Museum Center Attractions

There are several different organizations that together make up the Dickinson Museum Center including: the Joachim Regional Museum, Prairie Outpost Park, and the Pioneer Machinery building (Stark County Historical Society).

Main Building (Joachim Regional Museum) - Art and history exhibits of regional significance.

Pioneer Machinery Museum - Exhibits featuring the early ranching and agricultural history of Stark County.

Prairie Outpost Park - Five historic and six reproduction buildings are located in the park east of the museum. The new Heritage Pavilion picnic shelter is also located in the park, and available for rental.  Free tours are available from Memorial Day until mid-August.  Contact the Dickinson Museum Center at 701-456-6225 or info@dickinsonmuseumcenter.org for more information.

Also located nearby:

Dakota Dinosaur Museum and Dino Gift Shop - This museum houses thousands of rock, mineral, and fossil specimens including a complete Triceratops skeleton.  It is a separate organization from the Dickinson Museum Center.

Dickinson Convention and Visitors' Bureau - Get information about local and regional attractions and events. Find a hotel or restaurant, or get maps, brochures, and other travel information. The CVB also provides meeting planning assistance. Open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily throughout the summer (check for winter hours).   The CVB is a separate organization from the Dickinson Museum Center.

Hours

Memorial Day to Labor Day: Open Daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (the buildings in Prairie Outpost Park close at 4:00 pm). All hours and event times are Mountain Daylight Savings Time

Winter Season: Hours vary, please call for more information.

Admission

There are currently no admission fees charged to visit the Dickinson Museum Center.  Free-will donations are greatly appreciated, and help fund exhibits, events, and other programming. Free admission is possible through the support from the following sponsors: City of Dickinson, Southwest North Daktoa Regional Museum Foundation, Stark County Historical Society, and donations from members and visitors.

Visitor Amenities

• Public restrooms are available in the main building (Joachim Regional Museum), the Pioneer Machinery building, and in Prairie Outpost Park (directly west of the Heritage Pavilion picnic shelter).  There are also public restrooms available in the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Dakota Dinosaur Museum.  All are accessible to visitors with disabilities.
  
• Picnic tables can be found at various locations throughout the property.
  
• Pop machines can be found outside of the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, and a water cooler is available inside the main building (Joachim Regional Museum).
  
• Gift shops are located in both the Dakota Dinosaur Museum and the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.
  
• An internet kiosk is available to the public in both the main building (Joachim Regional Museum) and the Convention and Visitors’ Burearu.
  
• "Mutt Mitts" are available to those walking their dogs throughout the park.  They are located at four stations, all near garbage cans and along the sidewalk.

Visitor Accessibility

Provisions for visitors with disabilities include ramps, and accessible restroom facilities. Service animals are allowed in all public areas of the Dickinson Museum Center. A golf cart is available for individuals who need assistance on the tours of Prairie Outpost Park (ask your tour guide for more information). If additional services are necessary, please ask for assistance at the reception desk in the main building (Joachim Regional Museum). Some buildings have limited accessibility.

Location

188 Museum Drive East, Dickinson, North Dakota 58601

From Interstate 94, take exit 61 to Highway 22. Take Highway 22 south to Museum Drive. Follow Museum Drive east to Sims Street. The Dickinson Museum Center is located two blocks southeast of exit 61 on the corner of Sims Street and Museum Drive.

Museum Rules

• For the safety and preservation of our artifacts we ask that you leave all food and drinks outside.
  
• Only service animals are allowed in buildings.
  
• You are welcome to use cameras and camcorders.
  
• Out of respect for other visitors, please turn cell phones to vibrate or off while in any of the buildings or on tours.

Why do we have such stuffy rules?

We hope your grandchildren, and their grandchildren too, will someday visit the Dickinson Museum Center. We hope the artifacts you are seeing now will be here for them to see in the future, in just as fine condition as they are today.

An artifact is fragile and may be permanently damaged by even the gentlest touch. One finger touching may not seem like much, but a million fingers will touch an artifact out of existence. While people understand this about paper and photographs, few people realize the same is true of metal and wood. The tiny trace of moisture from your finger can, in time, strip the patina from bronze and rust the strongest steel. Fingernails and rings will gouge deep furrows in stone or wood. Handled carelessly, glass will crack and plaster break. Children cannot be expected to understand this unless you instruct them and control their actions in the museum.

We hope you enjoy your visit to our site. Please help us preserve our history for future visitors.