Lower Sioux Agency Historic Site
The site has been managed by the Lower Sioux Indian Community since 2007 through a cooperative agreement between the tribe and the Minnesota Historical Society. Lower Sioux Agency Historic Site provides the history of the Lower Sioux Agency, established in 1853 by the U.S. government efforts to serve as an administrative center to remove the Bdewakantunwan and Wahpekute bands of Dakota to its reservation lands and to colonize them to become self-sufficient farmers.
Hours of Operation
The Lower Sioux Agency Historic Site is open every weekend from April through October to the public. January through April and October through December (the off-season) the site is open by appointment only for field trips, tours, and special events. The site will be open on Labor and Memorial Day weekend and closed on all other holidays.
Operating Hours
- Monday through Thursday, Closed
- Friday through Sunday, 10am-5pm
Admission Rates
- Adults $6
- Seniors & College Students $5
- Children ages 5-17 $4
- Free for children age 4 and under
- Free for Minnesota Historical Society members
- Free for Lower Sioux community members
What You’ll Learn at the Interpretive Center
The Lower Sioux Agency History Site is located at the site of the first US-Dakota War of 1862 battle. At the site, you will learn more about Dakota culture, life and history. To learn more about the U.S. Dakota War of 1862, visit the Lower Sioux Agency Historic Site and learn stories of the people who lived and worked here, the history of life and early settlement on the Minnesota River, and human impact of the environment.
Trails at the Historic Site
After learning the Lower Sioux Agency’s history, follow the trails to the stored 1861 warehouse and the Redwood Ferry crossing and the site of the Battle of Redwood Ferry. Visitors are encouraged to read the signs along the trails to learn more about the history and the significance of each trail in Lower Sioux Indian Community history.
- Distance: 1/2 mile
- Difficulty: easy; wheelchair accessible
- Distance: 1 mile
- Difficulty: very steep grade; not wheelchair accessible
- Distance: 1 mile
- Difficulty: easy; wheelchair accessible