Rapid City Vacation Packages & Travel Deals
Famous as the ‘Gateway to the Black Hills’ during the fabled Gold Rush of 1874 AD, Rapid City is located in the Badlands and Black Hills region of South Dakota, US. The city is known for its immaculate natural scenery and a number of other tourist attractions like the Museum of Geology, the Air and Space Museum etc. The most stellar attraction here is a series of life-sized bronze statues of all the American presidents till date, known as the ‘City of Presidents.’ An allied attraction here is the Badlands National Park which is located at an hour’s drive from the city.
Places of Interest in Rapid City
Reptile Gardens
The Reptile Gardens in Rapid City is a natural park reserved for a large variety of unique reptiles and exotic plants. It was cited in the 2014 Guinness Book of World Records for being the world's largest reptile zoo. Some of the most famous exhibits here include Bird Program, Alligator and Crocodile Show, Bald Eagle Exhibit, Sky Dome, Komodo dragon, Tortuga Falls Garden and Giant Tortoise Yard. The Reptile Gardens also offers educational interactive animal shows during summers. This program is carried out in supervision of trained professionals and is a cause of immense excitement among the locals.
Chapel in the Hills
The Chapel in the Hills is an honest replica of the Borgund stave church in Norway. This iconic Norwegian church, which was built in 1150 AD, is considered the best preserved stave church in Norway. The Chapel in the Hills was made by the original blueprint records of Borgund Church that was given to the Rapid City’s authorities by the Norwegian Department of Antiquities. Today, the site includes an authentic log cabin museum just like the original church and a grass-roofed house that serves as the visitor center and gift shop.
South Dakota Air and Space Museum
The South Dakota Air and Space Museum is located only ten miles away from Rapid City. This museum educates the common masses about the history of U.S. Air Force and has a number of historical exhibits to wow them. Some of the stellar exhibits here include 30 bomber planes of the Second World War, their missiles, the history of Cold War, an F-106 interactive aircraft cockpit and an MQ-9 Reaper RPV flight simulator.