Shuttle Bus Tour of Historic Places

As part of South Dakota Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month, the South Dakota State Historical Society and the Pierre Historic Preservation Commision are sponsoring two free shuttle tours of historic Pierre sites.

These two one-hour tours are scheduled for Sunday, May 17 at 2pm and 3pm. Guides will be Chris Nelson with the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office and Ken Stewart with the South Dakota State Archives. Shuttles will be provided by Forell Limousine & Bus Service.

The round-trip excursions will leave from the Cultural Heritage Center at 900 Governors Drive. The first destination will be to the Pierre Hill District, which was one of early Pierre's prominent residential areas and has a variety of architectural styles. Next, the shuttle will travel down Pierre Street into downtown for a look at the commercial development of Pierre.

Heading east on Dakota Avenue, the guides will talk about East Pierre, once a seperate town that failed with the growth of Pierre. The drive will run by the Pierre Indian Learning Center, and then by Buchanan School, the site of Pierre University. Finally, on the way back to the Cultural Heritage Center, the shuttle will go west on Capitol to note a few architecturally significant house styles.

The final program for Archaeology & Historic Preservation Month will be at 2pm on Sunday May 31, at the Cultural Heritage Center. The topic will be Fort Pierre Chouteau, featuring Mike Fosha and Terri Bruce with the State Historical Society's  Archaeological Research Center in Rapid City.

For more information on this or other historic preservation programs, contact the State Historical Preservation Office at the Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501-2217, or call 605-773-3458, or visit www.sdhistory.org/hp/histpres.htm