Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center

The Akta Lakota Museum is a history and culture museum in Chamberlain, South Dakota, housed in an octagonal building with extensive exhibition galleries. The collections display artifacts and artworks spanning the heritage of Northern Plains Native peoples.

The museum opened in 1991 in a 1968 classroom building on the grounds of St. Joseph's Indian School. This conversion transformed an educational space into a center dedicated to preserving the heritage of Lakota and other Northern Plains peoples.

The exhibits follow the four cardinal directions of the Lakota medicine wheel, organizing displays of traditional ways of life, early European contact, government relations, and how cultures adapted over time. Visitors experience how these interconnected themes emerge through the artifacts and artworks on view.

The museum welcomes visitors without admission charges and is accessible throughout the year. Plan your visit with enough time to explore the different gallery sections at a comfortable pace.

The collection includes an Indian Christ tapestry created by Danish artist Grete Bodegaard Heikes, connecting two cultural worlds through art. This uncommon work tells a story about faith and artistic exchange that visitors rarely encounter elsewhere.

Location: Brule County

Address: 1301 N Main St, Chamberlain, SD 57325

Phone: +(800)7983452

Website: http://aktalakota.org

GPS coordinates: 43.82556,-99.32444

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:46