Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of America’s most famous monuments. The faces of four great American Presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, are carved in the solid granite mountainside in the Black Hills of Keystone, South Dakota. Visit the museum inside the memorial, watch a 13-minute show that tells the story of the making of Mount Rushmore, go to the Grandview Terrace for the best views of the Memorial, or take a hike along the Presidential Trail to get up close and personal to the Fab Four.

Badlands National Park

Although originally named “mako shika” meaning, “the land that is bad,” by The Lakota Indians, the beauty of this place is anything but “bad.” It is awesome! This 244,000-acre park is home to some of the world’s oldest and best mammal fossil beds. Enjoy the buttes, pinnacles, gulches, ridges and spires in the scenery, all left behind from millions of years of water erosion. The park also contains over 100,000 acres of grassy prairie land, a tipi village, scenic drives, hiking trails, and the Ben Reifel Visitor Center. Animals you may encounter in the park include; bison, bighorn sheep, ferrets, antelope, badgers, grouse, rattlesnakes, foxes and plenty of birds to watch. If you want to see inhabitants “barking” at each other and protecting their underground tunnel “town,” then visit Robert’s Prairie Dog Town where you can see black-tailed prairie dogs in action.

Crazy Horse Memorial

The Lakota Indians began working on this huge monument to American Indian Chief Crazy Horse in 1948 as a tribute to their chief. Although it is still a work in progress, when it is finished it will be the world’s largest sculpture carved in the round at 563 feet high and 641 feet long. At the bottom of the mountain, is the Indian Museum of North America, where you can learn about Native American culture.

Presidents Walk

Located in downtown Rapid City, The Presidents Walk is a collection of city blocks with life-size bronze statues of many of our past Presidents. The walk is 17 blocks long, with a different President on each corner. Each President is represented in a unique way; some are shown with their children or dogs, some sitting and one even wearing a cowboy hat. Find your favorite presidents along the tree-lined streets.