The Joachim Regional Museum traces its beginnings to a bequest from Daniel Milton Joachim (1888-1979), a Dickinson businessman whose will specified that a portion of his estate be used “toward the construction and erection of an appropriate general museum building” for the purpose of collecting and exhibiting historic and fine art pieces for the benefit of the public.  Ground-breaking for the new museum, a joint project of the City of Dickinson and the Southwest North Dakota Museum Foundation, occurred on September 14, 1982 with dedication of the facility on May 7, 1983.

Artifact Donations

While the Joachim Regional Museum does collect many things, not all items are appropriate for its collections. In accordance with the museum’s collections policy and statement of purpose all potential donations must be reviewed by the Collections Manager prior to legal transfer of property taking place. The Collections Manager looks at the artifacts and how it relates to the regional history, fulfills the needs of the museum, does not duplicate existing items already in the collection, and if the museum can adequately care for the item.

The Joachim Regional Museum only accepts unrestricted gifts and not any permanent loans. Loans are only accepted for an exhibit of a definite duration. The Joachim Regional Museum is unable to provide appraisals for the monetary value of materials brought in for identification, offered as gifts, or submitted for any other purpose.

Any items directly mailed to the Collections Manager without prior notice, may not be accepted and may be returned to sender. Please call the Collections Manager before mailing to avoid confusion.  

To offer an item for donation to the Joachim Regional Museum, please request an appointment with the Collections Manager either by email at info [at] dickinsonmuseumcenter.com () or by phone 701-456-6225.

Object Identification

The Joachim Regional Museum will assist individuals with the identification of an object, and its related history, independent of monetary value when time is available. This research, depending on the object may be beyond the capacity of the Collections Manager to give details, but the museum will try and provide other places of inquiry when possible.

The Museum Process

Some artifacts take a considerable amount of time to properly document and preserve. The museum keeps records on everything that can be found out about a donated artifact including its history; information on how it was used; when and where it was made; who made it; and who used it. The physical description of each and every artifact is recorded and entered into a computer database (PastPerfect 5).  Many steps are involved in caring for and documenting just one object. When that is multiplied by the thousands of objects in the museum’s collections, it becomes easier to understand the need for careful selection of donations.
Volunteers interested in learning how to catalog and to preserve historic museum collections are encouraged to contact the museum for more information on training opportunities. The Joachim Regional Museum also offers unpaid internships for college students wanting to work with its historic collection and to gain knowledge of museum work. Please call the Collections Manager for further information at 701-456-6225