More Than Mount Rushmore: Where to Play, Eat, and Stay in Rapid City, SD

Rapid City, a gateway to the Black Hills and Badlands region, is a hub for South Dakota tourism, connecting visitors with points of interest like Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. But it’s more than just a pass-through destination — here’s how to make the most of it.

Things to do in and around Rapid City

Mount Rushmore National Monument

I’d be remiss not to mention this national memorial in a Rapid City guide, but I’ll keep this description short — Mount Rushmore is the most recognizable landmark in South Dakota. Even while traveling in rural communities in foreign countries, I’ve had people immediately associate something with the “four faces” (from left to right: Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln) in the mountainside. I recommend checking out the ice cream shop in the food court and ordering the vanilla ice cream based on Thomas Jefferson’s recipe. In the evening, there’s a lighting ceremony of the monument accompanied by an educational video and military salute.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial: 13000 Highway 244, Keystone, South Dakota 5775

Crazy Horse Memorial

I highly recommend that every visit to Mount Rushmore is paired with a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. In 1939, Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote a letter to Korczak Ziolkowski, a sculptor who briefly worked on carving Mount Rushmore and had won several awards, asking for his assistance to carve a monument for Native Americans in the Black Hills. It was decided to dedicate the monument to Crazy Horse, and the first construction began in 1948. To this day, the monument is not yet complete, but it has advanced the technology used for rock sculpting and has never accepted government funding, while also remaining a family business.

Crazy Horse Memorial: 12151 Ave of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, South Dakota, 57730

Dinosaur Park

Skyline Drive takes you to a gorgeous 360-degree view of Rapid City and some of the Black Hills. At the top, there’s Dinosaur Park, a kitschy artistic tribute consisting of seven large dinosaur sculptures, painted very brightly and making no attempt to be realistic. Uniquely, the park allows visitors to climb the sculptures. Fun fact: The band Owl City released a song in 2023 called “Dinosaur Park” that’s six-and-a-half minutes long and specifically references Rapid City and South Dakota.

Dinosaur Park: 940 Skyline Dr, Rapid City, SD 57701

Museum of Geology

Part of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, this museum changed a lot about what I thought I knew about South Dakota — and I was born and raised here. Somehow, the state’s dinosaur and broader fossil collection missed my radar. The museum staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and beyond the dinosaur fossils, there’s an extensive mineral and rock collection.

One interesting thing I learned is that there’s a process to actually reporting a found fossil: it’s best to not remove the potential fossil and instead take detailed photos and notes of the GPS coordinates to report to the visitor center/National Park Service. At certain times of the year, there’s an open exhibit at the Badlands Visitor Center where you can view the pros gently cleaning found fossils. South Dakota Mines has an extensive Department of Geology and Geological Engineering that draws international acclaim, right here in the Black Hills.

Pro tip: ask about the story of Dinosaur Sue, and stock up on gemstones at the gift shop.

Museum of Geology: O’Harra Building, 501 E St Joseph St, Rapid City, SD 57701

Reptile Gardens

Reptile Gardens is a wild animal park that first opened in 1937 and has since expanded beyond its signature snake exhibits to include a botanical garden, prairie dog habitat, and Safari Roam. On a visit, you can expect to see snake or alligator shows, pet 100-year-old giant tortoises, and wander the tropical gardens in the Sky Dome with free-roaming lizards and exotic birds.

This is not only an attraction for families: as an adult, I was fascinated by the wide array of species and incredible knowledge and commitment from the staff — one of the caregivers went straight from feeding the alligators in front of us to answering our wild questions. The best part? The organization is still run by its founder’s family generations later.

Reptile Gardens: 8955 US-16, Rapid City, SD 57702

City of Presidents: The Presidential Trail

Rapid City is colloquially dubbed the “City of Presidents” for its proximity to Mount Rushmore, as well as the ever-growing sculpture project known as the Presidential Trail, consisting of every US president as a life-size bronze statue. The project, currently featuring 44 sculptures, began in 2000 and has no plans on stopping. Each new sculpture is displayed in the Rapid City Visitor Center before being placed permanently on a designated street corner. A scavenger hunt and free self-guided audio tour are available to learn more about each president and the interesting Easter eggs hidden within their statues.

City of Presidents: The Presidential Trail: Various

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

There’s more than prehistoric fossils and pristine nature hidden in South Dakota’s Black Hills. A distinctive relic from the Cold War era, the Minuteman Missile Site was constructed in 1963 as a Launch Control Facility to command Missile Silos. The visitor center includes an informative and interactive museum about how and why the US government hid 1,000 missiles in plain sight for decades. Kid visitors can earn their Junior “Missileer” Patch, and tours are available for the Delta-01 Launch Control Center.

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: 24545 Cottonwood Road, Philip, SD 57567

Custer State Park

Custer State Park is home to Sylvan Lake, a scenic highway, wild bison, and Black Elk Peak — the highest point in all of South Dakota at 7,242 feet. This is where you’ll want to go for the ultimate Black Hills outdoor experience, great for an afternoon picnic or hike. The visitor center has multiple exhibits, including one that allows you to watch paleontologists and geologists as they clean fossils found in the area.

Custer State Park: South of US Highway 16A on Badger Clark Road

Wind Cave National Park

Everyone knows about Badlands National Park; however, there’s a second national park nearby: Wind Cave National Park. Although I didn’t visit on this trip, I took a ranger-led tour into the cave a couple of years ago, and the experience remains one of my favorites. To exhibit the true vastness and total darkness of the cave system, all the lights in the cave are turned off for a brief minute. I’d never felt such true sightlessness. Tours are required to enter the cave, and tickets are available day of at the visitor center on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pro tip: To get there, the website warns that your typical GPS will get you lost and offers detailed written directions.

