1880 Town

This was our first stop on our 12 hour road trip thru South Dakota. It’s a must see. The first thing we noticed upon arriving is goats hanging out, outside the gas station. The little store has so many amazing little artifacts and pieces of history. My 7 year old got a hoody, a small wooden box and some gems all for a reasonable price. The 1880s town tickets are a bit over priced but worth it if you love old town history and want to see a piece of history like never before. Pictures don’t do justice. You actually feel like you Time travelled. I really wanted old time photos in western clothes but that attraction was closed. We got to tour so many cool buildings and the store worker was Amazing. Even had pet cats my daughter got to snuggle. She missed her cat back home so that was really sweet for her. Wouldn’t definitely visit again.

Highly Recommend! This place was surprisingly fun. The staff is super friendly and is out to give everyone the best experience possible. The shoot out was awesome, and there are tons of photo ops everywhere in the town. You can rent costumes to REALLY enhance the experience, although we did not opt to do this. It was around $50 for 2 adults, one teen, and two kids. A variety of snacks and beverages are sold in the saloon, although we didn't choose to partake.

Visited this place back in August and was a very pleasant experience. Ticket cost me 10$ and is valid for the whole season. Do not expect much in there but a nice short 1880 experience. Oh and they have goats 🐐 you can feed them, super friendly goats

I stopped at 1880 Town on my way to Mount Rushmore since it’s right next to the gas station, and I’m glad I did. It was extremely hot the day I went, but the town itself was super cute and had lots of displays that really made it feel like stepping back in time. They have donkeys and horses which made it extra charming, plus a little diner (though it doesn’t open until 10 a.m.). When you arrive, they give you a map along with the schedule of the plays and activities they host, which makes it easy to explore. The restrooms were also very clean, which is always a big plus when you’re road-tripping. Overall, it’s a fun and unique stop, especially if you’re already passing by. Definitely worth stretching your legs here, checking out the old-time displays, and taking some photos.

We drove past this place many times through the years. This year we decided to check it out. So glad we did. This town is made up of many original buildings that have been brought in from other locations. You actually feel like you stepped back in time. Very well laid out and each building has its story written and in photos. Sound effects are placed in areas that make you believe it is actually a working town. A very important part of history is being saved. So glad we stopped in!

Get immersed in old American culture. Dress up in the saloon! Great replicas. Helpful staff. Horses cats goats can be found here too. Absolutely love the added sound effects. Diner is seasonal. Highly recommend.

We enjoyed our visit to the 1880 Town and the museum. The museum is a huge collection of Wild West memorabilia and upstairs is a collection of items from the film Dances With Wolves. The buildings in the old town are in good condition and give a taste of what life was like in the 1880s west.

Don’t listen to the negative reviews here. This place is a fun magical place for anyone wanting to become part of the old west. The costumes for my kids were great, I watched them become a part of the town. The staff was so engaging, playing cards with my kids, posing and over all friendly. The town itself is well done, the highlight for me was hanging in the saloon. You really felt like you were in an old movie or maybe even in the old west. I am not sure what some of the negative reviews on here expected but my kids said this was the best part of our trip to South Dakota. Be warned that the gun fights are not every day. We made the mistake of showing up on a day where they didn’t have them. Wish we could have seen that.

Okay so kind of an odd review because I've stopped here now twice over the course of the past decade or so passing through, but we only ever make it to the gas station that is attached to the 1880 Town. The gas station is fine, clean enough, but small. It's an interesting stop as there are goats roaming around, and the 1880 town itself looks kind of cool, but every time we end up here for gas and walk over the price tag just seems a bit steep for a roadside attraction. All of that being said, getting gas here is A-OK and a decent stop. One of these days I'll be sure to check out the whole thing as fellow Yelpers seem to think it's pretty cool!

Historical town to see and visit the exhibits once you pay admission. During the non-heavy seasons, the restaurant is closed which was a bummer. Lots of opportunities to take pictures and see how life was in South Dakota during the late 19th century. Apparently, literature states that the Kevin Costner movie was filmed on this spot for a few scenes. Parking is easy and a gas station does sit next door for snacks and gas.

