Longest and Last homestead gold mine in Lead, South Dakota (near Deadwood)…read more Everyone should check this gigantic hole out for themselves. The history is interesting, except for the fact that wealthy entrepreneurs exploited the common folks during the 1929 depression and bought their gold claims/homestead for less than market value. The museum was informative and had incredible exhibits but lacked a feature movie to chronically narrate its evolution.

This was not in my itinerary to go here. It was recommended by our friends who are residence of…read moreDeadwood. For sure make a quick stop here in Lead if you're on your way to Deadwood. Pretty cool to learn and see the mine from above ground. It was active until 1998. There are tours available.

We really enjoyed this place. It was our first time for a lot of the attractions there, including…read moremy very first zipline. We did the smaller zipline which was perfect for my first time. My only complaint is that it needs more shade and maybe some fans. We didn't get to do everything we wanted because it was so darn hot. I also wish they had more ride photos. But I'm a big picture nerd. I would recommend getting the wrist band. It's $62 for adults but it includes everything except food and water. Fyi- if you have a hard time getting around your best option is the chair lift the the top. It truly is beautiful up there. But again not handicap friendly.

Highly recommended. Love the ski lift going up and the alpine slide coming down. Staff was very…read morehelpful. The view was amazing. If we didn't get there too late I would have repeated the lift and slide till I get tired of it. So affordable

Visited Black Hills Caverns this summer! This was the first of 2 caverns we visited while in South…read moreDakota! We made reservations months in advance but I think you can also show up the same day. Tour was great and felt nice and cool during the hot summer day! Well worth the visit!

On the way back from Mt. Rushmore, we decided to call and make a reservation for an "Adventure…read moretour". What you need to know: They have two tours: The Adventure Tour (1 hour) Crystal Tour (1/2 hour) One lady had mobility issues and a cane and they accommodated her on the Crystal tour and she was fine. There was one flight of stairs that she had to take twice but she took her time. There was also a newborn baby that I would not recommend - the baby kept crying and the parent had to end their tour. Kids were fine. Reservations: preferred but not required, last tour is close to 5pm, but call to check. Attire/Gear: I had on vans and no special gear and was fine but note, it's colder down there in the summer, and warmer in the winter. We went in August and it was about 55 degrees inside the cave. Lucky I brought a hoodie. Towards the end of the tour you have to get back up using stairs so you heat up quickly. Our tour guide Josh was fun and happily chatted with us - they feed off of your feedback! He also let us use their umbrellas to get back to our car since a storm had begun while we were in the cave. I recommend this tour for all ages so you can learn a little about the area and history of the cave!

An unexpectedly well curated collection in the heart of the US. I was not originally planning to…read morecome into this museum - only to visit the various placards declaring the geographic center of the US. I'm quite glad I decided to wander in. At the front, I was greeted by a friendly woman who seemed to be working here in retirement as a way to pass the time and stay social. She was very welcoming and answered all of my questions. From her I learned the most important point: this museum is free! The collection includes all manner of items representing ranching, horseback riding, and cowboy life. A small exhibit on local historical military members. Some fascinating items donated by local individuals and businesses including (but not limited to) western wear, an old x-ray shoe machine, and a very old bicycle that lit its way with a carbide lantern. I particularly loved the display board of various types of barbed wire and the names and years associated with them. They do rotating exhibits on different topics - surprising to me, honestly! The exhibit at the time of my visit was called "Turn on the Light!". They ran a film on Edison and had placards and explanations on the human development of light. A local elementary school field trip was visiting while I stopped by, so it's clear they serve a purpose in the community. There is a great little gift shop where I purchased a sticker proclaiming its origin at the geographic center of the US. While in truth this is not the exact location of the center of the US, they have a map for how to get there. It's not far away, but requires several miles of dirt road driving to get there. This museum was, again, totally free to visit. However, I was more than happy to make a donation before leaving and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area!

