14 Fun Things To Do In Deadwood, SD

Deadwood, South Dakota – chances are if you are visiting this wild west town, you are familiar with the HBO series Deadwood. Gunslingers, gamblers, and prospectors alike called this gold rush townhome. Famous for both its gold rush history, as well as being the place where Wild Bill finally met his end. This is the final resting place of Wild West legends Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. There are so many fun adventures to be had in Deadwood, South Dakota; let’s dig into 14 Fun Things To Do…

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The Basics – 

Getting To Deadwood, South Dakota – 

• Deadwood is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Mount Rushmore. 
• 43 min (41.6 mi) via I-90 W and US-14 ALT W.
• The closest airport is Rapid City Regional Airport.

Hours – (remember South Dakota is on Mountain Time)

• Deadwood Visitor Center: 9 am – 5 pm daily
• Mount Moriah Cemetery 9 am – 5 pm daily 

Staying – 

Hotels –

Bullock Hotel – 

633 Main Street, Deadwood, SD

The Bullock Hotel will transport you back in time. You get to walk through the very same corridors, rooms, and hallways that Deadwood’s first Sheriff, Seth Bullock, who supposedly proudly haunts the hotel! *This hotel is not pet friendly. 

Deadwood Gulch Gaming Resort –

304 Cliff St/Hwy 85 S., Deadwood, SD

Across from the Mickelson Trail, with a 24-hour casino the Deadwood Gulch a great headquarters for your Deadwood trip. *This hotel is pet friendly. 

Iron Horse Inn –

27 Deadwood Street, Deadwood, SD

Located in historic downtown this historic hotel is directly across the street from Outlaw Square. It’s a great base for your Deadwood adventure. 

AirBNBs –

Deadwood’s 1899 Inn: The Writing Room

The Rovang Place Main Floor Suite Historic Main St

Wild Bill Cottage

The Daning Main Floor Suite

Campgrounds –

Whistlers Gulch Campground 

235 Cliff Street, Deadwood, SD

This once gold-mining encampment is now a campground and RV Park. It is the only full-service campground in Deadwood. There are sites for large RVs, as well as small to mid-sized campers, tent sites, and camping cabins. *Pet Friendly 

Days of 76 Campground

50 Crescent Dr, Deadwood, SD

On the banks of Whitewood Creek, where gold rush miners once panned for gold. There are 39 hook-up sites, restrooms and showers, and wireless internet access. *Pet Friendly

Should You Visit Deadwood?

Do you like Wild West history? Have you seen HBO’s Deadwood series? Want to see the final resting place of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane? Then this gold mining town is a must-see for you! 

Know Before You Go – 

• Seeing Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, and Deadwood in the same day is completely doable
• Deadwood is actually pretty dog friendly, see more info below
• This is not a movie set, it is a small town

14 Fun Things To Do In Deadwood

1. Visit Historic Downtown – 

When you first see the historic main street of Deadwood, you’ll undoubtedly feel like you are on a movie set. You’ll love the shops, history, and signage that historic downtown has to offer. During the summer, actors recreate moments that bring the past back to life. These include Main Street Shootouts, the Trial of Jack McCall, and of course…

2. Watch Wild Bill’s Death 

657 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. Watch a reenactment of Wild Bill Hickok’s death in Deadwood. On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill entered Salon No. 10 to play poker. Unfortunately for Hickok, a local named Jack McCall followed him into the bar. He quickly approached and fired a bullet hitting Wild Bill in the back of the head and killing him instantly. The crazy thing is that the hand Hickok held is often called Dead Man’s Hand. 

3. Check Out Mount Moriah Cemetery – 

10 Mt Moriah Dr, Deadwood, SD 57732. This cemetery transports you back to the wild west. While here, you must pay your respects to Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. It’s a short but steep climb to their gravesites.

Fun Fact: It’s widely reported/believed that Wild Bill, who was married, had no interest in Calamity Jane, and that’s why they buried her next to him. So that she could spend all of eternity with him. And isn’t that the ultimate joke to play on Hickok?

4. Days of ’76 Museum – 

18 76^th Dr, Deadwood, SD 57732. The 1876 Gold Rush brought miners, prospectors, and gold panners into Deadwood. This museum commemorates the lives and stories of those settlers. It’s an important part of the history of the American West and definitely worth a visit. Find out more here.

5. Explore The Broken Boot Gold Mine – 

1200 Pioneer Way, Deadwood, SD 57732. Tours are run every 30 mins at the Broken Boot Gold Mine, and visitors get to explore ore car paths, and young travelers can even pan for gold on their own. How much fun? Find out more here.

6. Take A Stagecoach Ride – 

501 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. See this historic town in all its glory from the back of a stagecoach. The stagecoach was an unquestionably vital part of life in the Wild West. You can buy your ticket at the welcome center, which you should stop by to see anyway. 

7. Check Out The Mickelson Trail – 

This 109-mile road stretching across South Dakota has become known for bicycling. There are currently 15 trailheads, and many of the old railroad trestles are still in place (about 100 of them, to be exact). Keep an eye out for old cabins and ghost mines while on the trail! This trail IS dog-friendly, but dogs must be kept on leashes at all times. Find out more here.

8. Adams Museum & Historic Adams House –  

Museum – 54 Sherman Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. 

House – 22 Van Buren Street, Deadwood, SD 57732.

The Adams Museum is the oldest museum in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It has everything from personal possessions of Deadwood’s most famous inhabitants, Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, to a taxidermized two-headed calf (baby cow). Find out more here.