This town is so cute. They took real buildings from the 1800s and brought it here to one place. You pay admission to get in and walk through artifacts of the 1800s and set pieces from Dancing with Wolves upstairs. Then you walk through the doors to outside into town. The best bang for your buck is to go to the saloon and rent costumes for $10 and do your own photo shoot around town instead of going to an Old Time studio. Jan was the lady who helped us pick out our costumes. She had it organized from pioneer, Indian, fancy to less fancy and you pick out your dress first. It has to be sanitized so she limits you on what you can try on. It's not like going shopping where you try on a bunch and narrow down to one. After you have your dress, she will help you with shoe selection. Again, it has to be sanitized after each try on so pick wisely before trying on. They do give you socks. Next, will be accessories like hat, gloves, jewelry, purses. There's a small wire basket to leave your things behind while you explore the town. No time limit on the rental. Same process when you come back, you hand her your things and you're on your way. Jan was patient with me being indecisive. She also did a wonderful job taking photos of us upstairs and around the saloon.

This far surpassed my expectations. It's SO elaborate! And there is so much to see! We spent 2 hours and could have spent another but was chased out by a bad thunderstorm. The authentic recreation is remarkable and really brings to life how people in the 19th century lived. We enjoyed riding a historical horse drawn buggy through town and reading some of the markers that explained the significance of some of the exhibits. Stop and enjoy a cold one and some popcorn at the working saloon too!

We were totally surprised by how much we enjoyed our visit! originally intended as an opportunity to stretch our legs, my family was completely sucked into 1880 life as we explored the town. The details of this are incredible - the saloon was our favorite (see pics). We visited off peak, so I wonder how much more happens in season. We'll definitely be back on our next trip across SD. Tips: Just pay the dang fee. It may not seem like it from the outside, but it's worth it. Also, if you're a Dances with Wolves fan, very cool to see some behind the scenes pics and so so many movie props!

It was a very detailed old west town, lots of things were closed for the season. Peggy in the gift shop was so kind and wonderful, I appreciated her so much! The only reason I'm only giving 3 stars is because of the goats sleeping outside in front of the conocco. They need some kind of lean to, at least let them get out of the wind, and have a softer spot to lay down..come on people!!!​

We were just driving by on our way to Badlands National Park and decided to stop. Was a great time! The whole family will enjoy! Especially the oldest generation. ;)

Wow! What a fun time. If you are going to do it then dice in. Do the constumes (surprisingly affordable) and have fun with it! The staff was so friendly especially Dave and Kanoe! They made the visit so special! Thank you!

Fantastic collection of old western memorabilia as well as a frontier town. Great that well behaved dogs are welcome'

We had a good time. A nice place to stop and get out for a walk around if you're on a long summer road trip. My father really enjoyed the stuff related to the movie dances with wolves. Good for families I think. Take a chance and make some family memories this summer

A decent gift shop with interesting old fashioned architecture. Just don't get any of the food, as it's pretty low quality and overpriced

Totally exceeded my low expectations. Much larger than it appears. Depth of the historic collection is impressive. About 1/2 way through we discovered the costume rental - could be fun to dress up for the tour. Pretty quiet when we visited, we're told that summer weekends it can be a large event with lots of people.

Excellent portrayal of Life back in the 1880's. I would recommend all History Buffs to visit

This was an unplanned stop on our summer vacation to the black hills but after seeing 45 signs (roughly) advertising this attraction on the interstate we decided we had to go. The town is a mixture of structures from movie sets that were duplicated to replicate buildings from the 1880s era and true historical buildings moved from around the state. The hotel was nearly untouched and showed spur Marks on the stairs from cowboys going up and down. The town offers many of the businesses and homes found at that time and about a 1/4 up a drive there is a homestead. There is a museum that offers many interesting artifacts from the Custer period. Also on display are items from the movie Dances with Wolves. It is worth the stop.

