Introduction to Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota, in Pennington county, is 313 miles N of Denver, Colorado.
Rapid City History
Rapid City was founded in 1876 and was known as Hay Camp. John Brennan and Samuel Scott laid out the site of the present-day city in February 1876. It was later renamed Rapid City after the Rapid Creek that flows through the area. The first railroad arrived in the area in the late 1880s. The city was incorporated in 1882. It became a major regional trade center by 1900.
Rapid City and nearby Attractions
- Baken Park Shopping Center
- Minnilusa Pioneer Museum
- Journey Museum
- Badlands National Park
- Sioux Indian Museum
- Reptile Gardens
Things To Do In Rapid City
Rapid City offers a wide variety of opportunities for recreation, in the form of the Badlands National Park, Reptile Gardens, Rushmore Waterslide Park, Dinosaur Park and the Ranch Amusement Park. The Minnilusa Pioneer Museum Collection, the Journey Museum, the Sioux Indian Museum and the Museum of Geology may prove interesting to those interested in the area’s history. One can shop at the North Rapid Shopping Center, the Baken Park Shopping Center, the Robbinsdale Shopping Center, the South Town Mall, the Haines Station Shopping Center or Rushmore Mall. Local celebrations include the Black Hills Bluegrass Festival, the Dakota Polka Festival, the West Boulevard Summer Festival, Canyon Lake Festival, the Hills Alive Music Festival and the Black Hills Square and Round Dance Festival.
Rapid City Transportation
Rapid City Regional Airport is a few minutes drive away.
Rapid City Higher Education
Western Dakota Technical Institute, the National American University and the Black Hills Indian Bible College-Assemblies of God are the local institutions of higher education.
