There are a lot of things to do in Rapid City, South Dakota. It’s a quaint town just east of the Black Hills National Forest and is often called the gateway to Mt. Rushmore, the huge sculpture of four U.S. presidents. You can tour the monument or explore the city’s “City of Presidents,” which features life-size statues of U.S. presidents in downtown Rapid City. You can also take in the local history at the Journey Museum & Learning Center. You can even visit the Reptile Gardens, which features snakes and lizards.
Black Hills Caverns
If you’ve ever wanted to explore an underground cave, Black Hills Caverns in Rapid City, South Dakota is a great place to go. This underground attraction offers guided tours that will show you the larger rooms. The cave is a beautiful place to explore, and you’ll want to take your time to explore the different rooms.
There are two different guided tours available, the Crystal Tour and the Adventure Tour. The Crystal Tour explores the upper level of the Caverns on a walking tour, while the Adventure Tour explores all three floors and showcases the largest speleothems. If you’d like to get more information about Black Hills Caverns, you might want to go on the Gemstone Mining Tour, which includes a mining pan and a tour guide who will tell you about the cave’s history. The last tour leaves about an hour before the cave closes.
The Adventure Tour takes visitors through more than 20 cave formations on a half mile-long tour. The tour is fun and informative, but it can be chilly and requires some physical exertion. The guides are incredibly friendly and informative and are well-trained in cave history. During the summer months, the cave is open from 9am to 4pm. You can visit during the summer months from May to September, and you can even take your children on the tour.
The cave was discovered by accident. The cave was a result of a log flume spilling into a hole in the ground. Logging crews were working in the area when they noticed water flowing into the hole. A local adventurer subsequently discovered the cave, and the cave became a tourist attraction. During the early 1930s, the cave was owned by a doctor. He began offering tours to visitors in 1939.
This park is a fun destination for families and children of all ages. In addition to a zipline, roller coasters, and gemstone mining area, the Rushmore Mountain Adventure Park is an adventure lover’s paradise. The park also features a 3,600-foot-long cave with themed cave rooms. Helictite and speleothems are among the natural wonders in the cave.
Watiki Water Park
Watiki Water Park is an indoor water park that spans 30,000 square feet. It features slides, pools, arcade games, and a restaurant. It is open all year round and offers a variety of family activities. Hotel rooms are also available for guests. Guests can stay at the park or book a hotel room to enjoy the water park.
If you want to save money on your vacation, you can purchase Hotwire vacation packages, which usually include roundtrip flights and multi-day hotel stays. These packages are ideal for couples, families, or groups of friends. They can even save you a significant amount of money on your rental car.
The complex is a growing, family-friendly destination with five hotels and an indoor waterpark. Its occupancy rate is consistently over 80% during peak season, with the waterpark experiencing a record year in 2021. The ownership team is committed to growing the business, despite COVID travel restrictions.
This indoor waterpark is the largest in the Dakotas, with over 30,000 square feet of slides and pools. There is also a children’s pool, lazy river, and arcade. WaTiki Indoor Waterpark Resort has two restaurants and five hotels. In addition, there’s a Starbucks and Sliders Bar & Grill, making it an excellent family destination. The park also features an arcade and hot tub for soaking up in the sun.
WaTiki Water Park is open Monday through Sunday. The resort features multiple dining options within walking distance. Guests can choose between a Starbucks, Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, and Sliders Bar & Grill. There’s also an arcade with over 50 games. A snack bar and gift shop are also available on-site.
The park is also home to a 210-seat bar and restaurant called the Waikiki Beach Resort. The restaurant features a retractable roof over the bar area. It’s the only restaurant in the country to have a waterslide inside its restaurant. The WaTiki Beach Resort also offers an arcade, meeting rooms, and arcade.
Cosmos Mystery Area
If you love mystery, you must not miss the Cosmos Mystery Area in Rapid City, SD. Located near Mt Rushmore, this unique attraction is one of the oldest in the Black Hills. Two college boys accidentally stumbled upon this hidden gem while scouting. Today, the attraction is a family-friendly attraction with various demonstrations and guided tours that will challenge your sense of physics.
If you are looking for a fun and unique way to spend an afternoon, the Cosmos Mystery Area is one of the best choices. Its unusual layout will make you feel as if you’ve entered a mystical vortex fueled by paranormal activity. The area is filled with a series of illusions and forced perspectives, including distorted backgrounds and horizon lines, altered furniture, and more. Visitors are challenged to solve riddles and decipher the many mysteries that await them.
This attraction is also a great way to experience the Cosmos phenomenon. It’s a fascinating natural phenomenon that lasts about 30 minutes, making it perfect for families to experience. You’ll be amazed by the unusual geology and landscape of the area. You’ll also get to see a crash site from an unidentified aerial vehicle and marvel at massive rock formations. It’s definitely worth the trip!
The Cosmos Mystery Area was discovered in 1952 by two college boys who were looking for a place to build a summer cabin. They were unsure of the place’s security, but they felt something was off. The two boys decided to investigate and later opened the Cosmos Mystery Area to the public. To date, it’s still open to the public.
The Cosmos Mystery Area is a unique tourist attraction in South Dakota. This mysterious attraction is located in the black hills and offers an experience unlike any other. It is a 17-mile drive south of Rapid City. It’s accessible by car from the major highways and is near many other popular attractions.
Crazy Horse Memorial
The Crazy Horse Memorial in Rapid City, South Dakota, has a long and storied history. It was first built in 1927, but it took another three decades to reach its present status. The monument was built with the help of public funding. The project has been supported by the city, state, and federal governments.
The Crazy Horse Memorial is open daily from 8 a.m. to dark, except during the winter months. The memorial is also home to the Legends in Light laser-light show, which takes place every night from Memorial Day weekend until September 30th. The show aims to give visitors a sense of what life was like for the native Americans in the past. It also provides a glimpse into what the finished memorial will look like.
This memorial is a testament to the brave Lakota warrior and leader Crazy Horse. It was a major battle-hearing figure who fought for his tribe against the United States, but ultimately lost his life surrendering to the United States. Although not yet finished, the memorial will pay tribute to the Lakota people and their history. Construction on the Crazy Horse memorial has been underway since 1947. Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski was invited to create the monument. It is now 74 years old, and the sculptor’s children are now in charge of maintaining the monument. It is set to be the largest monument in the world when it is finished.
Crazy Horse was a Lakota Sioux Warrior who lived from 1842 to 1877. He was a leader of his people and was one of the last holdouts of Native Americans. Despite being one of the United States Army’s greatest opponents, Crazy Horse negotiated a surrender with the United States military in hopes of helping the ailing Native Americans. Then, the US military double-crossed him and stabbed him in the back.
Crazy Horse Memorial is just 17 miles from Mount Rushmore and can be seen from the road. It is an impressive landmark and the museum is well worth visiting. In fact, it’s so close that you can do both on the same day.
