The Kick Off for the Annual Friends of the Museum Program

The Custer 1881 Courthouse Museum had a great year in 2009 thanks to donors, visitors and our  volunteers. Our Friends of the Museum program has been essential in keeping the Museum going and moving forward. As we are not an entity of Custer County and we rely solely on our admissions and fund raising. The Museum is a nonprofit 501 C3 organization with a small budget and has major expenses. After 128 years the building is facing challenges, such as soffits, gutters, windows and heat on the third floor. We grateful for the support we have received and hope to receive support from the community in the year to come.

Our goals are to make the Museum a greater part of the Custer community and keep our history alive. A benefit to Custer County resident is they receive free admissions to the Museum. Over the years, we have developed free or low cost programs such as  the Old Time Country Fair, the Haunting in conjunction with the Halloween Carnival and Christmas Festival. Our year round Youth Activities program entertains while teaching our children about our past. An exciting and rewarding new activity is the “Behind the Scenes” program aimed at involving our young people in the Museum. These “Junior Docents” had a great deal of fun while, at the same time, providing much needed assistance to the Museum. They did everything from creating displays doing computer work to dealing with patrons. This program was as rewarding for us as we are sure it was for them.

We are asking you, the community, for your support. It is our hope that you will find the Friends of the Museum an excellent way to provide this support.  Friends of the Museum support exhibit, programs,  maintenance and the cost of daily operations. Your tax donation will enable us to plan more effectively based upon available resources. There are five levels of donations, Copper $50+, Bronze $125+, Silver $250+, Gold $500+ and Platinum $1000+. All levels receive a subscription to the Museum's newsletter and a free gift. They also get a discount card for the Museum Bookstore. Any donation will be greatly appreciated.

Some donors will give in- kind donation such as the Museum's new look at night.  Thanks to Gerald Baldwin for his generous donation of lights that outline the front windows. The lights will be turned on all year to highlight the building.  Jerry also donated his own labor to hang them. He will quickly point out that Black Hills Co-op helped him with the second floor windows. Many other donors have been helping to modernizing the Museum's office equipment, such as computers, printers and a office copier from Baldwin Law Office. Every bit of assistance  the Museum receive helps us keep our doors open for the community and visitors.

Other ways people can give to the Museum is by volunteering. During the Summer people can volunteer to greet the visitors and operated the Bookstore. Though out the year,  people can help with the annual events, handy man jobs, office duties, research for grants and history projects. Volunteers can give their time weekly or once a month. If you would like to be a part of our team please call the Museum.

Please think about donating to assisting the Museum to be a major part of Custer community and to maintain our rich history. If you need further information please call Sandy at the Museum 673-2443 or e-mail at info@1881courthousemuseum.com.