South Dakota Photographic Destinations

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

1880 Town - Murdo South Dakota

Let me help you to find a great location in Mississippi for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser known destinations, as well as the famous “Icon Locations” for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to insure a quality guide to great locations for photography in South Dakota.

Interactive Google Map

Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.

South Dakota Photographic Destinations

South Dakota Destinations

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Mount Rushmore National Memorial is centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills in Keystone, South Dakota. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created the sculpture’s design and oversaw the project’s execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum. The sculpture features the 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). The four presidents were chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development and preservation, respectively. South Dakota historian Doane Robinson is credited with conceiving the idea of carving the likenesses of noted figures into the mountains of the Black Hills of South Dakota in order to promote tourism in the region. His initial idea was to sculpt the Needles; however, Gutzon Borglum rejected the Needles because of the poor quality of the granite and strong opposition from the Lakota (Sioux), who consider the Black Hills to be sacred ground; it was originally included in the Great Sioux Reservation. The United States broke up the territory after gold was discovered in the Black Hills. The mountain into which it was carved is known to the Lakota Sioux as Six Grandfathers. The sculptor and tribal representatives settled on Mount Rushmore, which also has the advantage of facing southeast for maximum sun exposure. Robinson wanted it to feature American West heroes, such as Lewis and Clark, their expedition guide Sacagawea, Oglala Lakota chief Red Cloud, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Oglala Lakota chief Crazy Horse. Borglum believed that the sculpture should have broader appeal and chose the four presidents. Peter Norbeck, U.S. Senator from South Dakota, sponsored the project and secured federal funding. Construction began in 1927; the presidents’ faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. After Gutzon Borglum died in March 1941, his son Lincoln took over as leader of the construction project. Each president was originally to be depicted from head to waist, but lack of funding forced construction to end on October 31, 1941. Sometimes referred to as the “Shrine of Democracy”, Mount Rushmore attracts more than two million visitors annually. Where it is: Visitors traveling by car on I-90 should exit at Rapid City and follow U.S.. Highway 16 southwest to Keystone and then South Dakota Highway 244 to Mount Rushmore. Visitors coming from the south should follow U. S. Highway 385 north to South Dakota Highway 244, which is the road leading to the memorial. Get directions on Google Maps. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. GPS: Latitude/Longitude Coordinates for Mount Rushmore National Memorial N 43° 53.559′ W 103° 28.246′ Decimal coordinates 43.8789472 -103.459825 Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) for Mount Rushmore National Memorial 623773E 4859716N Zone 13 Cost: There is no entrance fee for Mount Rushmore National Memorial. However, fees are required to park at the memorial. Parking Fees Cars, Motorcycles and RVs $10 per vehicle $5 for Seniors (62 and older) Free for Active Duty Military Commercial Tour Bus $50* Verified, nonprofit Educational Bus $25* Hours: Parking Structure and Memorial Grounds Hours October 1, 2020 – March 13, 2021 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. March 14 – September 30, 2021 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. October 1, 2021 – March 12, 2022 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Facilities: There is a gift shop, restrooms, and drinking water available. The Carvers’ Café, the only dining facility in the park, serves a variety of foods. Location Contact Information: By Mail 13000 Highway 244 Building 31, Suite 1 Keystone, SD 57751-0268 By Phone Park Headquarters 605-574-2523 Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center 605-574-3165 Lost and Found 605-574-3465 Visitor Information Recorded Message 605-574-3171 By Fax 605-574-2307 By Email Due to the volume of inquiries, there may be a delay in getting a response. e-mail Mount Rushmore National Memorial Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in South Dakota Interactive Google Map Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open. Great Places for Great Photos Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go! Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...

1880 Town – Murdo South Dakota

1880 Town History of 1880 Town WhenRichardHullinger bought 14 acres at Exit 170 back in 1969 he had no plans for an attraction. In 1972 a gas station was built at this location along with forming an idea of an old west attraction. Later, an additional 80 acres was purchased.About that time a movie company came to a small town nearby to film an 1880 era movie. A main street set was constructed from old buildings and a number of Indian relics and antiques were borrowed from ClarenceHullinger, Richard’s father. Winter set in and the filming was abandoned. The movie company returned home giving the main street set to Clarence for the use of his artifacts. The movie set was moved to the 80 acres and the 1880 TOWN was born!Along with the beginning of the 1880 TOWN began years of collecting what is now an authentic 1880 to 1920 era town from buildings to contents. Clarence and Richard have kept historical value on an equal balance with public appeal, choosing buildings that not only interesting to look at but are also historically correct for an early South Dakota town. The displays and buildings range from Indian relics from the 1970’s to the fourteen-sided barn built in 1919. What to Photograph: 1880 Town has more than 30 buildings from the 1880 to 1920 era, authentically furnished with thousands of relics, historical accounts and photographs. This is also the Longhorn Ranch and home to more than 100 Texas longhorn cattle. There is also a prairie church, and a complete homestead set apart from the town, which make for great photo possibilities. Best Time for Photographers: Hours for the 1880 TOWN May thru October, daylight hours. Getting There: The 1880 TOWN is 22 miles west of Murdo, SD. We are conveniently located directly off Interstate 90 at exit 170. Maps: Interactive Google Map Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Cost: Regular Admission Adults $12 Seniors $10 Teens (ages 13-18) $7 Children (ages 6-12) $5 Children thru age 5 free Wheel Chair Patrons free Facilities: The 1880 town has a Shell Convenience Store, a 1950’s Railroad Diner (open 7am-3pm daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day), and gift shop. Location Contact Information: Phone 605-344-2236 Email info@1880town.com Address Interstate 90, exit 170 22 miles west of Murdo, South Dakota Nearest City or Town: Murdo South Dakota 1880 Town Photo Gallery Click Here for full page gallery More Photographic Destinations in South Dakota: Interactive Google Map Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page. Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open. Great Places for Great Photos Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go! Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos. Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group. All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two. If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...