Dinosaur Park
Dinosaur Park is a dinosaur park in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. 1936 is when its story starts. The first name on our list around it is Mount Rushmore, 17 mi away.
A museum inside Rapid City
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 14°, with about 36" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Rapid City
Dinosaur Park is inside Rapid City, which has 76 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun and Sep
May, June and September are the mild months, with highs of 66–77°. When to go ↓
An airport 10 miles away
Rapid City Regional (RAP) has airline service, about 10 miles from Dinosaur Park.
Established in 1936
Dinosaur Park dates from 1936. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The climate here
The weather near Dinosaur Park shifts through the year, as below.
Dinosaur Park
Dinosaur Park is a dinosaur park in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Dedicated on May 22, 1936, it contains seven dinosaur sculptures on a hill overlooking the city, created to capitalize on the tourists coming to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore. Constructed by the City of Rapid City and the Works Progress Administration, WPA Project #960's dinosaurs were designed by Emmet Sullivan. Sullivan also designed the Apatosaurus at Wall Drug nearby in Wall, South Dakota; the Christ of the Ozarks statue in Eureka Springs, Arkansas; and the dinosaurs at the now-closed Dinosaur World in Beaver, Arkansas.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 1936
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1990)
- Wikipedia readers
- 7.3K a year
Where to base yourself for Dinosaur Park
For a bed close by, look to Rapid City (76) and Colonial Pine Hills (10).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Dinosaur Park | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | in town | — | 76 58 hotels · 8 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds | 80,589 | $299K | D− |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 6 mi southwest | 10 min | 10 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 5 RV parks | 2,609 | $407K | — |
| Keystone | 16 mi southwest | 25 min | 32 16 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 268 | $264K | — |
| Hill City | 19 mi southwest | 30 min | 38 16 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 8 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 938 | $286K | — |
| Johnson Siding | 9 mi west | 15 min | 6 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 campgrounds | 704 | $472K | — |
| Box Elder | 9 mi east | 15 min | 5 3 hotels · 2 campgrounds | 13,936 | $302K | C |
| Custer | 28 mi southwest | 40 min | 42 14 hotels · 3 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 14 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 1,803 | $236K | — |
| Piedmont | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 5 1 lodge or cabins · 4 campgrounds | 1,245 | $324K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Next door to Dinosaur Park
Also within 44 miles are these.
Big draw117 mi National MemorialMount Rushmore National Memorial1.9M visitors a year
Big draw225 mi LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
Big draw44 mi National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year
320 mi MountainBlack Elk Peak
424 mi State parkCuster State Park
38 mi National ParkWind Cave National Park606K visitors a year
5in town Stadium & arenaRushmore Plaza Civic Center38 mi National MonumentJewel Cave National Monument111K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Mount Rushmore National Memorial: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Crazy Horse Memorial: Jeffreylcooke, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Badlands National Park: Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Black Elk Peak: BHrock at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Custer State Park: Guimir, Public domain · Wind Cave National Park: USGS/USGov, Public domain · Rushmore Plaza Civic Center: Mr. Satterly, WTFPL
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Know before you visit Dinosaur Park
Is Dinosaur Park in Rapid City?
Yes. It’s inside Rapid City, SD.
When is the best time to visit Dinosaur Park?
May, June and September, with highs of 66–77°.
What is the closest airport to Dinosaur Park?
Rapid City Regional (RAP), about 10 miles away.
Where should I stay near Dinosaur Park?
Rapid City (in town, 76 places to stay), Colonial Pine Hills (6 mi, 10 places to stay) and Keystone (16 mi, 32 places to stay).
What locals in Rapid City say
Share what you know in Rapid City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.