1881 Courthouse Museum, Historical museum in Custer, South Dakota

The 1881 Courthouse Museum occupies the original Custer County Courthouse in Custer, South Dakota, a three-story red-brick building designated a historic site by the U.S. Department of the Interior in November 1972. Its exhibition rooms hold collections on Lakota Native American culture, George Custer's 1874 expedition, and Victorian-era settlers of the Black Hills and Dakota Territory.

The 3-story red-brick courthouse was built in 1881 and served as the seat of government for Custer County and the Dakota Territory until 1973. In November 1972 the U.S. Department of the Interior designated it a historic site. After a new courthouse opened across the street, the building passed to the Custer County Historical Society in 1973, and the museum opened on September 6, 1976.

The building displays Lakota clothing and tools alongside photographs that help visitors understand how Native Americans lived in this region. You can see how their culture shaped the area and continues to be remembered today.

The building is centrally located in Custer and easy to reach when visiting the town. Visitors should check opening times beforehand and allow enough time to explore the multiple exhibition rooms at a relaxed pace.

A historic cabin from the Cheyenne to Deadwood Stage route has been relocated to the museum grounds to show visitors how travelers rested along this important route. The building preserves the daily conditions and sleeping arrangements travelers experienced on their journeys.