Sioux Falls council approves gifting Brock House taxidermy collection to three institutions after public debate

The Sioux Falls City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to declare the Delbridge (Brock House) taxidermy collection surplus and to gift the full set of 152 specimens to three nonprofit institutions after a yearlong review and a contested public comment period.

The working group appointed by the mayor recommended splitting the collection: 117 specimens to the University of Notre Dame Museum of Biodiversity, 33 to the Oddities Museum (Atlanta), and 2 to the Institute for Natural History Arts. The council accepted that recommendation and approved an amendment requiring the city to create an interactive exhibit at the Great Plains Zoo before completing the gifts.

Why it matters: The Delbridge collection has been on public display in Sioux Falls for decades and became the focus of heated local debate over preservation, public access, and the city’s capacity to fund long-term care. City leaders, zoo staff and members of the working group said the chosen recipients will preserve the specimens and make them available for education and research.

Don Kearney, director of Parks and Recreation, told the council the working group conducted an extended due diligence process,…