Join Tom Durkin to explore NASA’s amazing James Webb Space Telescope and how it had to overcome 344 single points of failure, any one of which would have ended the mission. 

The Archaeology Laboratory, Augustana University, with the support of the South Dakota State Historical Society and South Dakota Archaeological Society volunteers, recently conducted archaeological research associated with a National Register of Historic Places nomination of a bison kill site in central South Dakota.

Join author Matthew Davis for a thought-provoking presentation on his new book, A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore.

This session promises an engaging dialogue about how we remember, commemorate, and interpret American history through monuments.

The Remembering the Children Memorial is a community-led initiative in Rapid City, South Dakota, dedicated to honoring the children who were taken from their families and placed at the Rapid City Indian Boarding School between 1898 and 1933.

The Memorial represents a historic act of acknowledgment, healing, and justice, situated on land directly tied to the dispossession of Indigenous children and families. 

Join Kathleen Christopherson as she covers the Canyon Lake story from the building of the first dam in 1891 through the lake’s restoration in the 1950’s.  

Step beyond the typical tourist view of the Black Hills and into a world of forgotten history with Levi Kessler, the founder and driving force behind History Below the Pines.

This presentation offers a rare look at chapters of South Dakota's past that remain hidden, entirely guarded by private landowners beneath the towering pines. 

To open the Fall 2025 Turtle Soup Season, Jon and Gail will recount the beginning days of their marriage as they built their home in Mystic, South Dakota, living in pioneer conditions as they developed the land. Historic photographs, Jon’s photos and a few of Jon’s paintings tell the story of the magical Mystic Valley.

Take a look at a variety of types of dams in the Black Hills area and explore who built them and who manages them today.

Dr. Sharon Weaver presents on how 3D scans of the front arm bones of modern and fossil canids (dogs and their ancestors) can tell us about their behavior.

Explore the life of Rapid City’s first Sheriff, Frank Moulton, with Gary Overby.

Explore controlled burning practices at Custer State Park with Stirling Smith

Explore Indigenous Feminism with Rosie Sprague.

Explore the world underground with renowned caver, Adam Weaver.

Learn the creation of the legend of Calamity Jane.

How have supply chains shaped the island in the plains over time.

Learn about a bottle dump site.

Learn about the world-class science underway at the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

The Vore Buffalo Jump is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Late-Prehistoric Plains hunters.

This talk will take you on a virtual tour of the Vore Site, which was used during a time when the way of life of Native American tribes on the Plains was changing and mass bison kills were becoming obsolete.

In 2017, John Babiarz, a private collector from Mesa, Arizona, discovered what is now the most complete Brachiosaurus skull yet collected.

Join renowned director of The Black Hills Institute, Peter Larson, for this deep dive into the preparation, description, and future of this unique fossil.

Donald Montileaux (Oglala Lakota) is an esteemed ledger artist and children’s book author who will share insight into his process of writing bout the Lakota people’s legends.

Dr. David Wolff kicks off the 2025 season of Turtle Soup with a presentation highlighting elements within his recently published book, “The Gold Rush.”

Helene Duhamel hosts the final Turtle Soup of the Spring 2024 season. Her presentation will cover The Duhamel Trading Post.

Karen Holzer and Adeline Kirtley host Turtle Soup with a presentation on the archives located at the D.C. Booth National Fish Hatchery.

Jon Kellar of South Dakota Mines, hosts Turtle Soup with a presentation on Art and Engineering. This presentation will highlight the integration of Art and Engineering at the South Dakota Mines Campus.

Jhon Goes In Center hosts Turtle Soup with a presentation called Another America. This presentation will have a focus on Lakota perspective on the Black Hills as well as historic maps.

Alan Maas hosts Turtle Soup with a discussion of his newest book, The Kind Whisper.

Al came to the Black Hills over 30 years ago and was taken in by the beauty and the history. Working and playing in the hills only expanded his quest to find answers about the land and the characters that roamed this area. Al is following his dream of writing a book about the area around and in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but then is following that up with a tour explaining the historical sites and the stories that go with it. The book, The Kind Whisper, is based on the Mystery of the Thoen Stone.

Ken Wrede hosts Turtle Soup with Pactola: Then and Now. From the early years of Pennington County’s first town, Camp Crook (name was later changed to Pactola), we’ll explore the history and people of the area, the contentious proposal to build Pactola Dam, construction details, and the importance of the dam as a water resource for agriculture, domestic supply, recreation, and tourism.

Fidel Martinez-Greer hosts Turtle Soup with A History and Relocation Attempt of a Railroad Roundhouse in Deadwood. This presentation accounts the multidisciplinary efforts on behalf of the Deadwood Historic Preservation Office and the Archaeological Research Center to uncover and preserve a segment of historic railroad infrastructure in Deadwood, SD. The Deadwood Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Roundhouse was one of the stations vital to servicing locomotives traveling through the Black Hills from the late 20th century to the mid-21st century.

Al Hall & James Boensch host Turtle Soup with a presentation called Minuteman- World Wide Delivery in 30 minutes or Less. The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is a National Park Service historic site established in 1999 near Wall, SD. To illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and intercontinental ballistic missile development. The only one of it's kind with both the Launch Control Facility, and Launch Facility.

Travis Brave Heart hosts Turtle Soup with a presentation on Indigenous Games of the Midwest. This presentation will focus on traditional games played by the people of the plains, while connecting culture of the past and present.

Turtle Soup is a weekly lunch and learn program with revolving topics ranging from Indigenous Games of the Midwest presented by Travis Brave Heart to Art & Engineering being presented by Jon Keller of South Dakota Mines. Each presentation starts with lunch being served at 11:45 PM, followed by a presentation at 12 PM. The local non-profit Fork Real Café partners with The Journey Museum & Learning Center to provide two weekly varieties of soup including a vegetarian option. Immediately following the presentation, a discussion will be held regarding that topic.