Campaign to Complete the Vision
One-Time Gift or Multi-Year Pledge
The easiest way to give is through a one-time gift, a recurring monthly gift, or by making a three-year pledge. Donate here
Estate Gift
The NMM is the recipient of many estate gifts to provide for the long-term future of the Museum. We welcome conversations about including us in your estate plans.
Gifts of Land and Stocks
As a non-profit organization, the NMM can accept gifts of stock and land as another way to support the campaign. Contact us to learn more about that process.
Goal $5 Million!
The National Music Museum has always been about more than preserving instruments—it’s about bringing them to life for the world to explore and enjoy. In 2023, we reached a milestone with the opening of our reimagined first-floor galleries, welcoming thousands of visitors to see music in new and unforgettable ways. Now, it’s time to finish what we started.
The Past that Inspires Us
In 1966, collector and educator Arne B. Larson rolled into Vermillion with 2,500 instruments packed into grain trucks. His son, Dr. André Larson, transformed that remarkable collection into the Shrine to Music Museum—today’s National Music Museum. From the very beginning, the museum’s home at the University of South Dakota has been vital to its mission. For more than 50 years, this partnership has fostered graduate study in the history of musical instruments, inspired groundbreaking research, and trained generations of students in conservation, curation, and museum leadership. What began with Arne’s passion has grown into a world-class collection of more than 14,000 instruments—recognized internationally as one of the most extraordinary in existence.
Consider sponsoring one square foot of the second-floor galleries as your investment in the NMM’s future! If you can, add on a few square feet to your gift or pledge and help us finish the second floor faster. Choose whatever works for you on the donation page here.
The Future We Can Achieve
With your help, we will “complete the vision” by finishing the second-floor galleries, featuring:
Instruments as Innovation — where visitors can experiment with the science of sound and see invention come alive.
Instruments as Art and Craft — where the world’s most exquisite instruments will be celebrated, from the Amati ‘King’ cello to four Stradivari masterpieces, including one of only five surviving Stradivari guitars.
When complete, the NMM will showcase 600 instruments across 13 breathtaking galleries—a transformation decades in the making.
The Present We’ve Built Together
From the Center for Preservation & Research (2019) to the new Lillibridge Wing (2021) and the first-floor galleries (2023), every step has brought us closer to the dream of a fully renovated museum. These investments are already paying off: school groups, international travelers, instrument makers, and researchers are experiencing the NMM as never before—while hundreds of thousands more connect online.
Join Us to Complete the Vision
This is our final step, and we need you with us. Your gift will help us open the doors to the second floor and reveal the full beauty, ingenuity, and cultural power of music. Together, we can finish this historic renovation—bringing the world to South Dakota, and the National Music Museum to the world.
How Can You Help?
Naming Opportunities Available
There are numerous naming opportunities available throughout the museum. We welcome a discussion about naming a portion of the museum in honor or memory of a loved one or special friend. Naming opportunities start at $10,000. Let us know if you’d like more information! Contact us to learn more!