SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — It’s a special weekend here at KELOLAND Media Group. Saturday marks 65 years since Captain 11 first went on the air in our viewing area.

The man who played Captain 11, Dave Dedrick passed away in 2010, but you can still find reminders of him all over KELOLAND.

One of the Captain’s sets lives at the Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

“It is such a strong part of South Dakota history,” Curator of Interpretation at the Museum of the SD State Historical Society Ronette Rumpca said.

Even though the large piece is in storage, there is Captain 11 memorabilia available for the public to see.

On the gallery floor you can see the uniform he used to wear and you can watch some clips.

Curator of Interpretation Ronette Rumpca is a Captain 11 crew member herself.

“It was a 4:00 ritual, after school,” Rumpca said.

“They wanted to see the cartoons. They wanted to see their friends who had birthday parties. Grandmas and grandpas would tune in to see if their kids were part of the captain’s crew. It was perfectly timed and it was perfect for the time,” Former KELO-TV Anchor Doug Lund said.

Captain 11 ran in KELOLAND from 1955 to 1996.

But even into adulthood, Rumpca remembers everything about the man she watched as a kid.

“He was just a part of growing up,” Rumpca said.

Captain 11 is also featured on the SculptureWalk on Phillips Avenue in front of KELOLAND Studios

Be sure to tune in tonight for our Eye on KELOLAND where we hear from from Doug Lund about how Captain 11 became a hit in KELOLAND.

In the meantime, you can watch KELOLAND.com Reporter Michael Geheren’s digital documentary.