This makeshift town was beautiful. The majority of the structures are original structures and artifacts that were acquired or donated by individuals, past businesses and the like. Nothing has been recently created. Couple homes more like a 100 sq ft studio have remained intact with the furnishings used by the deceased women that spent their widowed lives in. Filled with old books, their personal bibles, desks, cookware and beds. Crazy stuff! couple of the spots have dummies in there like the saloons and barbers. These spots are also inaccessible mostly due to theft. Its impossible to do the whole town 100% in one visit. I didnt. I spent three hours here. There is a gift shop and spots to buy stuff 110 yrs old. Entrance is $10 per. Might be less. I forgot. I typically pay $20 per and have the rest as donations. The eastern portion has a makeshift homestead and the famous trex statue. It was too far a walk in 90 degrees for me. I think kids will love it!!! Especiallg the south portion which is the train station and fire station. Adjacent is a restaurant i didnt eat at, gas station, atm, mini market and another trading post. About one hour west is badlands state park. Truly a sight to meander abouts. About two hours is rapid city. I think thats south dakota's biggest city with everything. Near rapid city are the caves, crazy horse monument (mini mt rushmore) and Mt. Rushmore itself. Sturgis known for one of the largest motorcycle festivals is held in that small, one street town. And finally near rapud city is deadwood. Famously knowm for wild bill, calamity jane, wild west and mt moriah cemetary (inaccessible to cars). Mt Moriah gives the best views of deadwood but i couldnt do the mile up to the top. Additionally in this rugged forests are trees on top of trees, countless streams and rivers and lakes. About four hours west in wyoming is devil tower. Rapid city is appx a 24 hour drive from disneyland. About one hour northeast is Pierre. Pierre is South Dakota capitol and a pleasant town. I crashed here and missed many sites including Fort Pierre (which i sadly missed). Safe travelings my friends!!!

A really fun way to break up a long drive on I-90. In fact, I would say this is a great alternative to Wall Drug - especially if you have already been there. The food is actually very tasty, we had a nice sandwich in the dining car of the train. Our son loved the dinosaur sculpture, but it is about 1/2 mile walk to get up close (through a pasture). If you are into "Americana" and roadside attractions, you won't want to miss this one. The only thing that is missing from this exit is a gas station. You'll need to combine two stops if you are trying to plan your trip. It's still worth it, ant it's closer to the highway than Wall Drug.

It was really cool to see the original town. A lot of cool imagery and information. I learned that during that era you had to use corn cobs in the restroom to wipe after taking a poopie. Did you know that? The place could use some dusting and upkeep, but it's a cool tourist attraction. The staff is friendly and it's not expensive for the self guided tour. There's also a gift shop and a restroom. I gave the attraction a 2 in rating because there is poor upkeep,some of the floors seemed unstable and in some areas the ceilings were falling apart. In my opinion,they need to do a better job of updating the facility while preserving the relics. Also,dusting would be a nice.

Had such a great time here. Lots of fun things to see. Even have an antique section you can buy from. Don't drive by this place. People are so friendly. Don't forget to get something to eat at the train dinner. Totally worth the $8 entrance fee. (Senior rates)

Definitely some cool things to see here, but once you step inside the historic buildings you immediately notice that no effort was given to making the objects inside them period correct. The contents of the buildings appeared to just be thrown together from stuff that looks old. Ha I g been to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI, I have to say that 1880 town is a disappointment. Nonetheless, a good place to stop and kill a couple of hours and see some cool artifacts.

Pretty place! Glad we stopped, if you are wondering it's 12$ per adult. A little too much for my taste, I guess it's because they were on the discover channel. Very clean places, kids were running everywhere. My favorite part was the skeleton walking the dinosaur. I had a blast here, next time you see this place don't be afraid to pull in and check it out. It's worth it!

Saw this on Roadside America and on our way back from Yellowstone we stopped by. I didn't think it'd be very interesting, but woah was I surprised! You can easily spend 45+ minutes in here. And the working saloon is a great addition. The drinks/sodas offered are local brands. The town is more expensive than a rest stop, but certainly more fun! It's a pretty great way to break up a really long car ride, especially if you have kids.

Funky recreated old west town. I do declare we spent 2 hours looking at all the old items and buildings! The fee was $12/adult. Other prices for kids and seniors or large groups so check out their website. Dances with Wolves museum included. More old west antiques than you can shake a stick at! Better inside than what you would assume driving by!

Kinda cool actually cold and windy. They were getting ready to shut down in a few weeks so we got a discounted entry. Friendly staff and lots of history. The saloon was the nicest building and the Cat house was the cutest. During their busy season you can get costumed up and be part of the ambience, sadly that was closed already. Still a nice stop and better than Wall Drug.

I believe we spent 3 1/2 hours at 1880 Town and we still did not see everything the town had to offer. My five year old loved to play dress up and the staff were extremely accommodating and pleasant. The attached restaurant in the train was overpriced for the quality of food you are eating but it was an awesome experience that my kid loved. We're planning another trip to the Black Hills in 4-5 years and will definitely make another stop at 1880 Town.

Enjoyed the visit to the original 1880s town were "Dances with Wolves" are filmed. Our family really enjoyed experiencing this town. We have passed this attraction before so this time we stopped. You really need to spend at least an hour here to be able to see it all. Really an amazing and interesting place. The place is dog friendly, too. I will say this place would be fun for all. We will stop again!

