If you’re in the Black Hills this weekend, you’ve got the chance to go check out the Journey Museum in Rapid City for free on Sunday (March 9) from 1 to 5 in the afternoon.

Well, almost free. You can wander through the museum’s natural history and cultural collections without paying the customary $7 admission fee as long as you fork over a donation to a local food drive. So not only do you feel good about contributing to the community, but you get to peek at some of the most significant fossils, artifacts and cultural displays in the Black Hills for doing it. Now that’s a deal.

If you haven’t been to the Journey before, this would be a great opportunity. The museum has some fantastic collections, ranging from geology and paleontology (otherwise known as pretty rocks and dinosaur bones to most of us) to American Indian art and artifacts from the Black Hills gold rush.

My favorite part of the museum has always been the holographic image of Lakota storyteller Nellie Two Bulls. You peer into a tipi, and there she is, telling some of the traditional tales of her people. It’s a bit like the hologram in the crystal ball at the Haunted Mansion in Disney World, except a lot less creepy and far more poignant. She’s been honored on multiple occasions for her storytelling skills, and it translates incredibly well into holography. Your kids will love it, but you’ll almost certainly have a hard time pulling yourself away when it’s time to move on.

The Journey Museum is at 222 New York Street, about two blocks east of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on the edge of Rapid City’s downtown. If you want more information, you can call the museum at 605.394.6923.