Located 2 miles west of Madison, South Dakota near the shores of Lake Herman (no lake access from our property) and situated on 120 acres, Prairie Village features approximately 40 antique-filled buildings reliving the days of an active early 20th Century main street. Visit the Lawrence Welk Opera House, sod and log houses, country school, churches and one of the last remaining railroad chapel car
s, the “Emmanuel”. Our gift shop offers drinks and light snacks along with souvenirs from your visit. We also offer a large covered picnic shelter with connected kitchen facilities which can be rented for family reunions, business picnics or other group gatherings. Church services are held every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. from June through August at the village’s Junius Church. We are open daily from the first Sunday in May through Labor Day, 10 a.m. on Sundays. We offer camping from Opening Day into the fall with dozens of electrical sites available. Two shower houses and an RV dump station are also available on the grounds. The village is surrounded by 1.5 miles of railroad track for the Prairie Village, Herman & Milwaukee Railroad. Buy a ticket to ride one of our trains which run Saturdays during the regular season at 2:00 p.m., during Railroad Day, our Steam Threshing Jamboree and some other special events. Free train rides are offered to mothers on Mother’s Day and fathers on Father’s Day at 2:00 p.m. Check out one America's true railroad treasures: a working turntable and roundhouse paired in action (only during times when the railroad is operating). Ride one of the world’s last remaining steam-powered carousels (runs on steam only during certain special events). Operating daily during the regular season, this fully restored Herschell Spillman carousel features wood-carved horses prancing to the tune of calliope music. Rides are typically available hourly between 11:00 - 4:00 Monday through Saturday and noon - 4:00 Sundays. Established on the current site in 1966, Prairie Village has hosted thousands of elementary school children during “school tours” in May and early June, allowing students to have fun while gaining knowledge and appreciation for how rural citizens lived in eastern South Dakota many years ago. We conduct many several events throughout the season, including concerts in our historic Opera House, a pageant, bull ride, variety show, car show, and others. Our massive annual Steam Threshing Jamboree features parades, a large flea market, hundreds of antique tractors, an antique car show, horse & steam powered threshing, saw mill & machinery demonstrations, tractor pulls, a wagon train, railroad roundhouse and turntable demonstrations, train & carousel rides, evening dinner train (by reservation), musical entertainment, exhibits, food and family fun. The Prairie Historical Society (Prairie Village) is a non-profit corporation and is organized for the charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the 501(c)(3) section of the IRS code. Gifts and donations to the Prairie Historical Society are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS.