My 7 and 8 year old loved running about this authentic old town. We watched the McNasty brothers in the saloon and it reminded us of the comedy show in the western saloon at Disneyland- just as funny and fun. "Awful McNasty gave us a carriage ride and my daughters can't stop talking about his silly jokes and him proposing to marry them" He made the town A+ for our family.

This will be worth your time - but I encourage you to rent costumes while there for the whole family! Our last child is going off to college and we still love those photos!

The characters, and there were more than a few of them here, made this place fun for all of us. Thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Spent a few hours here and it was fun. Dressing up like a cowboy made our 9 year old son all sorts of happy. Do recommend skipping the rail car restaurant though. Food was not only expensive for what you get, but also less than mediocre. Soup looked like it had been in the pot for days. In fact, one of the character makes fun of it in his "act" by saying that the "specials" looked "pretty good... and also looked like they were getting rid of yesterday's leftovers". Not too far from the truth it seems. Not much of a choice though unless you want to drive 20 or so miles down the interstate.

What a fun way to spend a few hours on a nice day. First of all, the staff was friendly and knowledgable. We started our tour by studying the map which shows pins of visitors from all around the country (and world!) and added a pin for Kenmore, WA. Then we checked out lots of cool antiques and an automatically operated piano. There is a mini Dances With Wolves museum upstairs where you can see props and artifacts from the film... My sister and I grew up adoring this movie and it was a trip to see the actual mechanical bull, teepee, and costumes worn. Next we got to walk thru "1880" town and see old buildings left in tact. I felt like I had been transported back in time. loved it! So many old fashioned, dated pieces. Lots of "cowboys and Indians" history, too. They have a family-friendly Old West saloon with a few snacks and refreshments, and you can dress in old fashioned clothes (we skipped that part for time!) Highlights: petting a camel! Petting the horses/burros :) & actual long horned steers in the field. I saw that there was a carriage tour going on thru the town which we missed. It was a relaxing yet fun experience without feeling very "touristy" and not too crowded either. Win! Recommended for everyone of any age.

If you are a shut in who never goes anywhere or who has been driving on a desolate highway for a very very long time (SEE: 90 WEST) and are desperate for something, anything to gawk at with a wide open mouth for five to ten seconds, you may love 1880 town. Great for children, boring for their bored ass parents.

What a fun place to visit the grandkids dressed up to view the town and had a blast. So many cool things to see. The ladies in the costume shop were outstanding working with the kids to help them find the perfect outfit

This was a terrific stop. Fun and very interesting. We loved this place. Take your time and enjoy and walk around. It was really fun.

I love history, so this place was perfect for me! It's a bunch of 1800's era buildings that have been moved here, repaired & curated to look just like they would have been back then. We walked through an old bank, church, & bath house (just to name a few). Not everything is in perfect condition, but it's an ongoing project, for sure. There's also a free mule pulled buggy ride & costume rentals are available.

Whatever you do, don't eat at the Diner. Super slow service, doesn't look that clean. We ordered omlettes and it took 45 min. (IT WAS NOT BUSY) We took a couple bites and left. $20 shot. Yucky!

All the building are original and from the Dakota area. Even have spot marks from the cowboys dragging their feet coming down the stairs. Not real fancy but amazing. Long horn steers are in the back . Wish the displays in the museum had better if tags. There many items I had no idea why they were there.

absolutely amazing didnt see all the stuff but will be back for sure its amazing to see how they lived back in the 1800s 12 bucks each for adults but well worth it u can even rent outfits from this era for 7 bucks defiantly doing it ne t time when have more time a must stop attraction u wont forget will defiantly be back

This is an Excellent vacation spot. You get a real taste of what the Wild West was like. We had a wonderful time. The many props from Dancing with the Wolves, are fantastic!

Do not pay $12.00 to go see this place. It's dirty, and run down. They can't even take a broom and sweep? The floor boards are almost worn out and dangerous in some places. The "Dances with wolves" memorabilia is a joke. They make you think there are folks dressed up in 1880 costumes but there are just old mannequins dressed up. Old Tucson in Tucson, Arizona is a better place to go and is kept up. Very disappointing.

Very disappointing experience. Me and my family came here hungry, only to find the diner was closed at 2, despite the website saying it closes at 3. When we asked the old man at the counter (who was giving someone a hard time over a refund), he told us he couldn't do anything about the website and that he "only works here." Thanks, buddy. My advice: don't waste your money or time here.

