Is Deadwood Worth Visiting? Why You Can Skip This One

If you love those Western vibes and are already in South Dakota, you may be tempted by the idea of visiting Deadwood.

Here’s the deal. I hate calling places overrated and never write off a destination before seeing it for myself. Even with places I didn’t enjoy, I can still see the value in at least a short visit. (Here’s looking at you, Cheyenne.) 

That said, there are places out there that I don’t think added any value to my life. In fact, they made my day worse. I can’t really recommend those places, right?

Deadwood is on my personal Mount Rushmore of meh.

Is Deadwood worth visiting?

Deadwood isn’t worth visiting if you’re seeking any kind of authenticity in your travel. 

It’s very touristy, at times offensive, and not worth the drive if you have to make a special trip. If you’re traveling with kids, it’s also not the most family-friendly place to be thanks to all of the casinos and off-putting merchandise in the windows.

Still, it’s a popular stop for those already in Rapid City and the Black Hills, as it’s only about 42 miles northwest of Rapid City. Convenience and curiosity are what brought us there.

Deadwood is a tourist trap.

This place doesn’t pass the duck test for tourist traps on any level. (If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, etc.)

Here’s how I know if a destination is a tourist trap:

• Can I book an old-timey photo session in period garb?
• Are there casinos on every block?
• Are there people outside retail establishments asking you to come inside?
• Is the food overpriced and underwhelming?
• Can I buy overpriced novelty T-shirts about drunk women?

Check, check, check, check, and check. Historic Main Street Deadwood seems to exist solely to sell weird, at times offensive, merchandise.

What is Deadwood famous for?

Deadwood is famous for its connection to the Black Hills Gold Rush. The city was booming from 1876 to 1879 after gold was discovered here. It also became a hub for lawlessness and Old West Lore.

Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, and James Butler Hickok, better known as Wild Bill Hickok, all bopped around Deadwood back in the day. Hickok, a gunslinger and gambler, was reportedly killed at Saloon No. 10 on Main Street.

All of that means the entire town was designated as a National Historic Landmark District. You may not know it when you visit today, but quite a bit of the architecture is from that Gold Rush era. 

Fun fact: In more modern times, the town is also famous for inspiring the Deadwood TV series. I never watched it, but hear it’s a big deal.

How much time do you need in Deadwood?

I don’t know if you really need any time in Deadwood, but we had our fill in a few hours. If you want to hit a museum and the cemetery, grab lunch, and catch a live shootout, you can do all of that in a morning or afternoon in Deadwood.

Things to Do in Deadwood

Let’s just say you’re going to Deadwood anyway and looking for things to do. I have some tips for you based on our own trip there. I’ll get into the OK, the bad, and the one pleasant surprise of our Deadwood visit.

Don’t miss Tatanka: Story of the Bison.

I’m leading with Tatanka: Story of the Bison because the modest museum and sculpture is the coolest thing we did in Deadwood. It’s also well off the main tourist strip in town, which is a very welcome thing once you’ve been there. 

I thought it was a few dollars too expensive for what it was, but the actual art exhibit is impressive.

You’ll start with a short film and exhibit to learn about the importance of bison to the native tribes for daily life.

You’ll also learn about the challenges faced by natives when white people decided to start hunting them from trains and other pursuits they deemed fun at that time.

You can’t make up the stupid shit people will do to entertain themselves, often at the expense of native populations. 

The real goods are outside. Take a short path to the centerpiece, a series of bronze sculptures depicting Lakota riders pursuing 14 bison in the form of a bison jump, a bison hunting technique.

Note: This thing was commissioned by Kevin Costner. I left this so low in the description for this place because they buried the lead on that at the museum, too. The Dances With Wolves costumes and memorabilia make a lot more sense once you know that.

Marvel at Dahl’s Chainsaw Art.

Discover the award-winning carvings of the Dahl brothers, a duo that has made a career of creating realistic art out of Black Hills National Forest pine and other wood. If you’re lucky, you may catch a carving demo on a visit to one of their shops.

