The Delbridge Museum of Natural History, housed within the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls since 1984, is shutting its doors to the public.
The museum boasts an extensive taxidermy collection, one of the largest in the Midwest. However, health concerns have prompted the closure, as the specimens in the exhibit were preserved using potentially toxic chemicals before 1980.
Despite safety measures such as barriers and warning signs, the aging specimens pose an increased risk of exposure.
The decision to close the museum’s exhibit was reached through collaboration between the Great Plains Zoo, the Butterfly House & Aquarium (due to a merger), the city of Sioux Falls, and the Zoological Society.
This collective decision was made out of caution to ensure the safety of both visitors and staff members. The city and the zoo will collaborate with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to appropriately dispose of the taxidermy mounts, a process expected to span several months.
The museum’s historical context was shared in the announcement. The collection, gathered over several decades in the mid-1900s by Henry Brockhouse, a Sioux Falls businessman, was later acquired by C.J. Delbridge, a Sioux Falls attorney, who generously donated it to the city for the community’s benefit.