Hall of Americas

Hall Of Americas

The Hall of Americas is the main room at the Museum of Visual Materials in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The room consist of local artists, books of various types, and hands on displays such as trinkets, collectibles, and hundreds treasure trolls.

The Hall of Americas is the largest and oldest part of the Museum of Visual Materials. What is now considered the main level was once the second level back in the late 1880′s. The stone used for the walls of the room was collected from the Falls. The stone is placed in a very jagged manor without reason and purpose. This technique can only be seen in a rare number of buildings that are still standing today. The original wood floors provide a rustic feel and you enter the room which the roof is supported by large timber columns. The enormous wooden beams support the structure to create a room full of history.

The Hall of Americas provides ample room for conferences and receptions. It also is utilized as our activities area for large craft days and other large events and activities. Local artists display their pieces of art on our walls. The ranch oak furniture from the Faithe family lines the room and walls and books and displays provide guests with the knickknacks they might remember while growing up. The best part is everything, except for the artwork, is hands on.

We also provide children and guests with an arts and crafts area where they can expand their creativity. We offer classes and demonstrations for kids and families to learn some fun things and share them with friends.

What’s GREEN?

With history comes innovation. Not only can this room tell where Sioux Falls has been, but it can tell where Sioux Falls is going-GREEN! Please call to arrange an individual or large group tour.

Our Geo-thermal heating and cooling system is located in the basement under the Hall of Americas. We heat and cool our facility with a water vein hundreds of feet below the ground. The average temperature of the water pulled from the earth is 56 degrees. The system acts in the opposite of an air conditioner when heating the facility. It rejects the cold water and creates a reaction of heat. The coolness of the water provides the cold air which is transferred into the building during the summer.

Sky lights and large windows provide ample amounts of lighting during the day, while at night the museum is lit up with very low

Natural Sunlight and LED Lighting

wattage LED gallery lighting. The lighting that the MOVM use to use was a 35 watt halogen based bulb which took around 4,600 watts every time the lights were activated with the motion sensors. after replacing the lighting with the LED bulbs we went from 35 watts to 1.8 watts per light and a total of 240 watts. This is an energy savings of almost 2,000%.

The three large skylights and large high efficient windows provide ample sunlight to help us cut down on electricity costs.

Re-used pillars from Minnesota

The large pillars which support our trusses in our building were brought here from within a 400 mile

radius. These pillars where saved from an church in Minnesota which was going through demolition.

Reusing the original wood floors instead of bringing in entirely new products allows us to cut down on product waste and keeping the amazing character of our building.

The sewing and craft area flooring brings an exotic looking flooring called cork. Many people know that cork is used for many different products, but what about flooring? Cork is a fast renewable resource which is harvested about every nine years. To learn more about cork flooring, check out our green tour.

Corking flooring is easy to maintain and is very durable.

Birch book shelves provide a strong structure to house our books and displays. This product is a hard fast growing wood and naturally beautiful.

Soy-base insulation provides a great barrier from the outside elements. This sprayed in product expands sealing cracks and gaps more efficiently than fiber insulation. Spray insulation contains a very high “R” value which is the rating system for insulation efficiency.

The paint used to add color to these walls is a low VOC paint. This reduces the harmful chemical given off by most of your other paints.

Okay, why the shower at a museum? We encourage individuals to use alternative transportation for commuting. Biking to work is a great way to get exercise as well as cutting back on emissions from automotive transportation. The shower allows downtown commuters to freshen up before going into the office. The Museum of Visual Materials hosts the Sioux Falls annual Bike to Work Day the third Friday in May each year.

Pallet flooring creates a stable raised floor in our shower and laundry area. These pallets were found in the building when it was taken over in 2005 and were reused in the renovation process.

Take the outside tour to learn what’s GREEN on top! You can also continue your inside tour by visiting our Hall of Continents.