25 Best Sights in The Northern Black Hills, South Dakota

A tour of the restored Adams House includes an explanation of the tragedies and triumphs of two of the community's founding families (the Franklins and the Adamses) who lived here. The 1892 Queen Anne–style mansion was closed in the mid-1930s and sat empty for more than 50 years, preserving the original furniture and decor that you see today.

Between the massive stone-block post office and the old railroad depot, there are three floors of displays at the Adams Museum, including the region's first locomotive, photographs of the town's early days, and an exhibit featuring Potato Creek Johnny's Gold Nugget, the second-largest nugget ever discovered in the Black Hills. The Adams Museum is affiliated with Deadwood History, Inc., which also oversees the Days of '76 Museum, the Historic Adams House, and a cultural center and archives.

A 15-minute video and a self-guided nature walk teach you about the geologic evolution of western South Dakota. Allow about an hour for your visit to this forest, which opened to the public in 1929, and is about halfway between Rapid City and Sturgis.

You're guaranteed to find gold on a panning experience here. If you take the short, guided, underground mine tour, you'll also get a souvenir stock certificate. Tours begin every 30 minutes from the small surface buildings perched on the hillside.

Days of '76 Museum began almost by accident as the horse-drawn carriages and stagecoaches used in the namesake annual event's parade became an attraction in their own right. Over the years, cowboy memorabilia, photographs, and historical clothing have been added to the collection. The Days of '76 celebration, commemorating the 1876 gold rush, is held each July with a professional rodeo, parade, and other events.

Focusing on a region now covered by five states—the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska—this center features artifacts such as a Deadwood-Spearfish stagecoach. Outdoor exhibits include a log cabin, a one-room schoolhouse, and, in summer, an entire farm set up with antique equipment. Often on the calendar are cowboy poetry, a cowboy supper and show, live music, and historical talks.

Mount Moriah Cemetery, on a high spot known as Boot Hill, is the final resting place of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and other notable Deadwood residents. The aging landmark was revitalized by extensive restoration work in 2003, including the addition of a visitor center that houses a leather Bible, a stained-glass window, and pulpit chairs from the town's old Methodist churches. From the top of the cemetery, you'll have the best panoramic view of the town.

A heroic-scale bronze sculpture of three Native Americans on horseback driving 14 bison off a cliff is the centerpiece of Tatanka: Story of the Bison, on a ridge above Deadwood. The attraction, owned by Dances with Wolves star Kevin Costner, also includes an interpretive center; Lakota guides explain Plains Indian life circa 1840.