City: Spearfish, SD

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (605) 642-7730

Address: 423 Hatchery Circle

Description: You don’t have to be a fishing enthusiast to enjoy this attraction. If you are, though, you’ll find the historic hatchery and museum a delight. Trout hatchlings were once raised here to stock streams across the West. You’ll learn about the hatchery process and how it evolved as technology and knowledge improved. The fish car, an early 1900s railroad car that was equipped to transport fish all over the country on their way to new trout streams, is open for viewing.If you’re less than enthusiastic about fishing, you’ll still enjoy strolling the grounds, feeding the ducks and fish, and touring the Booth home. The house was built in 1905 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Furnished with period antiques and Booth family memorabilia, it is a delightful example of the attention to design and detail obvious in the gracious homes of that era. Be sure to visit the underwater viewing window near the entrance to the grounds, where the resident rainbow trout and brown trout swim by. It’s a chance for a rare fish-eye view as well as a humorous glimpse from below of paddling duck feet.The hatchery, museum, and home are open from mid-May through mid-Sept, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations are accepted. The hatchery and grounds are next door to the Spearfish City Park and are open from dawn until dusk.