There are two more South Dakota locations in Keystone and Hill City. 

Visit the Adams Museum (or don’t).

This is the oldest history museum in the Black Hills, and a visit here feels like it. There’s no real coherent thread here, but a random collection of exhibits that include old-timey furniture, a two-headed calf, and limited information on Deadwood legends.

There’s a suggested donation here of $5, so you’re not out much if you need to kill some time in Deadwood on a rainy day. 

Note: If you love a mediocre museum, Deadwood is also home to the Days of ‘76 Museum. This one is dedicated to the Days of ‘76 festival, an annual event that honors Deadwood’s first pioneers. It goes by the Days of ’76 Rodeo today.

See the Historic Adams House.

The Historic Adams House on Van Buren Street is a well-preserved Victorian mansion built in the late 19th century that shows off the opulent lifestyle of fancier pioneers.

The home was initially built in 1892 for the Harris-Franklin family and later purchased by William E. Adams. These were two prominent, very rich families in town back then.

This one is open to guided tours but hours vary by season. Schedules and tickets are available online if you’d like to plan a date around this one.

Stroll Main Street.

Deadwood’s historic Main Street is where much of the action in town is concentrated. By action, I mean most of what earns Deadwood the honor of the ultimate tourist trap is found on Main Street.

That includes as many tourist shops as you can handle and live daily shootouts in the summertime.

For some spicy entertainment, you can walk through The Brothel: Deadwood. This is one of Deadwood’s houses of prostitution, a profession that was definitely in full swing during the town’s heyday. 

The highlight of Main Street for us was The Big Dipper, an ice cream shop that operates adjacent to Main Street Espresso. Ice cream is never a bad idea, and sitting on one of the benches outside was a great way to enjoy some people-watching.

This town is great for people-watching. I’ll give it that. 

Ride the Deadwood Trolley.

The Deadwood Trolley is the city’s transit service. It’s meant to be a nostalgic mode of transportation for exploration of the city. The trolley operates on cash or tokens. You can buy tokens all over Deadwood, including the Deadwood Welcome Center.

Book a tour with Boot Hill Tours.

Deadwood is easy enough to explore on your own. If you want a more accessible way to see the town or love the idea of a guided experience, Boot Hill Tours offers a highly-rated bus tour to make that happen for you.

You’ll get an overview of the historical sights along Main Street and nearby Mount Moriah Cemetery. A ride up there isn’t a bad idea, by the way. I’ll get into that in a minute.

Chill out on Outlaw Square.

We missed out on live music during our visit, but if you’re here on a warm summer evening, you may get to enjoy some tunes coming out of the open-air venue. Outlaw Square is Deadwood’s main hub for live music and entertainment. 

If you’re traveling as a family, the venue also hosts a weekly movie night in the summer that is billed as family-friendly.

I don’t love Deadwood as a place for kids, though. The bar and casino clientele and some of what we saw in the shops aren’t super family-friendly.

Explore Mount Moriah Cemetery.

This is one of the most popular attractions in Deadwood. I’d suggest driving up to the cemetery grounds unless you’d like to curse out your spouse all the way. It’s a sweaty trek.

Stop at the admission booth at the top to pay your modest admission before checking out the graves of Deadwood legends.

This is where you’ll find the final resting place of both Wild Bill and Calamity Jane. They’re right next to one another about 100 yards from the entrance. 

Fun fact: Calamity Jane died after Wild Bill. Apparently, the townspeople decided to bury her here as a practical joke on the gunslinger. The story goes that Calamity Jane was in love with Wild Bill, but he didn’t care for her. I don’t know. The story is weird and smacks of nonsense.

For true Deadwood enthusiasts, you can seek out the graves of Potato Creek Johnny, Dora DuFran, a well-known madam in town, and Seth Bullock, the town’s first sheriff.

Bullock was a pal of President Theodore Roosevelt thanks to his work bringing horse thieves to justice. 

