Visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial was one of the highlights of our trip to South Dakota. While the…read moremountain itself is absolutely impressive, what made this experience truly special was learning the incredible history and vision behind it. We stopped to watch the documentary before exploring, and I'm so glad we did. It not only explained the history of the memorial and why it was created, but also introduced us to the Ziolkowski family and the multiple generations who have dedicated their lives to carrying this dream forward. Their commitment, sacrifice, and passion are inspiring and gave us an entirely new appreciation for everything we were seeing. There is so much to experience beyond the monument itself. The grounds feature several souvenir shops, museums, a spacious restaurant/café, and a convenient grab-and-go snack area, making it easy to spend several hours exploring. One of my favorite parts was watching the Native American cultural performance. Native women and girls performed beautiful traditional dances representing different tribes and ceremonies while explaining the meaning, history, and purpose behind each dance. It added a rich cultural dimension to the visit and made the experience even more meaningful. Walking through the sculptor's original home and studio was fascinating. It truly felt like stepping back in time. Standing in the very rooms where the family once lived and worked gave us a genuine appreciation for the dedication and humble beginnings behind this monumental project. The Native American artwork and exhibits throughout the visitor center were also beautiful and well worth taking your time to enjoy. Watching the mountain being carved while learning about the engineering, the progress made over the decades, and the enormous commitment required to complete such an ambitious project was remarkable. It really makes you appreciate the scale of what they're accomplishing. If I had one small suggestion, it would be that I wish the visitor facilities were located closer to the mountain itself. The main lodge and museum are set back quite a distance, so if you want a close-up view, you'll either need to take the bus tour or use the viewing binoculars. That said, it certainly didn't take away from the experience. This was a destination I had been looking forward to visiting for a long time, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. If you appreciate history, Native American culture, art, engineering, or simply witnessing an extraordinary vision being carried on through generations, the Crazy Horse Memorial is a place you shouldn't miss.

+ Fascinating memorial. The Lakota Sioux present that, besides neighboring Mt Rushmore…read morecommemorating US American heros, the Native Americans had heroes too. . It's just unfortunate that because they reject US gov't funding, construction continues to proceed very slowly. - Disappointed to discover we can't get any closer to the monument than the visitor center without taking a bus tour (extra $5). That means no solo driving up there, no hiking. Thus, not quite worth the obligatory $15 fee just to enter the visitor center grounds. + Pleasant ambience. + Still a nice viewing balcony right behind the visitor center museum. + Ample parking. + Located near many other exciting tourist attractions of the Black Hills, including Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Needles Hwy.

Just Go (#17) My…read morefirst time in the State of South Dakota was a little over 10 years ago. We spent one day that day on 4/10/14 and explored the following sites: Mt Rushmore - what a sight to see as we arrived at the park super early to be the first ones to wander amongst giant presidents -- the majestic figures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site - about 1.5 hours from Mount Rushmore we visited the hidden sites of the Cold War nuclear arsenal. We took the Delta-01 Launch Control Facility Tour that included the missile silo at Delta-09. We were able to see Delta-09 in all its glory staring at us. Just amazing... Badlands National Park - less than 10 miles from the Minuteman Missile is the colorful buttes, spires, and the rugged beauty pinnacles of this underrated park. Unfortunately, because of our tight schedule we didn't get a chance to explore as much as we would've wanted to. This July 4th, 2024 we revisited the Great State of South Dakota. We enjoyed the celebrations, cultural demonstrations and presidential performances at Mount Rushmore then that evening we watched the traditional monument lighting ceremony. Thank you, Great State of South Dakota! Review #3473

Loved my 2021 road trip, thank you South Dakota for keeping this state a true American state, love…read morehow well you honor and respect our American flag, and what our founding fathers have fought for! Love that everywhere we go only the American flag stands alone!!! Most of all how your conservative and moral values are still practiced and respected here! PROUD to be an American and stand by God and my constitution!

Food was awesome. Beer selection great. Karaoke night and trivia night so much fun. Staff were…read moregreat too. Next time I'll be back for sure

We went to The Custer Beacon twice in one day. The first time we ate lunch, which you order…read moreoutside. And order drinks at the bar. They had a live band the second time. They have plenty of seating inside and outside. They don't rush you to turn the tables. We'll be back.

Free WiFi. Bathrooms. Info. Reasonable place to work for a bit. Electric car and RV charging.read more

From the owner: The Custer Area Chamber of Commerce will promote a positive business climate by encouraging…read morecommunity unity, growth and development. When you're up for adventure, stay in Custer, South Dakota and be minutes-not miles-from the best climbs, trails and family fun of the Black Hills. Located on the edge of Custer State Park, Custer and the surrounding area offers travelers unique lodging, dining and shopping opportunities, as well as unlimited family fun. This uncrowded mountain town is a natural playground for all adventure seekers. Plus, you're just minutes from Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Jewel Cave National Monument.

