Murdo, South Dakota: Original 1880 Town

Amazing little town. The saloon serves popcorn, peanuts and soft drinks. They have a little show you can stay and watch. The Dances With Wolves movie props are great. The only thing they are missing are the 1800 people working and living in the town.

Constant improvements at the Original 1880 Town, yet rustic/realistic. Better than most pioneer towns. Big ups for s**tty mannequins too!

This signpost is on the main street of Original 1880 Town.

It's actually about 15 minutes east of Murdo, but well worth the stop. Many props from the movie Dances with Wolves. Used to have the actual horse there, too, but he passed away. Many, many antiques, including lots of old saddles which are just gorgeous. It's not a real fancy, polished place, but that's part of the charm.

The buildings are all authentic and filled with period furnishings and accessories -- tables fully set, worn cowboy boots next to the bed, etc. There is a train and a station house, which even contains antique suitcases. It's fun to poke around but even more fun if you pay the $5 per person to get decked out in period clothes and take fun pictures all over the place. We have shots of Daddy robbing the train, with bandanna over his nose, Mommy and daughter with their lace fans and gloves, the boys busting through the saloon doors, etc. A real riot if you're into that kind of stuff. Our holiday card pic is all set! Even if you don't dress up you can really get a sense of living back then, with the wide "street" and the simple church up on a hill at the end.

We showed our kids the movie Dances with Wolves before we left for our trip to the Dakotas and Montana, and this stop was perfect at the end of our trip (We went late in the day when the shadows are long, even more dramatic.).

Explore more than 30 original turn-of-the-century South Dakota buildings relocated to this site from throughout the state and furnished with thousands of unique relics of the Old West. Features a 14-sided barn, Dances with Wolves movie props and memorabilia, Vanishing Prairie Exhibits, Casey Tibbs tribute, Buffalo Bill display, Town Hall-historic film shown continuously, Western art collection, and an 800-acre longhorn cattle ranch. The entire town has been used for western film locations. Self guided tours, stay an hour or all day!

Additional Services: Shell Gas Station, '50s Train Diner, Camping -- one fourth mile north.