Rapid City, South Dakota (CNN) —Nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Rapid City is a scenic urban getaway that hasn’t lost its small-town vibe.
While it’s the state’s second largest city, visitors can explore its greenway, museums, art and history, or indulge in craft beer and increasingly diverse dishes — all within a few minutes’ drive, walk or bicycle ride.
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And the surrounding landscape is home to enough natural and manmade wonders — from the Badlands to the Crazy Horse Memorial — to keep you busy for a week or more.
Historic City of Presidents
Rapid City promotes itself as the City of Presidents, a nod to its location 24 miles from South Dakota’s most iconic attraction, Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
In town, locals know summer’s in full swing when tourists are snapping selfies with bronze statues of Harry S. Truman and Richard Nixon. Street corners throughout Rapid City’s historic downtown are home to life-sized sculptures of nearly all US presidents. (President Donald Trump’s statue has been unveiled and will be installed in fall 2025, and President Joe Biden’s statue is in progress).
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The trail of presidents, which launched in 2000, is a self-guided experience. The visitor center downtown has a City of Presidents Guide, or you can download a digital version to take a walking tour or scavenger hunt.
“People love touring and looking at all the statues,” said Ally Formanek, CEO at Visit Rapid City, the city’s tourism office. “It’s a fun and unexpected way to learn about history.”
Founded in 1876 by disheartened gold prospectors, today downtown Rapid City is a mix of historic landmarks such as the 1928 Hotel Alex Johnson and the 1912 Elks Theatre, along with restaurants, coffee shops, specialty stores, boutiques and art galleries that reflect the busy modern city. An indoor aquaponics farm, sourdough and gluten-free bakeries, a meat market and deli specializing in locally raised beef, and a comedy club are some of the new additions to downtown, just in the past year.
Main Street Square, downtown’s anchor, hosts about 150 events year-round in and outdoor public space that offers interactive fountains in the summer and ice skating in the winter.
Jess and Cody Skinner own The Silver Lining Creamery, an ice cream shop at Main Street Square. Jess Skinner compares Rapid City to “a mini Denver” with fewer crowds but plenty to do and see.
“We have such a unique downtown with all these local businesses,” Jess said. “I’ve been to a lot of different cities and downtowns, and I think ours is one of the best.”
“We always get compliments about how friendly everyone is here … that everyone is so nice,” Jess said. “Tourists can stop and (ask for directions) and people here are so kind and so helpful.”
For an easy way to see Rapid City, the narrated City View Trolley Tour highlights local landmarks and history. The tour’s only stop is at Chapel in the Hills, a 56-year-old Norwegian stavkirke, a traditional timber-framed stave church found in Scandinavia, with a meditation trail on its grounds.
“It’s a place to slow down and catch your breath. People tend to linger here,” said Brian Kringen, managing director at Chapel in the Hills, a striking wooden structure with an elaborate tiered roof.
