If you’re a Western history buff, you may have noticed Deadwood’s Adams Museum in this month’s issue of Wild West Magazine. Since the magazine doesn’t have an official website, you’ll need to pick up a copy to get the whole skinny, but the magazine sent out a quick synopsis:

Author John Rose begins the article (entitled The Past Comes Alive at Deadwood Museum) by describing the assassination of Wild Bill Hickok in the summer of 1876 and skillfully segues into the arrival of businessman W.E. Adams in 1877. Adams prospers in the raucous camp by opening the Adams Brothers Banner Grocery and selling supplies to the minors. Rose writes that “Adams would further etched young Deadwood’s turbulent days into the American memory.” Rose notes that W.E. would be proud of the professionalism the staff of the Adams Museum & House exhibits in conveying the story of how Deadwood was transformed from a gold mining camp into a thriving city. Adams built the museum in 1930 to honor his two great loves – his family and his fellow Deadwood pioneers.

If you haven’t been the Adams Museum before, it’s more than worth a visit. They have an outstanding collection, especially when it comes to the early pioneer and mining history of the Black Hills. If you haven’t visited for several years, you’ll want to plan another trip: the exhibits (and the entire museum, for that matter) have been improved significantly over the past few years.

You won’t beat the admission cost, either: free, per the request of W.E. For now, the Adams Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but extended summer hours will start next month. After May 1, the museum will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.