from Russia

Freeman South Dakota Museum

Many of those who settled in this part of southeastern Dakota Territory were German-speaking immigrants who left Russia for new opportunities in  America. Displays trace their immigration and the challenges they faced as they moved to a new and untamed land. Immigrant trunks, diaries, and a variety of artifacts they brought with them, give us a glimpse of what life was like for these immigrants. 

Freeman, SD

Germans from Russia

Germans from Russia

Freeman South Dakota Museum

Ten years before South Dakota became a  state, the settlement of Freeman began when the Chicago, Milwaukee &  St. Paul Railroad extended a line westward through the area in 1879,  bringing a variety of businesses, goods and opportunities. A general store, doctor’s office, dentist’s office, local banks, printing press and even the town jail are represented in the museum. 

Native History

Germans from Russia

Life on the Prairie

SD Museum

The land on which our European immigrant forebears settled is the traditional homeland of many other peoples,  including the Yankton Sioux Nation. We honor their culture, their heritage and their continuing connection to the land, water and community. Displays feature arrow heads and early tools, clothing and artwork. Children especially enjoy our brain-tanned buffalo hide and winter count. 

Life on the Prairie

Agriculture & Transportation

Life on the Prairie

Pioneers had to be creative and resourceful when they arrived on the  prairie. Once the railroad arrived, settlers could purchase basic goods  without traveling the 30 miles south to the Territorial capital of Yankton. A parlor display, a summer kitchen, an outhouse, and countless household artifacts illustrate the everyday lives of the early settlers. 

Agriculture & Transportation

Agriculture & Transportation

Agriculture & Transportation

Settlers generally began their lives in South Dakota with just a wagon and a plow, but times changed quickly.  Trace the development of agricultural implements and transportation vehicles in this area. Tractors, cars, motorcycles, and even a 1927 Lincoln-Page biplane are part of our exhibit. 

Natural History

Agriculture & Transportation

Agriculture & Transportation

South Dakota Museum

Animals of all kinds have made South Dakota home, and visitors can get a close-up look at some of the species that lived in Southeast South Dakota in our natural history display. 

Welcome to Heritage Hall Museum & Archives 

Our South Dakota Museum has Over 20,000 Items on Display

Heritage  Hall Museum and Archives strives to preserve, educate and foster  appreciation for the diverse natural and cultural history of the greater Freeman area, settled largely by Germans from Russia in the 1870s.


Heritage Hall Museum welcomes individuals and families, as well as  school and tour groups. Large groups are encouraged to call ahead to  arrange for guides as needed.

South Dakota Museum Archives

How To Find Us

How do you get to Heritage Hall Museum & Archives?

 We’re not the easiest place to find, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with Freeman.

There are two ways to get to our complex. One is from Seventh Street, which runs east-west on the southern side of Freeman’s residential and business district. Turn south on Juniper Street; that will lead you to the Freeman Academy campus. The other entrance is from Cedar Street, which borders the west side of Freeman. 

• If you are coming to the museum through the Freeman Academy campus via Juniper Street, continue south through the parking lot. A driveway between Pioneer Hall and Frontier Hall will take you to another parking lot that borders the Prairie Arboretum and our museum complex. You’ll see our large building on the east side of the parking lot.

• If you are coming to the museum via Cedar Street, turn east on Arboretum Drive (a sign marks the entrance). Continue traveling to the east; you’ll see our large building on the east side of the parking lot.

If you’re using a navigational system, our address is 880 S. Cedar, Freeman, S.D. 57029

More about Freeman?

You can find more about the Freeman community at a number of online resources that include the city, and our local newspaper.

Find out more

Copyright © Heritage Hall Museum & Archives   |   605.929.7545   |   info@heritagehallmuseum.com   |   PO Box 693, 880 S Cedar St, Freeman, SD 57029


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Heritage Hall Museum in Freeman, South Dakota tells the story of the German-from-Russia immigrants and others who settled in southeastern Dakota Territory in the 1870s. Our South Dakota museum has over 20,000 historical items on display!

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  • Movie
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  • Members & Sponsors
  • Contact
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