We discovered gold in the South Dakota wilderness. Set just off the Interstate, pretty much smack-bang in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota, you can find a town where all of the buildings date back to the 1880s, and are authentically-decorated with furnishings from the same period. Here kids (and adults) can dress up like cowboys (or cowgirls), join in with some foot-tappingly good music & comedy down at the saloon (which serves sasparillas and peanuts), cool their heels in the old jailhouse, and learn the ways of the Old West.
We had been driving for several hours since leaving Sioux Falls, and really needed a break. After seeing an ad for the town in a local magazine, we decided this would be a good place to stretch our legs for a few hours.
After having lunch in a carriage of a 50s train repurposed as a diner (decent burger, hot dog type of food) we spent a couple of hours wandering around the town, which has over 30 buildings, each serving a distinct purpose, from the railroad office to the schoolhouse to the fire station. At back of the saloon you can hire costumes, which C absolutely loved. They’re great quality.
The staff are in-character most of the time, and are very helpful and full of cowboy-banter. Rather incongruously, in a nearby field you can see a camel called Otis, and a gigantic metallic sculpture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Throughout the town there are numerous period mementos, many of which are fascinating.
We had an absolute blast here, and in our opinion it really is worth the small entrance fee. Have a look at what we got up to in our photos below:
Cost: $12 adults / children under 5 free
Costume hire: $7
Where is it (open map)
We’re linking up with the fab Coombe Mill for #CountryKids, My Travel Monkey & Packing my Suitcase for #MondayEscapes
