D.C. Booth
Spearfish, SD 57783-2643
Plan Your Visit
D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives provides many exciting visitor opportunities, as well as gives back to the local communities. Open to the public, D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives welcomes visitors to the historic hatchery and museum for an educational close-up view of the fish production process. Spanning 10 acres, the entire hatchery site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ponds, rock walls, water systems and buildings contribute to the site’s historic significance. Although many alterations have been made on the site over the years, each change tells a story about hatchery operations.
With over 180,000 visitors annually, the dedicated staff and volunteer hosts at the Visitor Center and Museum bring the hatchery experience alive with educational hatchery and museum tours and exhibits. Educational programs and various tours are provided for the public and school groups during business hours. The hatchery has also worked closely with the Spearfish school system to develop an on-sight curriculum for all teachers K-5th grade.
Two hiking trails outline the boundaries of the hatchery site and serve as firebreaks. The trails offer scenic overlooks of the grounds and take you to historic sites such as reservoirs and the mort pit.
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. Visitors can feed the fish 365 days a year, as the grounds are open from dawn to dusk.
Some of the many additional exciting recreational, cultural, and educational opportunities are:
- Historic superintendents house tours
- Replica Fish Car #3 tours
- Fish ponds and raceways
- Birdwatching
- Photography
- AFS Fish Culture Hall of Fame
- Special events
- Nature Store
- Yellowstone Boat
From I-90 Interstate: Take Exit 12 and travel west on Jackson Blvd, turn left on Canyon Street and continue south six blocks to the hatchery parking area located in City Park adjacent to the fish hatchery.
From Spearfish Canyon: Hwy 14A – Turn left at the stoplight on Colorado Blvd, then left on Hudson St, then turn left on Canyon Street and drive six blocks to City Park. NOTE: Spearfish Canyon via Winterville Road to Canyon Street is closed to thru traffic during summer months.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
Many local volunteer citizens, civic groups, and school groups are actively involved with the hatchery's operations, education, and outreach. These dedicated partners and volunteers keep the treasured D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery available to you, your family, and future generations.
D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives provides many exciting visitor opportunities, as well as gives back to the local communities. Open to the public, D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives welcomes visitors to the historic hatchery and museum for an educational close-up view of the fish production process.
With over 180,000 visitors annually, the dedicated staff and volunteer hosts at the Visitor Center and Museum bring the hatchery experience alive with educational hatchery and museum tours and exhibits. Educational programs/tours are provided for the public and school groups during business hours. The hatchery has also worked closely with the Spearfish school system to develop an on-sight curriculum for all teachers K-5th grade.
Services
Still rearing and stocking trout for tribal and military waters through cooperative efforts, the hatchery is also has a museum, multiple historic structures to tour and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, the hatchery houses the National Fish & Aquatic Conservation Archives that serves to protect and preserve our nation’s fishery records and artifacts for educational, research, and historic purposes. With over 160,000 visitors and 14,000 volunteer hours annually, the facility also strives to provide interpretive and educational programs for the public. D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery also produces 60,000 catchable size (12 to 18 inch) trout annually. The trout are stocked annually in reservoirs and lakes for recreational fishing on military in tribal lands in South Dakota and eastern Montana.
About
Established in 1896, D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives is one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the country, dedicated to fish culture and resource management. The hatchery originally aimed to establish trout populations in the Black Hills and now serves as a significant cultural and educational resource. It houses the National Fish & Aquatic Conservation Archives and attracts over 180,000 visitors annually who explore its historic structures and grounds.