This museum is definitely a walk in history of the way things were back then. I found it to be very…read morefascinating and enjoyed looking at the old telephone, first sewing machine, horse equipment, how much things were back then. They even have dinosaur bones there. They even had military information for each service and what their uniform looked like back then. Also gave tribute to those who were in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Definitely something to take preteens or older teenagers to see how things were back then. That way they may have more appreciation for the things they have today. The ladies that ran this museum were very kind and friendly. They have a sign-in book when you first walk in the doors. On the left side and down some stairs is the actual seal/plate for the Geo Center of the US surrounded by flags. They even had an old carriage you can look in to see how they looked inside back in the day. They even have a very cute gift shop of many different things and toys for kids. If you're ever in the area or on your way to Devils Tower, this is a must stop place to see. On interstate 90 they have a sign for the exit. If we didn't see the sign for it we would have never known it was there.

I had a nice time at the place though I didn't get a lot of gold when I did the panning…read more Instructor gave me good directions on how to do. Then went inside the cave tour with some history of the place, low beams and some walking. Guide was nice. Also a nice gift shop and a restaurant across which I had ice cream.

We stopped at this mine while driving through South Dakota to try our hand at gold panning, and it…read moreturned out to be a fantastic experience. The guide did an excellent job explaining the process and was both knowledgeable and patient, making it easy for first-timers to get started. To our surprise, we found seven small flakes of gold! The experience was especially memorable for our two young boys, ages 4 and 5, who had an absolute blast searching for treasure. If you're traveling with kids or just looking for a fun, hands-on activity, this is definitely worth a stop.

Broken boot was a wonderful experience . I got 2 learn a lot about the town and how people mined…read morethe conditions and much more the workers were amazing and prices were very good and obsoletely wonderful time would recommend

It was OK. The senior citizen rate was $10 per person, so not a bad deal. The tour lasted about…read more30 minutes. Our guide took us along the underground walkway which had once been a gold mine. He was pretty knowledgeable and told us quite a bit about mines and how this one in particular operated back in the day. Nothing to write home about, but it's a good way to send some time and learn a little more about what life was like way back when in Deadwood.

We decided on the Badlands Sunset and Stargazing tour with XO. Our tour guide Dan (retired Dan)…read morewas phenomenal. We are in our 70's and Dan was so perfect for us. He knew so much about the Badlands. We learned so much that we never would have known if we just drove through on our own. He was a scout master and he comes prepared with his camera with lenses that take beautiful close up pictures that we never would have gotten on our own. He will take pictures of whatever you want. We were picked up at 3:15 and dropped off at 11:30! We even stopped on the way at Wall Drug. The day we went, unfortunately , the weather was not aligning with the night sky we needed to see the stars which is something no one has control over. But the sunset was beautiful and the Badlands did not disappoint so I got over my no star night. My husband said a few times to me, this is well worth the money. He was just the greatest and Aimee the owner was very much updating us about the details and they brought snacks and a huge sub sandwich. I am attaching some pictures but they are ones that I took. I haven't been able to save his pictures in my photos yet. I'm not great at figuring this tech stuff out. P.S. we saw so many bison really up close.

If you're considering a trip to South Dakota, stop looking around and book with My XO Adventures…read more Daniel was our tour guide --he is truly one of a kind. Our tour took us through some of the most breathtaking locations, including Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and so many hidden gems we never would have known about without him. We also went to Wyoming and saw Devils tower and beautiful frozen waterfalls. But what made this trip amazing wasn't just the scenery, it was Daniel himself. From the moment we started, it was clear that Daniel goes above and beyond for his guests. He thought of everything--water, coffee, snacks, chargers, binoculars--literally everything we could have needed. He is like a walking encyclopedia, sharing history, stories, and fascinating details that made each location come alive. We never felt rushed; instead, he took his time to make sure the experience was all about us. One of the most memorable highlights was something completely unplanned--stargazing in the Badlands. Living near a city, I never get to see the stars like that. But out there, I saw shooting stars, the Milky Way, and even satellites. It was absolutely magical, and it wouldn't have happened without Daniel. He even brought his camera and took stunning photos, which he sent to us at the end of the day--such an amazing touch! This wasn't just a vacation--Daniel said something that really stuck to me, it was a reminder to slow down and reconnect with life and nature (I have a high stress career and always looking to disconnect). The beauty of South Dakota was unforgettable, but without Daniel, we wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much as we did. If you're on the fence about booking with My XO Adventures, just do it, It's SO worth it, and you'll walk away with memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you, Daniel, for making this one of the best trips I've ever had!

