Sightseeing in Rapid City

One of the largest, most complete T. rex skeletons ever found crouches inside the museum at Black Hills Institute. Frozen in time, he seems to bare his fossilized teeth at awe-struck crowds or to grin at his favorite museum attendants. This hulking beast, known as STAN, might be the star of the show, but he's not the only reason to visit: elsewhere in the museum, the institute's paleontologists have positioned the remains of outlandish sea creatures, long-tailed land-dwellers, and fossilized minerals.

• From the Press: The marriage of history and pseudo-science-fiction on display at Museum at Black Hills Institute has earned the number-two spot on Midwest Living's list of Top 10 Things to Do with Your Kid in the Black Hills.
• Fun Fact: STAN hasn't always stood within the Museum at Black Hills Institute; in 1995, he headlined The T. rex World Exposition in Tokyo and then spent a year touring major Japanese cities.
• Don't Miss: In addition to the museum's dinosaur fossils and replicas, visitors can find prehistoric shark teeth, fish, bugs, and leaves.
• Prehistoric Souvenirs: Visitors can stop by the museum's gift shop to buy prehistoric-themed books, toys, housewares, and jewelry for friends, family members, or coworkers who might also be cavemen.

Just like the song, Old MacDonald's Farm nurtures over 100 friendly farm animals. Families flock to the farm to get up close and personal with cows and pigs, horses and chickens, rabbits and goats. And while they can give many of them a few loving strokes under the chin, kids can turn their newfound friendship into a learning experience. In the nursery, they can feed calves and lambs by bottle; elsewhere, they'll get a chance to snuggle with a baby rabbit or fluffy chick. Gentle ponies take guests on an easy ride around the track, while kids board a tractor-pulled train to get a tour of the farm. They can even catch the farm's famous pig races for a little extra excitement without the danger of letting coyotes into the zoo just to "see what would happen."

Focus West Gallery preserves cherished memories and photographs in custom mats and frames. Each photo-defending shell features handmade frame molding crafted from American hardwood and locally sourced barnwood, making each piece unique and allowing worn-out boards to retire in comfort.

In 1924, some Dakotans got together to celebrate the founding of their communities by the miners, muleskinners, and madams who arrived chasing gold. They made a yearly festival of the gathering, dubbing it the Days of '76; the even continues to this day, featuring both a parade and a rodeo.

Of course, between festivals, the organizers needed a place to tell this story and to keep the horse-drawn carriages, vintage clothing, firearms, and memorabilia that the festival collected. Sometimes, people stopped in to see the collection, turning the storage rooms into informal museum galleries. Finally, in 2012, organizers moved the collection of Western and American Indian artifacts, archives, photos, and artwork to a brand-new 32,000 square-foot building?and the Days of '76 Museum was born.

Cuisine Type: Winery and brewery with kitchen

Established: 2005

Reservations: Optional

Number of Tables: 11?25

Parking: Parking lot

Most popular offering: Wine and beer tastings

Kid-friendly: Yes

Alcohol: Beer and wine only

Delivery/Takeout Available: Takeout only

Q&A with Kim Livingston, Owner

What?s the best reaction you?ve ever gotten from a customer?

We always get how much fun it is, [with people saying]: "This place is great," [and] "I never had so much fun doing a wine tasting."

Has your business won any awards?

We have won many awards for the wine and beer.

In your own words, how would you describe your menu?

[It's] limited, but what we do is good. Nothing [is] fried; [it's] all done in stone ovens [and] all ingredients are fresh.

Is there anything else you want to add that we didn't cover?

We make sure that customers have a fun experience. We take photos of them holding all kinds of signs. We also take care of kids with ice cream tastings.