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Rapid City Sights and Landmarks Guide, South Dakota

Rapid City, South Dakota, is the main city in the Black Hills region; its excellent infrastructure, which connects the city to both neighboring cities (like Buffalo, Gillette and Sheridan) as well as to faraway places (like Chicago and Las Vegas), makes it an excellent base for touring attractions like the Black Hills National Forest, Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In addition, the second-largest city of South Dakota also has quite a few city-attractions like galleries and museums, science parks, recreation centers and water-parks. Listed below are some of the must-see Rapid City sights.

Rapid City Sights – Natural Attractions

Speaking of Rapid City’s natural attractions, we must first speak of Rapid Creek, the water body that gave the city its name. The Rapid Creek is the largest stream of the Black Hills region and its fascinating scenery apart, it also promises a lot of sporting fun in the form of angling, kayaking, etc.

Two other water-bodies, namely, Pactola Lake and Sheridan Lake, also promise lots of adventure and recreation; while the submerged mining town of Pactola at the bottom of the Pactola Lake is ideal for divers. Sheridan Lake promises many opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming.

Another natural attraction, the Crystal Cave Park, promises great subterranean adventure.

Rapid City Sights – Museums and Other Informative Centers

There are two main museums in Rapid City – the Museum of Geology and the Journey Museum and Gardens. With its exhibits that include 250000 fascinating vertebrae fossils and 6000 different minerals, the Museum of Geology helps collecting information about the geology and paleontology of South Dakota (as well as that of the Northern Great Plains).

A visit to the Journey Museum, on the other hand, means a journey back in time as you get to know about the origin of the Black Hills, about the now-extinct dinosaurs that once roamed in this part of the world and even about the early Native American inhabitants of the region.

Rapid City is quite a good place to be with children and some Rapid City sights like the Children’s Science Center and the Reptile Gardens give young minds a good perception of science. The Children’s Science Center even organizes special educational programs and events.

Rapid City Sights – Miscellaneous Attractions

Some Rapid City sights give you a feel of the city’s cultural scenario and yet others promise you pure entertainment. A visit to the city’s Art Alley can really be interesting and you can have your art-work placed here. If you are looking for some fun and excitement, head to Rapid City sights like Canyon Lake Park, Rushmore Waterslide Park or Pirate’s Cove. The Dinosaur Park, at 940 Skyline Drive, is a must-see for all and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And then, you cannot simply afford to miss a trip to the Rushmore Mall.

Take your time and explore Rapid City sights at a leisurely pace when you are in this part of the USA.