Keystone, South Dakota: Big Thunder Gold Mine
Take an all-horizontal -- no tiresome climbing -- tour of a real gold mine.
- Address:
- 604 Blair St., Keystone, SD
- Directions:
- South of downtown Rapid City ten miles on US 16, then exit south on US 16A toward Keystone. Drive two miles, then turn left onto Hwy 40. When it bends left, Big Thunder Gold Mine is on the right.
- Hours:
- Daily 8-8 in the summer. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 605-666-4847
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Results 1 to 3 of 3...
Visitor Tips and News About Big Thunder Gold Mine
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
When we visited this attraction they told us that no gold was every discovered in this mine. So despite calling it a "gold mine," it really isn't!
[Pat Butler, 01/22/2015]
My girlfriend and I wanted to check out a gold mine, and Big Thunder Gold Mine did not disappoint. Make sure you have a sweatshirt or light jacket, because it's about 50 degrees in the mine.
[Brian From Rockland County NY, 06/08/2014]Guided tours of an authentic 1890s gold mine. The shafts go down 240 feet, but visitors are kept near the surface in horizontal passages. See the original stamp mill and bell crusher in the Mine Museum! A free lump of Black Hills Gold (ore) for everyone on the tour!
[Tammy Robinson, 09/10/2007]Nearby Offbeat Places
Borglum Historical Center, Rushmore Borglum Story, Keystone, SD - < 1 mi.
World's Largest Wooden Bigfoot, Keystone, SD - < 1 mi.
Large Mt. Rushmore Chair, Keystone, SD - < 1 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.
Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!
Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.
In 1882, two German immigrants started blasting and chiseling out the passage through solid rock, hoping to intersect with rich veins found in nearby mines. They kept at it for decades, and ultimately didn't make the big discovery, but it's probably too late now to rename it "Big Wannabe Gold Mine."