The Adams House is only a few blocks away; the house was built in 1892 and has remained intact and untouched since the early 1930s. Guided tours are offered and transport you back to the gold rush days. Find out more here.

9. Take A Ghost Tour Of The Bullock Hotel –

633 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. As I mentioned above, you can stay at the Bullock Hotel and just take a tour. You see, the spirit of Seth Bullock, yes, the lead character in HBO’s “Deadwood,” still roams the halls of his hotel. This is the oldest hotel in town, it was built by Bullock and his business partner in 1894. You may have seen the “Unsolved Mysteries” that was filmed here, and there are tons of eyewitness accounts of Bullock’s ghost. Find out more here.

10. Check Out A Local Brewery or Winery –

Who doesn’t like to indulge while they are traveling? While you’re in town, check out some of the awesome breweries and wineries the Black Hills have to offer! Here are some of the most popular in the area: 

Belle Joli Winery –

594 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. This place has a wide variety of wines to choose from, including sparkling wines, yum! 

Dakota Shiver Brewing – 

717 West Main Street, Lead, SD 57754.

Miner Brewing Company – 

23845 Hwy 385, Hill City, SD 57745. This is a craft brewery producing classically styled beers of traditional European flavor profiles, influenced by regional characteristics and ingredients of South Dakota and the Midwest.

Prairie Berry Winery – 

23837 U.S. 385/US 16, Hill City, SD 57745.

What’s not to love about a winery that sells a wine called Red Ass Rhubarb Wine? If you are driving through the Black Hills, you will undoubtedly see the signs for this winery! Calamity Jane, Poker Face, and Wild Bill all sound amazing, and I cannot wait to stop here on my next visit to the Black Hills! 

11. Gamble! – 

It’s Deadwood, made famous by gunslingers and gamblers, you have to do a little gambling when you visit this iconic town. There are many casinos to choose from, and Deadwood is a place where you could potentially gamble 24/7. Here are some options – 

Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort – 

360 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. This is Deadwood’s newest gaming resort. You can get in on the action with live poker, blackjack, 240+ slot machines, craps, and/or roulette.

Deadwood Gulch Salon – 

560 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. If you are looking for that Old West feel, then the Deadwood Gulch Saloon is the place for you! They still have coin-operated machines and newer ticket in/out slots. They also serve complimentary beverages and popcorn to all players; what’s not to love?

Gold Dust Casino – 

688 Main Street, Deadwood, SD 57732. Centrally located on Historic Main, you can find slot machines, Blackjack, Roulette, and Three Card Poker here. Plus, two full-service cocktail bars – sold! 

12. Visit Tatanka: Story Of The Bison – 

100 Tatanka Dr, Deadwood, SD 57732. This exhibit is not free, it costs $12 but you get access to all that Tatanka has to offer. This exhibit pays tribute to the millions of bison that once roamed this region of the United States. It also commemorates native cultures that prospered alongside the bison. Remember Kevin Costner? He actually founded and operated Tatanka. The exhibit features a bronze sculpture of bison being pursued by Native Americans on horseback. It’s very cool and definitely worth a visit! Find out more here. 

13. Wild Bill Yourself – 

Yes, you read that right, Deadwood actually has a “Wild Bill Me” Selfie Contest! You will find Wild Bill’s likeness all over Deadwood, but now you can explore that history in a fun new way.

In this selfie treasure hunt in Historic Downtown (use #WildBillMe), find any Wild Bill (any likeness)  and take a selfie with him. Bring your phone or camera to one of Deadwood’s Visitor Centers and show them your #WildBillMe selfie collection. 10 selfies win a #WildBillMe sticker, 15 selfies, and you a magnet, 25, and you’ll get $5 Deadwood Gulch bucks plus the sticker and magnet. It’s a fun way to spend an afternoon in Deadwood. Find out more here. 

14. Bring The Pups – 

Check out this post for more Pet-Friendly options in the Black Hills – Is Badlands National Pet Friendly?

Dog-Friendly Hikes At A Glance –

Deadwood Trailhead

This was South Dakota’s first rails to trails project, providing 109 miles of varied and scenic terrain for hiking, bicycle, and horseback riding – right down the middle of the Black Hills. Persons aged 12 and older are required to purchase a trail pass. It’s $4 for a day pass or $15 for an annual pass. 

The Homestake Trail

• Distance: 5.7 miles
• Rating: Easy
• Elevation Gain: 810 ft

Friendship Tower

• Distance: .8 miles
• Rating: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 164 ft

Wander around in Historic Downtown, where many of the shops are dog friendly. 

Bonus:

Deadwood Restaurant Guide 

Saloon No. 10 

• Where: 657 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
• Hours: Daily 8 am – 2 am 

Mustang Sally’s 

• Where: 634 Main St, Deadwood, SD 57732
• Hours: Sun – Thurs 10:30 am – 11 pm, Fri – Sat 10:30 am – 1:30 am 

Lee Street Station Café 

• Where: 3 Lee St, Deadwood, SD 57732
• Hours: Daily 7 am – 2 pm

Six String 

• Where: 1906 Deadwood Mountain Drive, Deadwood, SD 57732
• Hours: 6:30 – 11 pm

Mapping Out 14 Fun Things To Do In Deadwood, SD:

Deadwood really does have so much to offer. It’s a perfect long weekend getaway. One day is just not enough to experience all this wild west town has to offer! Have you been to Deadwood? What was your favorite thing about the town?

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