READ MORE: Big fans of Roosevelt shouldn’t miss one of the best national parks in the Dakotas, Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

If you keep wandering around the cemetery, there are great views of Deadwood below from the flagpole at the top. 

Go down into Broken Boot Gold Mine.

You’ll pass by the Broken Boot Gold Mine on your way out of town toward Lead. Guided tours take you down into the depths to help you learn more about the region’s mining history and why it became such a boomtown back in the day. 

We skipped out on this one as I’m of the “if you’ve done one gold mine you’d done ‘em all” mentality, but reviews suggest this one is marketed toward kids. They let you pan for gold as a souvenir at the end, too.

Where to Eat in Deadwood

As a tourist destination, the food in Deadwood is big on bar and saloon vibes and is overpriced. You can do better, and I’d highly recommend eating in Rapid City if that’s your base.

If you can’t hold out, the Pump House at Mind Blown Studio is the best option for a quick bite while you watch some hot glass blowing.

The Jacobs Brewhouse & Grocer is also fine. Just expect to drop over $20 on a fish and chips plate and $18 for a burger. The eateries around here know they have a captive audience.

Things to Do Near Deadwood

Deadwood was our least favorite thing to do in the region, and we didn’t love Mount Rushmore, either. With more time in the region, you can explore all of those things to make up for your day in Deadwood:

• Rapid City (45 minutes): Use my guide to help you plan a visit to Rapid City. It’s a good base for checking out the national parks in the region.
• Mount Rushmore (1 hour 10 minutes): I find Mount Rushmore more impressive than places like the Crazy Horse Memorial, but it’s still problematic.
• Devils Tower National Monument (1 hour 15 minutes): We really enjoyed our visit to Devils Tower. I’m shocked it’s not a national park!
• Custer State Park (1 hour 20 minutes): One of our favorite experiences in South Dakota was seeing the wildlife on a drive through this park.
• Badlands National Park (1 hour 45 minutes): I’d highly recommend a trip to the Badlands if you’re able. It’s one of the more surreal landscapes in the region.

READ MORE: Visiting North Dakota on your road trip? Use my guide to Fargo, an underrated city in this part of the country.

Where to Stay Near Deadwood

The drive to Deadwood from Rapid City is a beautiful one. It’s so beautiful, in fact, that I’d suggest you leave Deadwood at the end of your touristy time for an overnight in Rapid City, instead.

If you want to hang around Deadwood for a while or you found yourself overserved at one of the saloons, you do have options for an overnight.

The Historic Bullock Hotel was Deadwood’s first hotel, and it may come with a resident ghost. Rumor has it Sheriff Seth Bullock likes to hang out here. Use the map below for more options in Deadwood:

If you take my advice and choose Rapid City, instead, use the map below:

Deadwood is definitely skippable.

You shouldn’t visit Deadwood if you’re looking for any sort of authentic experience. The town has become a tourist trap that caters to travelers wanting a taste of those Wild West vibes.

As someone who loves a little cowboy culture when it’s done well, I think the history could be treated in a less cheesy way. I also think this place could be a little more welcoming to folks who love cowboys and also love kindness to all.

That all said, if you’re on a mission to tick off places like Deadwood, Dodge City in Kansas, and Arizona’s Tombstone, have at it.

Whether or not you should visit Deadwood is ultimately your decision, and there are certainly folks out there who love it. Travel is personal. It’s just not the right fit for me!

Need some ideas for adventures nearby? Check out these posts:

• Top Things to Do in Adorable Fort Collins
• Jackson to Yellowstone: How to Plan Your Trip!
• A Guide to Grand Teton’s Best Treks
• Where to Stay on a Yellowstone Visit
• How to Plan the Very Best Yellowstone Trip

More guides to the Midwest if you’re headed that way:

• Why Door County Is Worth a Visit on Wisconsin Trips
• Winter Activities for Chilly Trips to Chicago
• Love Paleontology? Visit the Devonian Fossil Gorge
• Top Things to Do on Trips to Charming Iowa City
• A Detailed Guide to Milwaukee’s Best Attractions

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