Community News · Hill City, SD
Hill City Railroad Museum Closing; Vacate Deadline Feb. 1, 2027
The South Dakota State Railroad Museum in Hill City will close after World Choice Investments, the new owner of the Black Hills Central Railroad, declined to renew the museum's lease. Museum leaders were told the building must be vacated by Feb. 1, 2027. The museum has preserved South Dakota railroad history since the 1990s and houses a former Chicago and North Western caboose, rail-life exhibits, and a large paper archive. Board President Lesta Turchen said the museum is not disbanding and is partnering with 24 other museums in Hill City; some exhibits are already viewable on the third floor of the new Black Hills Institute of Geological Research museum opening in June. Galleries remain open to the public until the museum closes.