State Attractions

South Dakota Attractions Guide

Bookmark and Share

View state guide South Dakota Guide Home |  View state history History |  View state facts Facts |  View state attractions Attractions |  View state events Events |  South Dakota SD Rentals

<< Main guide email Email friend
State: < SC South Carolina Tennessee TN >

South Dakota Attractions

South Dakota is full of unique activities, natural wonders and unbelievable beauty. You can go any direction in the state and find new experiences that lead to long-lasting memories. From the towering pines and granite peaks of the Black Hills to the rolling bluffs and majestic rivers of our prairies, this is truly the land of Great Places. Rivers, hills, buttes, rolling prairies, and badlands are South Dakota's defining geographical features. Towering pines, granite peaks and 1.2 million acres of unbelievable scenery make up the Black Hills National Forest. Come visit this amazing place!


Bbl | Glacial Prairies | Great Lakes | Southeast
arrow

Bbl


National Museum Of Woodcarving - Visit One of the Most Unique Museums in America! Educational, Entertaining and Unique Works for Everyone. Visitors can enjoy The Wooden Nickel Theater, Over 30 scenes created by an original animator of Disneyland, a Carving Studio, display of many nationally recognized woodcarvers National Museum Gallery, gift shop, snack bar and lots more.

Crazy Horse Memorial - The Crazy Horse memorial features the Crazy Horse mountain carving now in progress which will be the world?s largest sculpture (563' high, 641' long, carved in the round). The huge visitor complex also includes the beautiful Indian Museum, Educational and Cultural Center, the sculptor?s studio-home and workshop, and much more.

Black Hills Caverns - Black Hills Caverns is a huge cave, with a fantastic variety of formations including Logomites, Stalagmites, Stalactites, Helictites, Rare Frost Crystal, Purple Amethyst, Flowstone, Dogtooth Spar Crystal, Boxwork, Cave Flower, Soda Straw Stalactites, Columns, Draperies, Popcorn Crystal, Nailhead Spar Crystal and many more!

Flintstone's Bedrock City - Bedrock comes alive in this modern Stone-Age setting of fun-filled buildings and play areas. Tour Fred's Bedrock City. Ride the Flintmobile and Iron Horse Train. See Mt. Rockmore and enjoy the new Flintstone Trio Show. Then romp on the playground's Slideasaurus. A Gift Shop, Drive-in and Campground are also located within the facility.

High Plains Heritage Center Museum - The center is a five state regional museum founded to honor the old west pioneers and the Native Americans of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska. View fantastic exhibits of Western art, artifacts and memorabilia including the original Spearfish to Deadwood stagecoach, outdoor log cabin, school house, sod house, blacksmith shop and more.

Rushmore Tramway - Ride up to a beautiful alpine landscape: get off on top to see impressive rock formations, waterfalls, flowers, and panoramic views. Have a cold drink or a bite to eat as you take in the unique view of Mt. Rushmore from this scenic mountain top setting. Breathe in the fragrance of the pines as you take a relaxing stroll through this beautiful Black Hills mountain-garden setting.

Adams Museum & House - The Adams Museum in Deadwood is the oldest history museum in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Pioneer businessman W.E. Adams built the museum in 1930 as a memorial to his family and to honor the early pioneers that settled the Black Hills. The Adams House, built in 1892, is an elegant Victorian mansion which became the Adams House Museum on July 1, 2000.

