Deadwood KOA

Black Hills Mining Museum

Share the thrill experienced by the old time prospectors by panning your own GOLD! Walk through time with "miner" tour guides in timbered passages of a simulated underground gold mine. View historic mining artifacts and local history exhibits. This museum includes a historic video presentation of mining in the Black Hills, a gift shop with gold panning books and supplies and much more. Open daily mid-May to mid-September 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.mining-museum.blackhills.com

Broken Boot Gold Mine

The intriguing story of one of America's last great gold rushes comes to life at Deadwood's Broken Boot Gold Mine, established in 1878. Step into the Black Hills best underground mine tour and return to a time when the powerful punch of a miner's pick and the roaring boom of another black powder blast signaled the ongoing search for the richest veins of gold on earth. Follow the path of ore cars deep underground into the century-old shafts of the Broken Boot. Walk in the foot steps of thousands of faceless miners who sought their fortunes in the dark and explosive atmosphere of black powder and candlelight. Experienced guides will help you discover the mysteries and magic of on-time gold mining techniques. Then try your luck at gold panning the same way prospectors did here more than 100 years ago. Every guest will go home with a souvenir "share" of stock in the legendary mine. Open mid-May through mid-September, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Tours are conducted every thirty minutes (lasting approximately thirty minutes and easily accessible to all ages). www.blackhillsattractions.com/pages/attractions/brokenboot.html

Days of '76 Museum

Ride into America's past by visiting the Days of '76 Museum nestled in the shadows of towering peaks and ponderosa pines just minutes from downtown Deadwood's historic district. Adjacent to the legendary Days of '76 Rodeo Grounds, the museum preserves the past with one of the nation's most impressive collections of carriages, covered wagons and stagecoaches. Discover thousands of Native American and frontier artifacts, guns from the Clowser Collection and photos of the Days of '76 Rodeo. The display includes a 4,000 year old buffalo skull with an Indian spearhead imbedded in it and the legendary Deadwood to Cheyenne stagecoach. Open May into October, 9 am to 5 pm daily. Visit the Days of '76 Museum online for more information.

Homestake Gold Mine Surface Tours

It's about hard work, it's about discovery, it's about people their families and the history of the oldest gold mine in the West. Homestake is more than a museum. The Homestake Mine was the oldest and deepest mine in the Western Hemisphere reaching more than 8,000 feet below the town of Lead. Since its closure in 2002, local and state officials have been working hard to turn the former mine into a world-class scientific research laboratory. You can still take surface tours that offer the rare chance to witness the evolution of American gold mining from the early days of panning and digging to today's high-tech methods. You will learn about the early years of the mine, the gold recovery process and innovations, such as the hoists that provided access for personnel and materials into the underground. With Homestake's fascinating tour, displays, mining artifacts and terrific gift shop, your family will be sure to have a blast. Open year-round. September thru May open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. June, July and August open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. www.homestaketour.com

Gambling

Mt. Moriah Cemetery

Deadwood, so named because of the dead timber on the surrounding hills, is not unlike many frontier towns with interesting histories. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills brought thousands of sober, hard-working people to the Deadwood area. However, some residents proved to be quite colorful. Many were buried at Mt. Moriah or at its predecessor, the Ingleside Cemetery which was down the hill and to the left of the present cemetery.

The area of the Ingleside Cemetery is presently a residential section of Deadwood. Many buried in this old cemetery were later exhumed and reburied in Mt. Moriah. However some were not, and even today remains from the old cemetery are periodically unearthed when residents dig around their homes. Mt. Moriah Cemetery was established in 1877-1878, because of the ever-increasing demands on Ingleside. It is difficult to tell exactly when the use of Ingleside Cemetery was discontinued. According to old records by mid-1878 all burials, with the exception of those at the Catholic Cemetery, were at Mt. Moriah.

Mt. Moriah has numerous sections. At one time a large number of Chinese were buried in a section in the upper left portion of the cemetery. For religious reasons, the bodies were later exhumed and returned to China for reburial. Today only a few graves exist in this section. The Jewish section is located in the upper portion of the cemetery and is complete with tombstones inscribed in Hebrew. Many of the prominent citizens who founded Mt. Moriah were Masons. One of the most attractive sections is the Masonic section located in the center and many of the roads throughout the cemetery are names connected with Masonry.

Children's graves are found throughout Mt. Moriah. There are three Potter's Fields, final resting places for a number of early day indigents and prostitutes. Most of these graves are unmarked. There is also a Civil War veterans section called War Memorial.

