South Dakota

Broken Boot Gold Mine

Deadwood, SD

Lattitude/Longitude
44.37464, -103.732444

Courteous guides, well-versed in early-day mining, lead underground tours through this 100-year-old gold mine in Deadwood. Explore this authentic old gold mine where miners pursued gold ore veins with black powder and candlelight. Every visitor receives a souvenir stock certificate. Pan for gold. In Deadwood, on upper Main Street.

Homestake Gold Mine

Lead, SD

Lattitude/Longitude
44.352172, -103.765825

Come visit us! We have many things to offer. The center has an amazing view of the 1876 Historic "Open Cut"- the original claim of the Homestake Gold Mine. The Open Cut was the original site of the Homestake Claim in 1876.

The center also has a short informative film, educational & historic memorabilia, and a fantastic gift shop.

Our surface tour of the Homestake Mining Operation takes you through the underground mine's surface operation and follows the mining process including hoisting, crushing and milling of the underground ore and views Homestake's state-of-the-art Waste Water Treatment Plant and open pit mine.

This is a guided tour that takes about 1 hour. You are taken via bus up to the Homestake surface operation. You get off the bus 3-4 times to go inside the different facilities of the operation that are located on the surface.

On completion of your tour you will receive a sample of ore that was drilled from the Homestake Gold Mine.

It's fun for the whole family!

Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold

Rapid City, SD

Lattitude/Longitude
44.05955, -103.233866

Located in Rapid City, SD on US Hwy. 16 - on the way to Mt. Rushmore - Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold is your top destination for factory direct prices on Black Hills Gold jewelry, silver jewelry, stunning diamonds & gemstones, plus a large selection of handsome Black Hills Gold watch designs.

Over the span of 14 years, 360 miners-turned crafstmen carved a rough granite mountain into a polished Monument.

Today, in dozens of intricate steps, their descendants, our craftsmen, carry on this tradition of quality and excellence with every piece of Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold and diamond jewelry.

Unlike most jewelry, Black Hills Gold, is uniquely created by many handcrafted steps. Each piece can go through up to 40 individual stages, including design, wax, carving, casting, grinding, and polishing, soldering, cleaning, wriggling, bright cutting, and engraving.

Take a memorable FREE Factory Tour to see and learn how this historic jewelry is made. Discover the ancient process of lost-wax casting and how diamonds are cast in molten gold! As one of the area?s only ?on the floor? up close & personal jewelry tours, you're guaranteed a fun and fascinating vacation experience!

Mt. Rushmore Gold

Rapid City, SD

Lattitude/Longitude
44.058576, -103.232634

This is the only on-the-floor factory tour, so come to Mt. Rushmore Gold and Diamond factory outlet for a fascinating, free tour. You?ll actually go on the factory floor, not just stand behind a window, to see up-close how Mt. Rushmore Black Hills Gold jewelry is made. Our guides will take you inside the factory where you will learn about the ancient Lost Wax casting process, wax injection, burn-out, diamond setting and more.

Everyone enjoys watching craftspeople--from the first steps of design through the final polishing steps. Learn how each piece of Mt. Rushmore Black Hills gold is carefully handcrafted in processes known as wriggling and bright-cutting.

You?ll be amazed to learn how diamonds are set in molten gold. During the tour you?ll also see and learn how diamonds are laser engraved to aid in their identification in case of theft or loss.

Come to our large showroom and shop at factory direct, 30% off regular retail prices. You?ll find plenty of parking, even for large motor homes, and have a free cup of coffee.

This is fun for men and women alike of all ages. Even the kids will have fun hoping a little gold will stick to the bottoms of their shoes. It?s an experience you can?t get anywhere else and it?s FREE!

Sioux Pottery

Rapid City, SD

Lattitude/Longitude
44.064315, -103.193354

Made from the red clay of the Black Hills, SD, USA ~ sacred to the Lakota People ~ and a fine imported white clay from Kentucky.

Each piece is crafted by the Sioux artists and decorated with designs and symbols important to their culture. The Paha Sapa (Black Hills) provided shelter, food, and sustenance for the Indian Tribes of the Great Sioux Nation, and continues to yield the red clay used in making Sioux Pottery.

Sioux Pottery is designed and hand crafted by Sioux Indian Artists. Our plant is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, gateway to the beautiful Black Hills area, and is less than an hour's drive from the scenic and historic South Dakota Badlands.

We invite you to visit our factory, meet the artists and see how Sioux Pottery is made. Visitors are always welcome!

Many pieces are on display, including our Sioux Pottery Collectibles and handcrafted silver jewelry. The triangular symbols developed and used by the Seven Tribes of the Lakota depicted the nature surrounding them, their dealings and important events.

These symbols dominated the intricate designs of their bead work, and decorated their skin garments, weapons, utensils and pottery. Sioux symbols alone, or in combination, express the spirit and culture of the Lakota people. Sioux Artists have skillfully adapted these symbols in the unique decorative designs of Sioux Pottery.

Spirit Mound Station

Vermillion, SD

Lattitude/Longitude
42.896445, -96.989158

The Spirit Mound Station near Vermillion, SD, was built to help meet the peak electric requirements of Basin Electric's member systems. The oil-fired station is operated on an "as needed" basis during periods of extreme hot or cold temperatures (when the demand for electricity exceeds the capacity of base-load facilities), increased agricultural loads (including irrigation) and emergencies.

Construction on the $30 million peaking station began in December 1976, and commercial operation began in the spring of 1978. The 120,000-kilowatt plant consists of two 60,000- kilowatt combustion units that are operated from the plant or remotely from the Leland Olds Station near Stanton, ND.

Spirit Mound Station was built adjacent to a fuel pipeline, near existing transmission facilities and close to existing load centers to minimize plant costs and environmental impacts. The station meets or exceeds all state and Federal air and noise pollution control standards.

Even though the Spirit Mound Station does not operate often, it plays an important role in maintaining system reliability. Meeting the electricity needs for rural electric consumers in the region has many complex components -- equipment failure, uncertainty of predicting power needs, weather and fuel supply. The best insurance for dealing with all of these problems is reserves -- spare generating capacity that can be called on immediately when needed.