"If I can talk to the President Would he pay attention…read morereally listen?" (LL Cool J) In the heart of downtown Rapid City, SD, it's quite understandable why many tourists might stop dead in their tracks and do a double take. That's because of the 44 life-sized bronze statues of America's Presidents found on twelve intersections up and down Main Street and St. Joseph Street in downtown Rapid City. Accordingly, Rapid City earned its nickname of "the City of Presidents". These statues are more or less life-sized and match the height and weight of the presidents. That is except for Ohio heavyweight William Howard Taft, who weighed over 350 pounds. His statue was slimmed down to make it more affordable. The statues poses are very cool -John Kennedy with his young son John-John, Barack Obama's statue captures his election night scene when he came out holding his daughter's hand, Abraham Lincoln was also sculpted with his son, Tad; FDR is shown standing at a podium with radio mics, and a slimmed down Taft commemorating the day he became the first president to deliver the first pitch at a baseball game. There is an on-line map that shows the location of the statues. This is most definitely one of the coolest things I've seen and a real treat for the history nerds out there. BONUS TIP As the weather got colder, we began to see considerate tourists and residents decorate the statues with wool hats or plastic fireman's hats to add a sense of humor to the statues. I can only imagine what will happen on Halloween!

**June 2025: Tuesday Morning/Afternoon Visit**…read more This was one of best highlight during my midwest trip. All 45 presidents have a statute at the corner of one of two streets in Rapid City. They're all positioned in different ways and it's pretty cool to see what pose was selected for them and how it reflected their personality and legacy. If you visit the Rapid City Visitor Center first you can get a map of all the presidents and participate in a Scavenger Hunt where you obviously can earn a prize! I love a challenge and my friend and I made it our mission to play and win! Just an FYI - you'll want to look very diligent behind and on the side of the presidents because some of items to find aren't very obvious - so they definitely put you to work! I think to walk up and down the two streets and look for the clues took at least two hours so it was a great way to get in my steps. I also took photos with each president so that probably slowed me down to be honest lol Our current president is located inside the Visitor Center and after we finished we got to redeem a cool South Dakota Tumbler and sticker. If you're in Rapid City you should definitely take on the Scavenger Hunt Challenge! One of the visitor center volunteers also said that during the winter time the presidents get decorated with scarves, mittens, hat etc. I'd love to see that one day!

Liz was our tour guide on our Buffalo Safari Jeep Tour and it was so informative. Liz was funny and…read morewe saw so many animals. She was so knowledgeable about Custer State Park and all the animals that we saw along the way. This was our first time visiting Custer State Park and highly recommend it to anyone visiting. We saw bison, birds, prairie dogs, pronghorn, burros, and more. She knew of all the best spots to view these animals and I learned so much while on this tour.

Our tour guide, Berry, was excellent! I wouldn't want to do this with anyone other than him! He is…read morevery funny and filled with a lot of great knowledge. He talks to you in a casual way and is very engaging. The jeep was pretty comfy and the blankets they provide for cold days were very clean. Berry zoomed us all over the park and saw 3 out 6 of the buffalo herds and saw a lot of other cool animals too! It was a fun time and was a great experience.

We were looking for something different for dinner when visiting the Black Hills and found this…read moreplace last minute... It was so fun! The dinner was very tasty, hubby had the beef and I had the chicken, along with all the fixings.. this was like a blast of the past and is completely family friendly....after dinner came the entertainment, first the band is great! Wonderfully talented, and very entertaining.. I found myself singing along....

They also have tours of several attractions. I highly recommend. The staff are very friendly,…read moreespecially Dave. The dinner was very filling, served "cowboy" style. After dinner typical western style. Had a great time.