D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery, Federal fish hatchery in Spearfish, South Dakota
D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery is a federal facility in Spearfish with multiple ponds, water systems, and viewing windows where visitors observe trout year-round. Historic buildings on the grounds house extensive collections of fisheries documents and artifacts spanning more than a century of conservation work.
The hatchery was founded in 1896 and became central to restoring fish populations in the Black Hills through scientific breeding programs. Over more than a century, it developed into a leading center for fisheries conservation in the region.
The name honors a pioneering fisheries scientist, and the collections here document how people have managed fish populations for generations. Visitors can see in the historic buildings how hatchery work shaped the region's development and identity.
The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk, allowing year-round observation of the facility. Guided tours through historic buildings are available from mid-May through September for a more detailed look at the collections and operations.
The grounds display the only federal fisheries railcar exhibit in the United States, showing a replica of the historic Fish Car No. 3. This railcar represents a forgotten method of moving fish across long distances during the early conservation era.
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