Memorable museums await: Amateur baseball, international vinegar, agriculture

This paid piece is sponsored by the South Dakota Department of Tourism.

Spring is starting to bloom in South Dakota, which means some of the state’s seasonal “Great Finds” are opening for the warmer months.

Start the road trip season off right by traveling to some of South Dakota’s unique wonders and learning about the history that formed communities across the state.

Travel South Dakota encourages people to explore and experience hidden gems throughout the state through its Great Finds passport. If you visit 10 or more of the featured locations, you can earn a range of prizes.

And there’s plenty to discover along the way — whether that’s sipping vinegar in northeast South Dakota, exploring the agricultural history of the state in Brookings or learning about the importance of amateur baseball to small towns — here’s a peek at what you can expect.

Amateur baseball is part of South Dakota culture, tradition

Lake Norden is “kind of baseball crazy,” said Kathy Antonen.

She should know. She’s one of the volunteer operators of the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, which has been in the town for nearly 50 years.

But it’s not a unique trait for just Lake Norden. Along with birds and bees in the air come springtime — baseballs are flying in many towns as well.

Baseball has been a central part of South Dakota’s small-town culture for over a century, and it has become a tradition, said Rusty Antonen, Kathy’s brother, and another volunteer operator of the Hall of Fame.

“Amateur baseball gets into people’s blood, and they just keep it going in those areas,” Rusty said.

Visitors will find a mix of nostalgia and pride in the collection, which features photos of teams over the years, jerseys, catcher’s masks and mitts from the early 1900s and even a homerun baseball from the 1938 state championship game — but Kathy or Rusty are the best people to tell you the story behind that championship ball.

“In terms of amateur baseball, it’s a pretty big find,” Kathy said.

The Hall of Fame inducts a new class each fall, with an announcement at the state tournament in mid-August.

The Hall of Fame museum will open in May, just as baseball season is ramping up, and close in October. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

How a small town became home of the International Vinegar Museum

Fair warning: the shot glasses full of vinegar at Roslyn’s International Vinegar Museum are for sipping — not for, well, taking shots.

That’s a lesson that Mary Wagner, office manager for the museum, has seen far too many visitors learn the hard way.

The museum, about 50 miles east of Aberdeen, features over 200 varieties of vinegar — mostly a personal collection from “The Vinegar Man” Lawrence Diggs.

After writing a book about the uses of vinegar, Diggs donated his collection and opened the museum in the 1980s to “put Roslyn on the map a little bit” and attract visitors.

The display has since grown with vinegar donations from people across the country and the globe. The full museum experience also includes vinegar tastings at the vinegar bar, bottles of vinegar for sale and education about how the products are made, what they can be used for and the various types of vinegar.

“Most people know that there is apple cider vinegar and white vinegar and maybe balsamic, but they don’t know there’s many other choices or flavors — hundreds alone at the museum,” Wagner said. “It’s a fun trip to do some tasting and broaden your perspective on food.”

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday from Memorial Day until Labor Day. The annual Vinegar Festival will be June 17. The museum will be open during the festivities, in time for a parade and royalty crownings of the Vinegar Queen, Princess Pickle, Princess Sour and Princess Vinaigrette.

Learn how agriculture shaped South Dakota

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings is where agriculture, history, science and culture come together.

Visitors to the museum can walk through exhibits exploring the history of agriculture in the state — including the 100-year history of the Little International animal showing competition at SDSU, an exploration of two South Dakota farmers who also were extensive engineers and scientists, and one South Dakotan’s relatively unknown history with soil conservation and the Dust Bowl in South Dakota.

The “Drowning in Dirt” exhibit focuses on one of the first soil scientists in South Dakota who predicted the Dust Bowl 20 years before it happened, said Gwen McCausland, director of the museum.

There’s also an Ag-Xploration section where children can participate in hands-on activities to learn about dairy, animal and plant sciences, such as gathering eggs, selling items at the farmers market or milking cows.

“We talk not only about the history but the science behind agriculture and the culture behind rural life,” McCausland said. “It’s a unique way to learn about where your food comes from but also learn about the deep roots of agriculture in South Dakota.”

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Starting in June, the museum will hold Summertime Food Trucks & Fun events where visitors can listen to live music and order meals from a food truck in the museum’s green space.

4 ways to discover S.D. ‘Great Finds’ while staying warm indoors