Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located just outside of Keystone, SD, and is our country's "Shrine of Democracy."
Rapid City, SD, is known as the City of Presidents. With Presidents Day coming up in less than a week (Feb. 15), we thought we’d point out a few things to do in Rapid City and the surrounding area that honor our country’s leaders…
- Presidential sculptures – Rapid City’s historic downtown area features bronze sculptures of almost all of our nation’s presidents. One of the largest publicly-owned displays of art lines the streets of downtown Rapid City. Life-sized, bronze statues of many of our nation’s Presidents provide visitors a walking tour of history. www.visitrapidcity.com
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial – Okay, Mt. Rushmore isn’t located in Rapid City, but it’s a pretty short drive away – only about 30 minutes south of town. Mt. Rushmore National Memorial is known all over the world for its dedication to the hopes, dreams, will and determination of a nation. Carved from a mountainside of solid granite, the gigantic busts of four great American presidents – Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, stand above the land they loved. Rent an audio tour wand to hear the story of Mount Rushmore through music, narration, interviews, historic recordings and sound effects while enjoying a suggested route around the park. www.nps.gov/moru
- Presidents Park – To continue your presidential tour, take a short drive up to Lead, SD, to see larger-than-life busts of each president in America’s history. Presidents Park is currently closed for the winter, but come back in the spring to see this amazing walk-through park. www.presidentspark.com.
- Mount Roosevelt – Back in the late 1800s, Seth Bullock, who was then the Sheriff of Lawrence County and living in Deadwood, became good friends with President Theodore Roosevelt. When President Roosevelt passed away, Bullock promoted and built a fine monument that stands upon Mount Roosevelt, a few miles north of Deadwood.
- Mount Coolidge – The Mount Coolidge Lookout and Fire Tower in Custer State Park was built in 1940 and rests atop a 6,023-foot peak. It is used for communications and spotting fires. From the top, visitors can see as far away as the Badlands. www.custerresorts.com/apg_1206027131.php
- State Game Lodge – The State Game Lodge in Custer State Park was also known as President Calvin Coolidge’s Summer White House. President Coolidge enjoyed his time in Custer State Park and caught many fish in the creek just behind the lodge. www.custerresorts.com
For more information on sites to see in SD over President’s Day weekend or any time, visit www.TravelSD.com. Also, if you know of other presidential sites in the Black Hills or other parts of South Dakota, please comment and let us know!
Posted in Affordable Family Vacations,Travel Tips
