Journey Museum

The Journey Museum, open in May of 1997, is a museum which includes exhibits for Geology, Native American Heritage, and Rapid City History. Since its inception nearly a decade ago, Wyss Associates, Inc. has served as the Landscape Architect.

The landscape design emphasizes the importance of plants to the Native American Indians of the Great Plains and more specifically Western South Dakota. All of the plant material chosen has significant meaning to the Native American Indians, whether medicinal, spiritual, or practical. The circular shape of the planting area surrounding the structure was also derived from the Native American culture. All of the plants used are native to the Great Plains and the Black Hills which gives the visitor some historical background in how the landscape may have looked and what types of plants were present prior to civilization.

The landscape also incorporates the geological history of the Black Hills. Large boulders were placed around the structure to make the building appear that it is rising out of the ground, much like a mountain rising from the surrounding landscape. The boulders were selected for their unique shapes and patterns which add to the geological interest of the landscape. Visitors will be able to learn about the history of the Great Plains, the Black Hills, and its people through the landscape and have a view into a previous era.

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