7 Quirkiest South Dakota Towns To Visit In 2025

South Dakota may be known for the Black Hills, Badlands, and bison, but the Mount Rushmore State can get a little strange. Every town is a new adventure, from castles made from petrified wood and dinosaur fossils to interactive art exhibits made from discarded bicycles. There’s even a palace dedicated to nothing but corn. When you’re ready to explore the quirky side of South Dakota outside of its presidential monuments, take a detour off I-90 and check out some of their quirky communities.

Midland

Things can get pretty hot in Midland. In the 1930s, John Stroppel dug a 1,780-foot well to reach mineral-rich water that is always 119 degrees Fahrenheit. Today, you can visit the rustic Stroppel Hotel and Mineral Baths for a healing soak in their mineral hot tubs. Even the showers utilize the hot mineral waters. You don’t have to book a room at the hotel to take a soak since the hotel offers public soaks either by appointment or at specific windows throughout the week.

You may come to Midland for a healing soak in their mineral tubs, but you’ll fall in love with the quirky oddities around town. There’s 1880 Town, an old movie set from the 1970s (never completed), but it still stands today with over 30 authentic buildings, transporting visitors back to the Wild West days of the late 1800s. However, the most famous attraction in Midland isn’t the recreated Old West in 1880 Town or its mineral springs, but the enormous dinosaur and human skeleton art piece just off I-90. The Skeleton Man Walking Skeleton Dinosaur appears to be "walking" right toward 1880 Town.

Hill City

As a hidden community in the Black Hills in western South Dakota, Hill City is a community that never takes itself too seriously. It’s where you can hitch a ride aboard a vintage steam locomotive at the 1880 Train - Hill City Depot to chug through the breathtaking scenery of the Black Hills. The train takes you through the heart of Hill City and along the banks of the calming Spring River. The Crazy Horse Memorial is another must-see, about a 15-minute drive outside town. It’s a continuous work that started in the 1940s and has yet to be completed.

On foot, Hill City is a walkable community with a blend of modern and Old West-style buildings scattered throughout town. After getting off the train, stop in The Boxcar Eats and Treats for a sweet treat to carry with you as you explore downtown. There are also delightful stores like Things That Rock, offering a vast selection of rare rocks and minerals from around the world.

Montrose

Montrose is a small, rustic city with a population of just under 500 in eastern South Dakota. In Montrose, things can get a little strange in the isolation of the South Dakota prairies. Porter Sculpture Park, for instance, is unlike anything you’ve seen in the United States. Amid the blue skies and vast open prairies are quirky, colorful statues with no central theme. There are metal goldfish, dragons, horses, dinosaurs, and oddities that look like something out of a dream.

The Lake Vermillion Recreation Area is just south of Montrose, known for its stunning water views with the green rolling hills in the distance. It’s a great place to swim, fish, or walk around the trails around the lake. Once you work up an appetite swimming at the lake, the Lake Time Steakhouse and Bar is the perfect place to satisfy your cravings in its picturesque setting with a view of the water.

Kadoka

Kadoka is a tiny hidden gem in western South Dakota, often called the "Gateway to the Badlands." While it’s a small blip of a community right off I-90, it’s Americana at its finest. Simple things, like the Sinclair Gas Station, are accented with sculptures like a white-tail deer made entirely of old car parts. It’s also where you’ll find the Kadoka Depot Museum, an old railroad depot built in the 1900s that operates as a museum reflecting Kadoka's railroad history.

Traveling a little further west down I-90 leads to the Big Badlands Overlook, which offers visitors an amazing view of the eastern portion of the Badlands wall. You can see where 500,000 years of erosion carved into the rock, creating stellar spires and pinnacles. From there, a short drive down I-90 leads to the Interior Entrance to the Badlands National Park, where you can hike the trails and take in the sights.

Mitchell

If you think you know South Dakota, think again. In the middle of the prairie lands in southeastern South Dakota is the Corn Palace. Like something you’d find in the Las Vegas desert, the Corn Palace is an opulent Moorish Revival structure dedicated to everything corn. Everything is corn-themed, and a massive mural made with thousands of ears of corn changes annually.

Many visitors come for the corn but fall in love with the charming little community. For instance, there's the Mitchell Prehistoric Archaeological Site and Museum. It’s where you can watch paleontologists actively excavate a 1,000‑year‑old village and tour the museum to learn more about the early settlers of Mitchell. To finish your visit to Mitchell, The Depot is a former railroad depot serving classic American fare like fantastic burgers and brews.

Lemmon

Most South Dakota communities embrace being geographically located within the land of the dinosaurs, but Lemmon takes it to a whole new level. Lemmon is situated on the northern edge of South Dakota near the North Dakota border, known for the Petrified Wood Park & Museum. It’s more than just a museum dedicated to petrified wood and dinosaur fossils. Entire structures, like miniature castles and spires, are composed entirely of petrified wood, dinosaur bones, and cannonballs. There isn’t anything like it.

The Petrified Wood Park and Museum is worth the drive alone, but there’s more to see in Lemmon. South of central Lemmon is the Grand River Museum. The outside may seem unassuming and straightforward, but unique treasures are hiding inside. You can explore displays of real dinosaur fossils from a Triceratops or Pachycephalosaurus, and even teeth from a Tyrannosaurus rex. The museum isn’t too far from the Red Barn Bakery, where you can refuel on ice cream or pastries after a long prehistoric exploration.

Pringle

To say that Pringle is odd is a bit of an understatement. While other South Dakota towns have their fair share of dinosaur sculptures and roadside attractions, Pringle's residents have an enormous bicycle sculpture. No, it isn’t a sculpture of a bicycle, but an interactive maze of discarded bicycles that operate as an interactive art installation along the Mickelson Trail. It’s quite an unusual attraction, and you must see for yourself.

While Pringle leans into the strange with its peculiar sculptures, it also has historic attractions that feel frozen in time. East of central Pringle is the Cold Springs Historic Schoolhouse, a simple wooden structure that’s been well-maintained since its construction in 1887. Visitors can tour the schoolhouse and the surrounding forests within Wind Cave National Forest.

Find Your New Favorite Offbeat Spots in South Dakota

When you think about it, Mount Rushmore is quite the quirky attraction. No other state in the United States has since ventured to carve presidents into the side of mountains. However, these small, quirky communities make Mount Rushmore seem downright ordinary. From the Skeleton Man Walking Skeleton Dinosaur in Midland to the Corn Palace of Mitchell, you can expect the unexpected in these hidden South Dakotan hamlets. They hook you with their roadside attractions and win you over with their charming communities.