Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall Of Fame

How We Became a Museum

In a joint effort, the Museum's Board of Directors, the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, local students, and members of the Sturgis community gathered on March 10th, 2001 to scrape, sand, and paint the old church building next to the Pyramid Bar. Shortly after, the Museum was born. Gene and Nancy Flagler, owners of the church, determined that the rent should be a whopping $1.00 a month, helping to make the Museum's first and most critical year a little easier to manage financially.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame opened its doors to the public on June 1, 2001. Local and national collectors loaned the new Museum a selection of vintage and rare V-twin and metric motorcycles, offering visitors a glimpse into the magnificent world of two wheels.

After only a year in business, the City of Sturgis was so impressed with the Museum's progress that it offered the old Post Office on the corner of legendary Main Street and Junction Avenue as the Museum's new home. With financial support from the State of South Dakota and many other contributors, the Museum was able to open the doors on its present location in 2002.

Through the years, the Museum has continued to grow, opening its lower level in August 2003. With several exhibit rooms and an increasingly impressive selection of unique motorcycles, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum offers a world-class experience for visitors and has been listed as one of the '1,000 Places to See Before You Die' by author Patricia Schultz.

Today, the Museum is open year round, seven days a week. Summer months are the busiest as people flock to this motorcycle mecca, culminating in August during the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Motorcycles and exhibits are changed on a regular basis to offer repeat visitors something fresh each time they stop in.