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D.C. Booth Historic Fish Hatchery
With the popularity of trout fishing and the abundance of streams and great fishing opportunities in the area, visitors might not realize that trout are not native to the Black Hills.
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In 1890, because of the pristine water, habitat, and food sources for trout, Congress appropriated $500 to investigate the possibility of placing a hatchery near the Black Hills to establish trout populations in the area. After considering several locations, Spearfish was finally chosen because of the abundance of pure, cold spring water and its proximity to the town and railroad system, and in 1896, the Spearfish National Fish Hatchery was established, now called D.C. Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery & Archives.
In 1899, the completed hatchery building (which now houses a museum), raceways, ice house and rearing ponds were accepted from the contractor. Four days later, 100,000 trout eggs were incubating.
In the 1980s, after years of very successful fish production that included overland trips to Yellowstone National Park; destructive floods; visits by heads of state; railroad journeys; and the hatching of millions of rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout, the Spearfish National Fish Hatchery was briefly closed. In 1989, however, the hatchery was rehabilitated and reopened with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife museum, the
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CELEBRATING 125 years
IN 2021
D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives honors the past, celebrates the present, and builds into the future. The hatchery is a free family attraction located just blocks from downtown along Spearfish Creek. While visiting, take time to learn about the hatchery’s history, tour historic venues, and feed the fish.
more information
D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives
605-642-7730 423 Hatchery Circle DCBoothFishHatchery.org OPEN YEAR-ROUND
National Fish and Aquatic Conservation Archives, public restrooms, a visitor center, and an underwater viewing area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resumed operations of the facility with a new mission to assemble, preserve, protect, make accessible to researchers and interpret the history and technology of fish culture. The museum collection at D.C. Booth is growing and is currently one of the largest collections of fishery history and artifacts in the nation.
Today, more than 160,000 visitors visit D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery every year.
Admission to the hatchery is always free, although donations are appreciated.
Grounds are open from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.
Guided tours through the Booth House, Von Bayer Fish Museum, and Fish Railcar are generally available every day May through September.
Visitors can feed the fish and view them through the underwater viewing windows.
For more information or to check exhibit hours, call (605) 642-7730 ext. 221.
THE BOOTH HOUSE
The Neo-Colonial Revival Booth House, built for the first superintendant in 1905, is open for tours so visitors can learn about the history of the house and the families who lived and worked on hatcheries. Don’t forget to visit Ruby’s Garden behind the house, which is the site of weddings throughout the summer.
Photos courtesy of Fisheries Archives at D.C. Booth
THE GROUNDS
Spanning 10 acres, the entire hatchery site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the general landscape is itself a historic resource. Ponds, rock walls, water systems and buildings all contribute to the site’s historical significance. The 10-acre grounds also include nature trails with scenic overlooks. Although many alterations have been made to the site over the years, each change tells a story about hatchery operations.
The Pond GifT ShoP
Stop in for special 125th commemorative souvenirs and unique gifts.
Celebrating 125 Years of History
1896 - 2021
Your free federal public lands attraction in Spearfish, SD!
D.C. Booth is America’s gathering place for all things fisheries – preserving our fisheries history to inspire present & future conservationists.
Visit. Learn. Inspire.
www.dcboothfishhatchery.org
• Black Hills Map Gift Items • Spearfish T-Shirts, Hats & Stickers • Educational Toys, Games & Puzzles For All Ages. • Regional & Historic Books • Nature Jewelry • Home Decor • Fish Food: Small & Large Bags Sold In The Gift Shop • And Much More!
The Pond Shop, Booth House, Von Bayer Museum, and Fish Rail Car are open mid-May thru mid-September
Photo courtesy D.C. Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery & Archives Photo courtesy D.C. Booth National Historic Fish Hatchery & Archives
THE SCULPTURES
Two life-size bronze sculptures can be seen on the hatchery grounds depicting the lives of early fisheries workers and the important role that fishing plays in American tradition and culture today.
THE RAILCAR
Before the advent of refrigerated tanker trucks, fish hatcheries were faced with the problem of how to quickly move fish from hatcheries to lakes and rivers around the country.
During the “Fish Car Era,” 10 specially-designed railcars were constructed; and by 1920, fish cars had carried over 72 billion fish across 2 million miles of railroad track. D.C. Booth is home to the only federal fisheries railcar exhibit in the country. Visitors to this unique replica railcar will learn about the history of the Fish Car Era a 66-year period that played a key role in enriching the nation’s national resources and created a unique, romantic and proud tradition. THE MUSEUM
The Von Bayer Museum of Fisheries History was created to preserve the vibrant history and rich heritage of American fisheries workers. The Fish and Aquatic Conservation Archives collection contains more than 1.7 million archival records and 14,000 fishery items and is the largest collection of fisheries artifacts in the country. The museum is open daily during the summer season.
THE POND GIFT SHOP
Visit The Pond Gift Shop for hatchery and fisheries souvenirs, books, nature toys, gifts, and, of course, fish food. THE FISH
Approximately 50,000 trout are stocked regionally out of D.C. Booth each year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service into lakes and streams for anglers to enjoy. Visitors can get up close and personal with brown and rainbow trout by feeding them from above or watching them through the underwater viewing windows.
THE YELLOWSTONE BOAT
U.S. Fisheries Boat #39, a wooden “Great Lakes” style cabin cruiser, tells the story of early hatchery workers who went on expeditions from the Spearfish hatchery to Yellowstone National Park to collect trout eggs to be returned to the hatchery and stocked in the Black Hills.
