Adams Museum & House

Adams Museum is a history museum in Deadwood with three floors displaying artifacts from the Black Hills gold rush era. The collection includes personal items from pioneers and a famous gold nugget known as Potato Creek Johnny.

W.E. Adams, a Deadwood businessman and former mayor, founded this museum in 1930 to preserve the region's heritage from the gold rush era. The building itself reflects the town's importance during the mining boom.

The exhibits show items from Lakota traditions and personal belongings of Wild Bill, Calamity Jane, and other frontier figures who shaped this region. These objects reflect the lives of people who lived through this era.

Entry is through the main entrance located in downtown Deadwood where parking is available nearby. A tour through all three floors typically takes two to three hours depending on how thoroughly you explore the exhibits.

The adjacent Historic Adams House remained closed for decades after 1934, preserving original furnishings and household items exactly as they were left. This house provides a rare look at daily life in a wealthy household from that period.

Location: South Dakota

Inception: 1930

Website: http://adamsmuseumandhouse.org

GPS coordinates: 44.37580,-103.72900

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:30