Sweep-VanDyke Railroad Museum & Cultural Center

Take a walk back in time...to the early 1880s when Dakota Territory saw homesteaders coming to the great open prairie, breaking sod in search of a new start...a new beginning...a new life. The railroad was the lifeline for this burgeoning land, bringing with it pioneers, their belongings and hope. One of Plankinton’s earliest buildings was the Commercial House Hotel, a grand structure, residing just east and south of the railroad tracks. This hotel became an oasis for railroad passengers and traveling men. In 1906 George and Ella Sweep purchased the hotel. Ella's hospitality of fine meals and cleanliness became known far and wide. Today, the building is home to a railroad museum, visitor center, and cultural heritage center.