Wind Cave National Park: N43 33′ 22″ W103 28′ 38″

Where to eat and drink in Rapid City

The Sour: A Bakery

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This locally owned bakery has a new (and historic downtown) storefront, but the owners have been central to the community for almost a decade. It’s not uncommon for the signature sourdough treats to sell out well before closing at 2 PM. Peter and Makenzie Mitchell began their business by selling select treats from their home before becoming one of the most popular joints in town. The classic loaves take two days to make and are baked from scratch with their sourdough starter named Jeffery. Additional goodies range from brown butter chocolate chip cookies, strawberry rhubarb hand pies, and cinnamon rolls to seasonal coffee drinks and more. For The Sour, the early bird gets the worm (aka the fresh-baked pastries before they sell out).

The Sour: A Bakery: 510 St. Joseph St, Rapid City, SD 57701

Tally’s Silver Spoon

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I’ll admit, I’ve been to Tally’s before. An excellent choice for brunch, the cafe and restaurant has long been a corner staple in downtown Rapid City, originally opening in the 1930s and kept as a family business since. I felt ravenous when I stopped by on my recent trip to Rapid City, so I treated myself to the buffalo hanger steak and eggs for a reasonably priced $26 (for reference, there’s only one hanger steak per bison). It was tender to perfection. You can also expect your coffee mug to stay topped off the whole meal with their smooth house blend.

Tally’s Silver Spoon: 530 6th St, Rapid City, SD 57701

Tandoor Bocado

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Tandoor Bocado is a recently opened hotspot featuring New American cuisine, owned and operated by Chef Jarred Bren. The menu includes rotating weekly features, such as pork belly steam buns, beef papusas, Moroccan octopus, and seasonally crafted cocktails. But you can also count on the permanent lunch staples of Swedish meatballs, “naanwiches,” and lemon chili tofu. If you want to test your palate, try the bison tartare.

Tandoor Bocado: 514 St. Joseph St, Rapid City, SD 57701

Juniper at Vertex Sky Bar

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On the top floor of the Alex Johnson Hotel is Juniper at Vertex Sky Bar, perfect for dining while sipping the gin-based specialty Dakota Sunset cocktail with upscale food. I consumed the $48 cornish game hen, flanked by mashed sweet potatoes, and it was worth every penny. Anticipate quality and attentive service alongside the locally sourced, fresh ingredients.

Juniper at Vertex Sky Bar: 523 6th St, Rapid City, SD 57701

Wild Sage Kitchen + Cocktails

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Although this restaurant’s location is farther out from the city center, the drive is well worth it. Menu items pay a fun homage to the state itself with local-favorite ingredients and flair, such as the SoDak dip (peppered pastrami brisket, bell pepper, caramelized onion, pepper jack, and Madeira au jus, served with a baguette), walleye cakes (butter-poached walleye, trinity, double cream, breadcrumb, sage aioli, cajun gastrique, baby arugula, and citrus), and corn palace mule cocktail (named after the tourist attraction from my hometown, Mitchell, and featuring mellow corn Kentucky straight). While not South Dakota-themed, the Graceland cake can’t be skipped for dessert — a chocolate and banana cake with peanut butter mousse and a blackberry compote. To top it off, the service here was phenomenal.

Wild Sage: 2181 Promise Rd, Rapid City, SD 57701

Where to stay in Rapid City

The Rushmore Hotel & Suites

This hotel underwent a major rebrand in 2012 but kept a lot of its charm and, obviously, its walkable downtown location. The City View Trolley Tour (tickets sold separately) conveniently meets in the parking lot for easy access, and airport shuttles are available. The lobby is open and bright, but the main focal point is the handcrafted floor tile design of Mount Rushmore. Adjacent to the lobby is an in-hotel restaurant and bar to keep the party going. On the downside, be warned that this hotel is often booked for traveling tour buses, so the lobby can fill up quickly. But you could also use it to your advantage to make new friends while you wait.

The Rushmore Hotel & Suites: 445 Mt Rushmore Rd, Rapid City, SD 57701

Hotel Alex Johnson

South Dakota isn’t known for its skyscrapers. The tallest building in the state is Centurylink Tower located in Sioux Falls, standing at 174 feet or eight stories tall (the Empire State Building, for comparison, is 1,454 feet tall). However, in Rapid City, the tallest building is the historic Alex Johnson Hotel, originally constructed in 1928 and offering panoramic views of downtown and the surrounding Black Hills. The hotel’s website taunts: “Ask about our ‘haunted’ reputation … if you dare!” There’s an extensive gift shop, a mini convenience store, and an Irish pub on the first floor near reception. Many celebrities have stayed here, and their pictures cover the back wall by the elevators.

Hotel Alex Johnson: 523 6th St, Rapid City, SD 57701

Getting to and around Rapid City

If you’re flying to Rapid City, Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is the most convenient, located about 10 to 15 minutes from the city center by car. Denver International Airport (DEN) is the closest major hub with extensive domestic and international service, but it’s roughly six hours from Rapid City by car.

Once you’ve arrived, the city’s compact downtown core is very walkable, with restaurants, shops, and the Presidential Trail statues clustered within a few blocks. If you plan on visiting Black Hills attractions like Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, or Wind Cave National Park, you’ll want a rental car. Parking in Rapid City is generally easy to find and often free or inexpensive.