A temporarily placed statue of Pres. Lincoln outside the Hotel Alex Johnson, Don Perdue came up…read morewith the idea to put a life-sized statue of every U.S. President on the sidewalks of Downtown Rapid City. Each statue is privately funded, then a local artists is selected . They research the president ; learning their passions, hobbies & achievements during their presidency. Well known mannerisms or characteristics are incorporated. This information helps to decide on the pose, facial expression, clothing, and all the amazingly tiny details found on each statue. After they have their concept the sculpting work can begin. It can take up to 9 months for each statue to be created. All the statues match the height & weight of the president except one. Pres. Taft's statue was trimmed down from his actual weight to make the monument affordable. A new audio tour allows us to get to know each as people, not just presidents. We can now dial in or scan the QR code found in the brochure to read along. The audio will even point out those tiny details the artist added info we might overlook.

We were in the area for Mount Rushmore, and were looking for other historic things to do/see. The…read moreFounding Fathers exhibit is really a unique experience. Being able to walk around a display with that kind of detail is impressive. I just wish that there was a bit more included in the price. It is $12 per person (discounts for large families/groups). This price includes a light and audio show (about 20 min) of a life size replica of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For $30 per person, you get to see the show and shoot 3 shots from a musket at the range out back. The light and audio show was a pretty standard museum type explanation of the events surrounding the Declaration of Independence and the people involved. It's well done and fun to look at. They have information around the room to look at afterwards that gives you a background of all the people mentioned. The stories on them are worth taking a few minutes to read and was probably my favorite part. We really just didnt get enough out of it to make it worth the stop, especially for the price. We were in and out of there in less than an hour. We loved the idea of being able to shoot the replica guns out back and it would have been a fun way to complete the experience, but for $30 each it just didn't make sense. I'm glad we checked it out, but its needs a bit more included to make the detour worth it.

Stopped in today to get the last Tenkara I have needed for my collection. Sam was super helpful and…read morevery knowledgable. They have a ton of awesome merch From fly tying materials, lines, rods, hats, packs, you name it they got it. Got to buy local and support a great small business. I cannot recommend this place enough! we will be back soon! Fair prices and they offer a military discount.

They sent the product out immediately. They kept me informed and they are the nicest people in the…read moreworld. I would definitely buy from them almost exclusively. Unfortunately, I almost did not buy from them now I feel bad.

This is the main square in downtown Rapid City. There is artificial turf, fountains & some tables…read more& chairs. Perhaps if there was an event it would be more special. I understand that during the summers concerts and movies are presented here.

Neat little area to escape from some of the business of the mount Rushmore traffic and attractions…read more Cool area with open space with lots of shops and places to eat around it including a small little mini mall adjacent to it. Looks like it has the potential and probably hosts all kinds of cool events and concerts. I imagine the locals and tourists both have a blast here when there isn't a worldwide pandemic going on

Great park! Lots of picnic benches, clean new restrooms, water fountains and an awesome art…read moreinstallation about the history of the area. Nice for having lunch outside or taking a walk.

This stop was definitely not what we expected, but you can get a great view of the city from the…read moretop of this park. The statues are neat, but they are very old and they are more for education than for children to play on. I really liked how accessible the park was and how much information it gave. I would definitely recommend bringing children ages 5 to 8 spend some time here; I think they would really enjoy it. And as I said for adults, there is always that amazing view from up top. There is plenty of parking across the street and there's also a little building that was closed when we arrived, but it looks like they sell drinks and treats during regular business hours.

Dinosaur Park is a fun little stop, an especially good place for little ones (and big ones) to run…read morearound and stretch their legs. It's atop a hill with wonderful views of the surrounding area. There are mobility ramps as well as stairs to the highest point, so easy for everyone to get to the top. There is a decent amount of parking at the bottom. The gift shop/snack bar is located at the parking lot. LOTS of gift items and the snack bar has the usual hamburgers, fries, hot dogs etc, all at reasonable prices. Nice stop for 30-45 minutes!

"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!

Aka the Dahl? This is a nice, but small, art museum. There was traditional, contemporary, local,…read moreand kid friendly activity art all displayed, along with some nice sculptures. Donations only required. Newer galley, very accommodating, clean, and not crowded.

Wonderful display of antique airplanes and aerospace weapons. Unfortunately, we arrived on a Sunday…read moreand the inside hangers were closed. However, walking the grounds and reading the details/specs on display was interesting. Provided pics of the first nuclear missile (circa. 1960) - the Titan I which required 15 minutes to lift it then load its required fuel BEFORE liftoff could occur......Boy, not a very good defense during the cold war! Also, was impressed with General then President Eisenhower's private WW II plane was customized for his military surveillance throughout. Would have liked a walking audio tour and the aircraft maintained and painted to original era but considering the FREE price of admission (FREE-but subsidized by our tax dollars!), one cannot complain.

Another great museum for the price of free. You can give a donation if you'd like. Spend a couple…read moreof bucks ($5 suggested) to do the virtual F-16 fighter plane experience though! It was fun, and John S, the volunteer who helped us out, was very lovely and a great plane flying teacher. He had a great sense of humor and was so friendly as well! There are lots of exhibits with lots of history. Lots of cool and rare plans to look at as well. The information on inside hangers was interesting and dealt with lots of different eras of history. Staff all around was very nice, and you can feel their passion for aviation.

Our visit to Reptile Gardens was absolutely unforgettable! From the moment we walked in, we were…read moreblown away by how well-kept, interactive, and family-friendly everything was. Traveling with our 5-year-old, this was easily one of the highlights of our trip. He was completely fascinated by the huge variety of reptiles--especially the giant tortoises and snakes--and the live shows were both entertaining and educational. The staff did an amazing job keeping kids engaged while teaching them fun facts along the way. The grounds are beautiful and easy to navigate, making it a relaxing experience for parents too. You can tell how much care goes into the animals and the overall experience. If you're in the Rapid City area, this is a must-do--perfect mix of fun, learning, and memorable moments for the whole family!

This place is cool! If you don't like reptiles you will…read moreprobably not enjoy it, but hopefully you would not come to a place called Reptile Gardens if you don't like them. There is a big dome here where you can walk among some free-roaming reptiles; but don't worry, most of the creatures here are in enclosures. Displays are mostly well labeled and in an amusing way. Obviously the people here love reptiles and have fun talking about them. There is a crocodile show that was informative and amusing. I think there are snake shows too. My favorite exhibit is the tortoise area. They are ancient! One is 120 years old and is still - um - frisky. You can touch them! Food was not great. Not many choices. I got a hot dog since it was cheaper than the other items and it was good. I got it "dressed" and the relish and onions definitely elevated it. Great selection of gift shop items. What's really awesome about this place is that - once you have paid admission and are inside - there are some "season pass" signs. If you take your picture with them it will act as a Season Pass for the rest of the year! We don't live in the area so didn't do it; but if we did we would have really taken advantage of that! We came here after going to Bear Country USA and this was by far my favorite of the two. Though I do REALLY love reptiles.