The Dinosaur skeleton on the side of the highway admittedly has nothing to do with a replica cowboy town, but it is an eye catcher. South Dakota is pretty barren till you get to the SW corner where Sturgis and Custer State Park is, so 1880 town was a welcome bump in the road. Long horn Steer, a show with singing cowboys and stuff from Dances with wolves. Ten dollars might seem steep for the entertainment value, but it was a fun enough distraction for the day and anyone travelling with children will welcome it.

This is a replica of an authentic "town" that was created from regional buildings that were moved and set up here. This place isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy seeing what an 1800's town may have been like it is interesting,

What can I say to those travelers that might be considering stopping at the 1880s town? Ive been two times! Each time was a different experience. First time when my husband and I first started dating and were travailing back from Indiana. Was it magical just because, we were fresh in love and for some wonderful reason you see everything like silly teenagers again?? we both still love westerns but I don't think that was it. they were closing but could see the excitement in my eyes, longing to see the old town. They opened the doors with welcome arms, asking us "to enjoy the town but could we make it a short visit this time" Our next visit was four years later, we had taken two of our Grand kids (8 &10) on a three week road trip. Maybe if we had stopped at 1880s with these Seattle city slickers the first week the experience might have been different. But we were on the way home and through the weeks we noticed them asking less and less to play with that tiny square monster that seemed to suck them into a trance, stealing them from every precious MOMENT of importance! By now, they asked about the historical markers we passed, asking to "Goggle" it if we couldn't stop. By now, these small children, were the first to gasp with wonder at the sunsets.. By now we were challenging each other on who would see the most deer. Was this because I we didn't strap them in front of HOURS and hours of movies avoiding the the beautiful laughter that's contagious if we allow ourselves to become childlike again?? Maybe the tears at having to take the costumes off ($5 for the day) were because by now their world had slowed down to seeing what's meaningful in life. We weren't staring into a screen watching or acting out how to kill the next "creature" or "bad guy", We were SHARING MOMENTS and making MEMORIES, that I know they will be telling their own children about. This Town might not be for everyone but if your with your kids or family, why not let it be about THEM for a day??! It's simple and no, it's not full of the "EXCITEMENT" you've become accustom to but if you let it, you'll make unforgettable memories.....

If you like campy roadside attractions...here is your Mecca. There is an entire town set up complete with Saloon where you can get some sarsaparilla and a photo op. You can also tour the town and see some real 1880's artifacts and a little bit of history. There are many wasps around there though so take precautions. We crawled around on the train. There is a train dinner next door that just closed for the season when we passed through so we did not get to eat there, but it seems intriguing. If you are a Dances with Wolves fan then you would like some of the memorabilia around the compound and maybe even check out the map of places where they did some of the filming of the movie. It is certainly a great place to stop and rest for a long drive.

This was really fun for me and my family! My little brother loved the "cowboy town" and he doesn't usually play with cowboys or anything. So it was a really cool stop on our way home from Rapid City. And we could get a break from driving.! Wish we could have dressed up, but it was to hot. The saloon is cool to stop and get some root beer with live entertainment on some days!(;

This place is entertainment. When you're on the road and you're looking for something to do to breakup the road trip this is exactly what you're looking for. Tons of kooky artifacts and fun stuff to look at. I think the other reviewers need to loosen up a little, only a moron would expect a place like this to be completely accurate. It's fun, bottom line!

Good god...I really wanted to say that it was worth the ten bucks or whatever for just seeing the WHOLE floor dedicated to Dances With the Wolves....but I can't...this is a joke and a waste of money and time (we somehow spent over an hour walking around the "town.") Will kids like it? Probably....but only if they are little.

We visited this roadside attraction on our way back home from a wedding in Kadoka. We were accompanied by my in-laws. When we entered, I was surprised by the price to get in ($10 per adult), but once we were inside, I was surprised with what was to be found. First, you have a museum of some interesting western stuff (granted, most was not from 1880 or earlier), but it was still interesting. Then, in the upstairs, were props from the movie, Dances with Wolves, as well as pictures of native americans and settlers of the plains. When you exit the museum and are outside, you will find a mock township made up of buildings either replicated or relocated from nearby areas. I was surprised with all of the artifacts they had and the effort it must have took to bring everything to this one place. If it were 100% authentic in the time period, I would give it 5-stars, but 4-stars is as close as its gonna get, and as low as its gonna get with me.