Worth it, ya'know! Sooo much top attractions here. The…read moremonumental Mt Rushmore, the friendly wilderness of the Custer State Park's wildlife loop, the awesome tranquility of Sylvan Lake, last but not least Crazy Horse's construction. And who could forget, the ominous night of Needles Hwy. I needed more than 1 day to soak it all in. Glad there are restrooms throughout this NF, along with some water bottle refill stations, cuz all this roadtrip sightseeing sure works up a thirst. Almost collided with a deer on my way out of Black Hills NF. We both swerved away each other simultaneously O_O My 5th animal crossing this trip! On your way to Black Hills, don't forget to pack fresh apples and carrots beforehand ;) Believe it!

Black Hills National Forest is so beautiful! We hiked the 7.1 mile hike to Black Elk Peak starting…read morefrom Sylvan Lake. The views are spectacular and we even got lucky and saw a mountain goat at the top. If you do this hike, I would recommend hiking shoes, a hat, and a water pack to stay hydrated.

South Dakota has more than just Mount Rushmore!! We spent a few wonderful and relaxing days in…read morethis beautiful state. Of course, everyone must visit Mount Rushmore when they come to South Dakota!! For me personally, it was a dream come true to see Mount Rushmore in person. A couple of other highlights including visiting Crazy Horse and the town of Deadwood. The Crazy Horse Memorial is still a work in progress. By the time it finishes, it will be the largest mountain carving in the world. Deadwood gained fame back in the 1800s Gold Rush era. It is the town where Wild Bill Hickok was killed. There are plenty of attractions in town. They've preserved the town quite well as can be seen in the architecture. You can even gamble. They've got casinos with slot machines and table games. Kind of feels like old school Vegas. Would love to visit South Dakota again in the future. 3 nights was not enough time to spend in the Mount Rushmore State. Next time, we need to visit Badlands National Park. Mount Rushmore deserves more than one visit in a lifetime. Oh, and I also need to eat more of their official State dessert called Kuchen. It tastes fantastic!!

We had a fun couple of hours going through the old buildings and looking at the old time…read morememorabilia. There is so much to read and learn about the Old West. Staff was very nice and helpful. We definitely would bring others here. It was a lot of fun. Excellent photo opportunities.

So much fun, only a couple of other people here so we could walk around feeling like we owned the…read moretown, get great photos and read all the interesting snippets of historic information scattered among the thousands of artifacts. The owner is dressed up as Poker Alice, and looks like her. There is a town building for everything, over 50 in total. The town is designed around history, humor and old fashioned horse sense. The doors of the buildings are open so people can experience the feeling of pioneer living. This really is an amazing acquisition of artifacts, junk and dust down to meticulous detail. It's wonderful and worth every penny to get in. If you are expecting a fancy museum all pristine and clean then you and your granola need to stay at home. Pioneer living was a grim dirty business.

This was an incredible tour of the Badlands led by Kare Bear, the best tour guide ever! She has a…read morewealth of knowledge, a great personality and kept us going with jokes and fun stories. She asked us where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see and we saw it all, from bears to deer to Prarie dogs to incredible views that allowed us to take great pictures, see movies at Visitor Centers and of course by souvenirs. As a group of 6 each one of us took a boatload of pictures of incredible images of rocks and animals and more. The tour itself was great, but Kare Bear made it a 10-star

Black Hills Above and Beyond is wonderful! You get some of the most incredibly beautiful scenery in…read morethe USA, along with the very best person in the USA--Kare Bear--to keep you entertained the whole time. There isn't a better experience anywhere for travelers!

Great tour of Casper State Park, Crazy Horse Monument and Mt Rushmore with Chris. Chris was very…read moreknowledgeable and responsive to what we wanted to see. Highly recommended!

Our guide John was fabulous and made the day one of the best tours I've ever been on. We only had…read more1 day to see all the sites in and around Rushmore. He was very knowledgeable and really had a passion for his tours. And the tour was just our family so we could personalize it to whatever we wanted to do. We went to Custer state park, crazy horse, Needle highway, iron mountain highway and Mount Rushmore. I can't imagine doing the day without this tour. He shared all the inside info with us too which left us with s slew of knowledge and great photos too! Definitely look into Geofuntours before you book on one of the big bus tours. I am certain you'll be happier with this one! (And it's like the same price too-what a deal)