Dinosaur Park
Dinosaur Park is a dinosaur park in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States.
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 7,150 hotel and restaurant jobs, 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, Census job and town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Rapid City. Green months are the mild ones.
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
- 9.9K a year
Stay in Rapid City, or close by
Towns within 30 miles, closest first. Hotel and restaurant jobs show how many places there are to stay and eat.
| Town | From Dinosaur Park | Hotel & restaurant jobs | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | in town | 7,150 | 77,946 | $299K | D− |
| Colonial Pine Hills | 6 mi southwest | 52 | 2,609 | $407K | — |
| Rapid Valley | 6 mi east | 35 | 6,975 | $256K | — |
| Blackhawk | 7 mi northwest | 23 | 2,934 | $273K | — |
| Ashland Heights | 7 mi northeast | 0 | 1,105 | $220K | — |
| Green Valley | 7 mi east | 0 | 1,642 | $280K | — |
| Box Elder | 9 mi east | 258 | 12,902 | $302K | C |
| Summerset | 9 mi northwest | 63 | 3,022 | $368K | B+ |
| Johnson Siding | 9 mi west | 7 | 704 | $472K | — |
| Wonderland Homes | 10 mi northwest | 0 | 745 | $265K | — |
| Piedmont | 12 mi northwest | 34 | 981 | $324K | — |
| Keystone | 16 mi southwest | 80 | 336 | $264K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Dinosaur Park
Other well-known places within 48 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw125 mi📍 LandmarkCrazy Horse Memorial
Big draw44 mi🏞 National ParkBadlands National Park1.1M visitors a year🌲Big draw48 mi🌲 Park & preserveBadlands Wilderness
220 mi⛰ MountainBlack Elk Peak
324 mi🌲 State parkCuster State Park
38 mi🏞 National MonumentJewel Cave National Monument111K visitors a year
427 mi🌲 National forestBlack Hills National Forest
528 mi🎢 Theme parkBedrock CityPhoto credits
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 · Jewel Cave National Monument: NPS Photo, Public domain · Black Hills National Forest: Vocaro at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bedrock City: Tbennert, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Visiting 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, 7,150 hotel and restaurant jobs) and Box Elder (9 mi, 258 hotel and restaurant jobs).
Tips from people in Rapid City
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Rapid City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.