Roadside Attractions in South Dakota

Worth the detour in South Dakota

The Giant Prairie Dog

Cactus Flat, SD

This iconic 12-foot-tall, six-ton concrete statue has stood guard over the South Dakota plains since 1959. Located at the Ranch Store, it invites travelers to admire its quirky stature and buy peanuts to feed a very active, real-life colony of resident prairie dogs nearby.

Cosmos Mystery Area

Rapid City, SD

This classic roadside mystery spot defies the laws of physics with mind-bending optical illusions. Visitors can watch water flow uphill, stand at impossible angles, and experience a strange physical pull inside the crooked cabin. It is a delightfully disorienting slice of retro Americana tucked into the Black Hills.

The World's Only Corn Palace

Mitchell, South Dakota

This folk art wonder is a multi-purpose arena decorated annually in intricate murals made from thousands of bushels of South Dakota corn and grains. Established in 1892 to showcase agricultural wealth, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Remarkably, the giant exterior murals are completely redesigned and replaced every single year.

Wall Drug Store

Wall, South Dakota

What started as a small-town pharmacy in 1931 offering free ice water has grown into a massive 76,000-square-foot roadside wonderland. Visitors can still get free ice water and five-cent coffee, pose with a giant jackalope, and explore quirky shops. It is the ultimate American road trip stop.

Wall Drug Store

Wall, South Dakota

What started as a tiny 1930s pharmacy offering free ice water is now a sprawling, 76,000-square-foot cowboy-themed shopping emporium. Visitors can grab five-cent coffee, snap a photo on a giant jackalope, and explore a backyard animated T-Rex. It remains the ultimate American road trip pit stop.

Browse by town in South Dakota

The busiest town here is Wall (2). Every listing has photos, opening hours, admission and directions, and the directory grows whenever somebody searches for a stop that isn't in it yet.