This place is amazing. The kids had a blast building a log cabin they could actually go into with a…read moregiant Lincoln log set. They also enjoyed the human kladioscope and huge bubbles. The place was clean and the employees were helpful and friendly. Highly recommend!

From the owner: The South Dakota Discovery Center is dedicated to empowering all Peoples of the Great Plains…read morethrough hands-on experiences that inspire scientific thinking, to create a society of curious, scientifically literate, and engaged problem solvers. Hands-on science center featuring over 60 exhibits. Discovery Town - kids enjoying roleplaying and learning science and math in the Growing Up Garden Center, Paws & Claws Vet Clinic and Rainbow Café. Discovery Worlds beyond our reach with nanotechnology and sun, earth universe, climb our indoor tree house, and much more!

On the way out of Mount Rushmore and heading down towards Keystone, you'll find this historical…read moremarker installed by the State of South Dakota and in memory of the man who carved the start of the famous Mount Rushmore National Monument. And if you frame it right, you can get a picture of the monument with the historical marker, which reads: "His birthplace was Idaho. California first taught him art. Then France, who first gave him fame. England welcomed him. America called him home. His genius for the exquisite as for the colossal gave permanence on canvas, in bronze, in marble, to moods of beauty or passion, to figures of legend and history. Nations, cities, colleges paid him tribute. As a patriot he stripped corruption bare. As a statesman he toiled for equality in the rights of man. At last he carved a mountain for a monument. He made the monument chant: 'Remember! These giant souls set America free and kept her free. Hold fast your sacred heritage, Americans! Remember! Remember!' The first actual carving was begun in 1927. The Washington head was dedicated in 1931, representing the founding of our government; the Jefferson in 1936 for the man who made our first great expansion west with the Louisiana Purchase; Lincoln in 1937 for his preservation of the Union; the final head, Roosevelt, in 1939, for the completion of the Panama Canal. Borglum said, 'I want somewhere in America a memory of the great things we accomplished as a nation, placed so high it won't pay to pull it down for lesser purposes.' The project was nearly completed in 1941 when Borglum died. Mount Rushmore was completed by his son Lincoln with the final drilling done October 31, 1941." There are spots on both sides of the highway where you can stop, but watch the traffic if you decide to cross! UPDATE: This is Yelp hamsters at work. This was originally the Gutzon Borglum Historical Marker in Keystone, SD. So let's move it to Pierre, Yelp?

The SD Cultural Heritage Center is a wonderful facility. The museum exhibits are interesting. The…read morecurrent exhibit deals with the minuteman missiles which formed such an interesting part of state history. The museum has additional activities for the kids. The online presence of the CHC is also excellent. I particularly like the old pictures and postcards which have been scanned and placed online. Wonderful!

What a wonderfully curated museum-it was somber, but celebrated the Lakota. I had never seen the…read morebuffalo hide boxes and the tipi exhibit was very informative. The craftsmanship of the children's toys, the story of the people was informative. My teens who didn't want to get out of the car loved it. It highlighted how resilient and adaptable they are-when their lives change so drastically when the buffalo were killed and more recently when the kids were sent to American schools and still today. Highly recommend stopping at the rest stop out of town for Destiny. Powerful!

Beautiful museum with tons of information. We could have spent much more time here than we had…read moretime for. No cost to get in but donations accepted. The quilts were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Would love to go back sometime. So much more to learn. The people who worked there went over and above to show us things we might not have otherwise seen and very friendly. June 26, 2025

What a treat to see so many classic cars and for sale for the right price. third generation owned…read more they have more than just cars there. They have old back in the day buildings, caboose you can walk into, TVs, radios, motors, tractors, games and more all from back in the day too much to name all. It was a fun little stop, wait its not little 43 bldgs.o e of Dale Earnhardt's cars, the Dukes of Hazzard car a car made out of wood a two headed calf a train station/bus station?

This place is huge! You can spend a couple of hours walking through all the expansions.read more

Sometimes the best stops on a road trip are the ones you weren't planning to make…read more We had driven through this area before but somehow never knew that Dignity: of Earth & Sky was here. We pulled into the Chamberlain Welcome Center along I-90 expecting little more than a quick rest stop, and instead found one of those places that quietly stays with you. The rest area itself is beautiful--clean, well maintained, safe, and perched high above the Missouri River with a sweeping view that seems to go on forever. We spent a surprisingly long time just standing there, looking out over the water and the hills below. And then there is Dignity. The 50-foot stainless-steel sculpture by South Dakota artist Dale Lamphere honors the Lakota and Dakota people. She stands wrapped in a star quilt made up of 128 diamond-shaped pieces that catch the light and move with the wind. Knowing what she represents changed the experience for me. There is something very powerful about seeing this Native American woman standing so high above the Missouri River, calm and dignified, looking out across land that carries so much history. To me, she seemed to represent strength without aggression, pride without arrogance, and a quiet resilience that has endured through generations. I found myself looking at her and then back toward the river and thinking about all the people who lived on, traveled through, and cared for this land long before there was an interstate running through it. It made the stop feel like more than sightseeing. There was a peacefulness to the whole place that is difficult to describe. The enormous sky, the river below, the wind moving through the star quilt, and Dignity standing above it all gave the place a sense of stillness and respect. For a little while, we weren't thinking about where we had to be next or how many miles were left in the drive. We were simply there. Of course, my husband eventually decided that such a view absolutely had to be seen from the air as well. Flying his drone has somehow become a mandatory part of nearly every trip we take. If there's a mountain, river, coastline, beautiful landscape--or apparently an especially scenic rest stop--the drone is eventually coming out. But this was certainly a worthy place for it. What I loved most was how unexpectedly meaningful the stop became. We didn't come here because it was on an itinerary. We didn't even know it existed. We just happened to pull off the highway. And sometimes that's how you find the places you remember most. If you're traveling along I-90 near Chamberlain, don't simply pass this one by. Stretch your legs, walk up to Dignity, learn what she represents, and then spend a few quiet minutes looking out over the Missouri River. We arrived by accident. Next time, we'll stop on purpose. Five stars--not just for the view, but for how this place made me feel.

I had completely forgotten about this until I saw the sign as I was driving past and made sure to…read moremake a 15 mins detour to see the sculpture. It's absolutely breathtaking up close and in person, photos just don't do it justice. PSA if you're there and it's like 30 degrees out, maybe be mindful of other people who are there as well who would also like to take pics. I was behind some absolutely rude individuals, so please pay attention to your surroundings and not block other people when viewing.