1880 Train/black Hills Central Railroad - The 1880 TRAIN is beyond imagination. Located near Mt. Rushmore National Monument and Crazy Horse Memorial, the locomotive offers a western experience like no other. Feel the power. Hear the bellow of the engine and the whine of the whistle as it winds it's way through the scenic hills between Hill City and Keystone... and back again.

arrowBear Country Usa - Bear Country U.S.A. features the world's largest private collection of North American Black Bear. You will also encounter wolves, mountain lions, elk, buffalo, deer, bighorn and dall sheep, Rocky Mountain goats and much more? all roaming free in their natural habitat.

arrowSitting Bull Crystal Caverns - Experience a world unlike any other. Knowledgeable and friendly guides lead you through subterranean, crystalline passages in the Paha Sapa limestone. Marvel at the world's most extensive display of dog-tooth spar crystal. Peer into the still, clear water of Diamond Lake. Visit the famous French Chandelier room, Crystal Palace, and Rainbow Arch.

arrowWall Drug - Wall Drug is one stop you won't want to miss when traveling in South Dakota. Stop and see us! Have a bite to eat . . . look at all the memorabilia . . . enjoy the art gallery . . . there's shopping galore . . . have fun with the kids in the big Back Yard.

arrowParade Of Presidents Historical Wax Museum - Located in the shadow of Mount Rushmore in the historic town of Keystone, the Parade of Presidents is an impressive highlight on any traveler's itinerary. Witness the history of American Democracy from its inception. The entire family will enjoy America's heritage in wax! This unique museum features incredibly realistic, life-sized wax figures of every President of the U.S.

arrowMammoth Site Museum - Travel back to the time when Ice Age mammoth, camel, and giant short-faced bear roamed the Great Plains of South Dakota.

arrowThe Journey Museum - The Journey Museum brings together four major prehistoric and historic collections to tell the complete story of the Western Great Plains - from the perspective of the Lakota people and the pioneers who shaped its past, to the scientists who now study it.

arrowReptile Gardens - Exhibiting the World's Largest Reptile Collection living among rare and beautiful minerals, fossils, and sculptures. The Sky Dome features the nation's first walk-through jungle filled with lizards, crocodiles, harmless snakes, parrots, and hundreds of stunning orchids and tropical plants.

arrowBeautiful Rushmore Cave - Beautiful Rushmore Cave is the area's largest stalactite cave and the closest cave to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. The one hour tour winds through a series of rooms and passages, the most stunning of which is the BIG ROOM. This legendary room contains thousands of salactites, stalagmites, ribbons, helectites, columns and other breathtaking cave formations.

back to top


arrow

Glacial Prairies


Thunder Road Family Fun Park - If speed is your ticket, race right over to the most dynamic go-kart tracks in the Dakotas. The tracks feature banked corners, hairpin turns, and endless racing fun for all members of your family. Adventure golf and bumper boats are also available.

Dacotah Prairie Museum - The Dacotah Prairie Museum of Aberdeen, South Dakota mounts both long and short-term exhibits concerning the prairie; early settlers, their lives and lifestyles; the railroad and its influence on settlement; and Native American life. Step back into the past with us today!

arrowRedlin Art Center - This remarkable building and the paintings within were donated to the city of Watertown as a gift from world famous artist, Terry Redlin.

arrowState Agricultural Heritage Museum - The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum is a great place to visit and enjoy the history of the Dakota prairie. The museum is a powerful resource for all aspects of the rich history that South Dakota has proudly carried for many generations.

back to top


arrow

Great Lakes


Sd Discovery Center & Aquarium - 'The South Dakota Discovery Center provides interactive exhibits and hands-on science activities that are fun and educational.'

back to top


arrow

Southeast


Washington Pavilion Of Arts And Science - The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science is the region?s newest and largest cultural and entertainment center. The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science includes the Husby Performing Arts Center, the Kirby Science Discovery Center and its Wells Fargo CineDome Theater, the Visual Arts Center, the Discovery Store and Leonardo?s Caf?.

Corn Palace - The World's Only Corn Palace is an outstanding structure which stands as a tribute to the agricultural heritage of South Dakota.

arrowGreat Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum - The Great Plains Zoo is home to over 400 animals that will entertain the whole family.

arrowSmith Zimmermann Heritage Museum - The museum's collections and exhibits focus on the ethnic history of the early settlements in Lake County and surrounding regions in eastern South Dakota from 1860 to the present.

back to top