It is virtually impossible to summarize the life stories of the more than 3,400 people buried in Mt. Moriah. The following is a list of some of the more well known residents:

• James Butler Hickok "Wild Bill" (died 1876) marshal, Army scout, gunman and gambler
• John Perrett "Potato Creek Johnny" (died 1943) prospector reported to have found the largest gold nugget in the Black Hills
• Martha Canary "Calamity Jane" (1850-1903) need we say more?
• Henry Weston Smith "Preacher Smith" (died 1876) well-liked local Methodist minister
• Seth Bullock-one of Deadwood's most notable citizen's
• W.E. Adams (died 1934) pioneer businessman, Deadwood mayor, est. Adams House Museum

Accessible year round.

Old Style Saloon no. 10

Filled with history. See display of Wild Bill's Death Chair along with 1,043 other historical and odd items that make this Saloon "the only museum in the world with a bar." www.saloon10.com

Black Hills Presidents Park

View huge statues of all 43 U.S. Presidents in a mountain meadow setting. The statues are arranged in chronological order along easy to follow trails with benches to relax and gazebos to picnic. Each statue includes a biographical panel with state and national flag of that era. This educational and art experience is fascinating for adults, families and school groups. The visitor center includes a restaurant and gift shop. Open year round. www.presidentspark.com

Tatanka-Story of the Bison

30 million bison (or buffalo) once roamed the Great Plains of North America. By the close of the 19th century, it is estimated that fewer than 1,000 of these animals survived. This is their story. Discover a saga as compelling as any in American history. From their earliest ancestors to near extermination and ultimately the revival, the story of the bison is captured in Deadwood's newest attraction. The centerpiece of Tatanka is a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of 14 bison being pursued by three Lakota riders on horseback. Through interactive exhibits, the interpretive center depicts the history of bison, their relationship to humans and their story today. As the stage is set, you'll journey through an authentic living history Lakota encampment where everything from buffalo hide tipis to interpretive programs offer a snapshot of life during the height of the "buffalo culture" around 1840. Tatanka provides visitors of all ages an entertaining and enduring tribute to the past. Open daily May-October. www.storyofthebison.com

The Adams House Museum

The Adams House recounts the real tragedies and triumphs of two of the communities founding families. Following the death of W.E. Adams in 1934, his second wife closed the house. For a half-century, time stood still. Linens lay folded in drawers, fine china remained stacked in cupboards and cookies kept a lonely vigil in their clear glass jar. Painstakingly restored and preserved by leading experts in historic preservation, the Adams House was re-opened to the public in 2000, revealing a time capsule in a place where legends still live. Tour rooms and grounds of this elegant Victorian mansion and learn why it was once Deadwood's social center. Open daily year round. www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org

The Adams Museum

Built in 1930. Adams Museum houses three floors of fascinating and educational artifacts, including: the first locomotive in the Black Hills, memorabilia associated with Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock, Poker Alice, and Potato Creek Johnny, rare fossils of a plesiosaur, an aquatic reptile that lived more than 65 million years ago, the Pioneer Room, an exhibit featuring the furnishings and clothing used by Black Hills pioneers, a collection of Native American artifacts, and fine collections of historical photographs, minerals, guns and folk art. Open year-round. May through September -- Monday thru Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. October through April -- Monday thru Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed Sundays and winter holidays). www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org

Trial of Jack McCall

Relive history 100 years ago as you see the episode reenacted nightly. All of main street is the stage for the drama that follows, including the highly charged trial of the assassin Jack McCall. Nightly at 8 p.m. except Saturdays. www.deadwoodattractions.com/Trial.html

High Plains Western Heritage Center

The High Plains Western Heritage Center was founded to honor the old west pioneers and Native Americans of five states. This museum features western art, artifacts and memorabilia. It houses the completely restored "original" Spearfish to Deadwood Stagecoach that was bought in 1890 and last ran in 1913. A 150-seat theatre features many historic programs, entertainment and special events year round. Open daily 9am to 5pm.

Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

Spirit of the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is home to over 300 animals of all kinds including domestic, exotic and endangered species. Many of the residents at the Sanctuary have been rescued from breeding operations, private owners and fur farms. The Sanctuary was founded in 1999 and sits on 350 acres of rolling terrain in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota. Open Tuesday through Sunday. www.wildlifesanctuary.net

Roo Ranch

About 40 Kangaroos, Wallabies and Wallaroos. Open 7 days a week late May through early September. Come get your picture taken with a kangaroo! www.TheRooRanch.com