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The Mammoth Site

1800 US 18 Bypass · Hot Springs, SD

Why you should go…

The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs is a nonprofit museum built around a prehistoric sinkhole where visitors view mammoth fossils in place as they were discovered. More than 60 mammoths, mostly Columbian with a few woolly mammoths, have been unearthed there along with other Ice Age fauna. Because excavation continues year-round, the facility functions as both a museum and an active paleontological dig site. It is open year-round with seasonal hours and is fully wheelchair accessible.

  • #fossils
  • #paleontology
  • #mammoth
  • #hot springs
  • #black hills

Good to know

General museums guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Check the special exhibition separately

    Touring shows usually carry their own ticket and their own opening hours, listed apart from general admission.

  • Look for the free window

    Many museums run community days, member evenings, or discounted late openings. It is worth a look before you pay full price.

  • Travel light through the door

    Large bags and backpacks often have to go to a coat check, and lines for it move slowly at opening.

  • Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons

    School groups clear out by early afternoon midweek, while weekends stay busy from late morning on.

What's around here?

The closest stops to The Mammoth Site, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Hot Springs

    Free

    Southern Black Hills spa town with a historic sandstone downtown, mineral pools and Wind Cave nearby.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Southern Hills Vacation Guide

    Free

    A regional visitor guide for the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, covering Hot Springs, Custer and Hill City.

    0.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Tours
    Local Gem

    Signature Black Hills Tours

    $50+

    Private, small-group guided tours of Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and the Black Hills led by a former National Park Service ranger.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Four Mile Old West Town Museum

    Under $25

    Recreated 1880s Black Hills stagecoach town with over 50 buildings, western artifacts and a comic Old West show.

    23 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    National Presidential Wax Museum

    Under $25

    A wax museum near Mount Rushmore with lifelike figures of every U.S. president.

    32 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Rushmore Borglum Story

    Under $25

    A Keystone, SD museum on Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum, with models, tools and a full-size replica of Lincoln's carved eye.

    32 mi awayMore like this