Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Rapid City (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Reptile Gardens, Dinosaur Park, and The Monument. Also, be sure to include Chapel in the Hills in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Rapid City (South Dakota).
Table of Contents
Reptile Gardens
Sanctuary for slithery creatures. Reptile Gardens is an animal park located south of Rapid City, South Dakota, on the road to Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The park is open the first Saturday in March through November 30 each year. Reptile Gardens was cited in the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's largest reptile zoo. It was recertified in the 2018 edition.[1]
Address: 8955 S Highway 16, 57702-6577 Rapid City
Dinosaur Park
Park in Rapid City, South Dakota. Dinosaur Park is a tourist attraction in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore. Constructed by the city of Rapid City and the Works Progress Administration, WPA Project #960's dinosaurs were designed by Emmet Sullivan. Sullivan also designed the Apatosaurus at Wall Drug nearby in Wall, South Dakota, the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and the dinosaurs at the now closed Dinosaur World in Beaver, Arkansas.
The park is located at 940 Skyline Drive and is maintained by the city of Rapid City. Admission is free, however steep flagstone stairs may limit handicapped accessibility. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 1990.[2]
Address: 940 Skyline Dr, 57701-4493 Rapid City
The Monument
Convention center in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Monument, formerly known as Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and Rushmore Plaza, is a 500,000-square-foot exhibition center, in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Monument is the main event center for the Black Hills Region, serving Western South Dakota, South West North Dakota, North West Nebraska, and Eastern Wyoming. It is home to many large annual events, including the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo & Rodeo Rapid City, Lakota Nation Invitational, the Black Hills Homebuilders Expo, South Dakota High School Activities Association Tournaments, the Rapid City Rush ice hockey team of the ECHL, and the Rapid City Marshals of Champions Indoor Football. The Rapid City Thrillers semi-professional basketball team also formerly played games at the complex. The grand opening event was a concert by Elvis Presley on June 21, 1977, which was filmed for a CBS television special that aired in October. The concert was during the singer's final tour before his death on August 16, 1977.
It contains two multi-purpose arenas: an ice arena, home to the Rapid City Rush hockey team, and the 10,000-seat Summit Arena completed in October 2021 that is home to the Rapid City Marshals. The venue also contains a fieldhouse, a fine arts theatre, two large convention/exhibit halls, and numerous other meeting rooms. After the venue was remodeled in 2021, the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center was renamed The Monument after a naming rights agreement with Monument Health Rapid City Hospital.[3]
Address: 444 N Mount Rushmore Rd, 57701-1147 Rapid City
Chapel in the Hills
Church in Colonial Pine Hills, South Dakota. Chapel in the Hills is a stave church located near Rapid City, South Dakota.[4]
Address: 3788 Chapel Ln, 57702-4942 Rapid City
The Journey Museum
Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Journey Museum and Learning Center is a museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States with 7 acres of gardens. It is set up as a journey through the history of the Black Hills, starting with the Native American creation stories, moving into the 2.5 billion years of history in the rock record with the geology exhibit, paleontology, archaeology, Native American inhabitants, and concluding with the pioneers that traveled west.[5]
Address: 222 New York St, 57701-1199 Rapid City
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Building in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Church of the Immaculate Conception is a historic building located in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Built as a parish church, it became the cathedral of the Diocese of Rapid City when the seat of the diocese was moved to Rapid City. It is now known as the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.[6]
Address: 922 5th Street, Rapid City
Museum of Geology
Public university in Rapid City, South Dakota. The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a public university in Rapid City, South Dakota. It is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and was founded in 1885. South Dakota Mines offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.[7]
Address: 501 E St Joseph St, 57701-3901 Rapid City
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Episcopal church in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Rapid City, South Dakota is an historic Gothic Revival sandstone Episcopal church located at 717 Quincy Street. In 1975, Emmanuel Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
It was built during 1887–88. It is a one-story cross-gabled building.[8]
Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Cathedral in Rapid City, South Dakota. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic cathedral and parish church located in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Completed in 1962, it serves as the third cathedral of the Diocese of Rapid City.[9]
Address: 520 Cathedral Dr, 57701 Rapid City
Bear Country USA
Nature and wildlife, Park, Zoo, Relax in park
Address: 13820 S Highway 16, 57702-6581 Rapid City
Gambrill Storage Building
The Gambrill Storage Building is a historic two-story building in Rapid City, South Dakota. It was designed in the Renaissance Revival style, and built in 1910 by Horace C. Gambrill.
It was reported in the Rapid City Journal in 1910 that it was then the only storage building/warehouse in town. Another RCJ article from 1984 noted, "the building retains its original rectangular windows capped with arched lintels and its contrasting colored brick on the front facade."
It has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since February 23, 1984.[10]
Address: 822 Main Street, Rapid City