The Alex Johnson Hotel is a historic hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota. The hotel began construction in 1927, and opened its doors for the first time nine months later in 1928. Johnson meant for the hotel to be a “showplace of the west,” to show and share his love for the Black Hills, and to be a tribute to the Native Americans of the area. It combined the beauty of the Black Hills, Lakota people and Germanic heritage, of the immigrants who made South Dakota their home, noticeable in the structure itself within the tutor design and interior decor.
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Since the start of time, soaring though the sky has always been a dream for mankind. Ever since the first flight by the Wright brothers, there has always been a fascination with pushing the boundaries in aviation technology. At the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, patrons can walk through this history, while the focus of the museum is military aircraft. This museum has something for everyone.
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If you love digging through history, then come to the Museum of Geology located on the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology’s campus. Explore almost 4 million years into the past, with exits in fossils, minerals, and rocks.
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South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a distinguished academic institution for higher learning with a long, interesting, patriotic, and prestigious history. It is in Rapid City, South Dakota and offers many degrees, primarily in engineering and the sciences.
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Fort Hays is the film set used in the academy award winning American movie, Dances with Wolves. The movie follows a post-Civil War soldier who was stationed in the plains of the west. Fort Hays offers free tours of the entire film set used in the movie and a chuck wagon style dinner and show every night.
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In 1990, a massive fossilized Tyrannosaurus Rex was discovered in the Badlands of South Dakota. This fossil was discovered by a man named Peter Larson, a paleontologist who studied at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The fossil was later the center of much controversy involving who the fossil belonged to.
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The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an international motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, and in the nearby Black Hills. The rally began in summer of 1938, when a motorcycle club, called the Jackpine Gypsies, held a small rally just outside Sturgis.
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The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was established in 1999 to illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and intercontinental ballistic missile development. This National Historic Site preserves the last remaining Minuteman II ICBM system in the United States.
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Gambling has played an important part in the growth and development of South Dakota from a territory to a state. Even today, casinos play an important part in the South Dakota economy.
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The Rapid City Flood of 1972 was a very detrimental event for those living in the Black Hills and surrounding areas.
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The Sanford Underground Research Facility is a research laboratory located deep under the Earth's surface, in the confines of an old mine. The facility is a leader in the search for proof of dark matter’s existence.
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Gambling is one of the biggest industries in the state of South Dakota with casinos taking in over a billion dollars in revenue in 2016 according to dor.sd.gov. There are two distinct types of gambling at casinos in the state of South Dakota. The first is video and slot machines. These are most common and can be found in many cities around the state. The other type is live poker/games such as blackjack or Texas hold’em and can only be found at exclusive casinos around the state such as the ones in Deadwood.
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The Black Hills used to be famous for the mining done here. Specifically, the Black hills were popular during the gold rush. One thing that has been forgotten however, is that mining is still one a big industry here in the western part of the state. One of the major goals of mining is classifying valuable material and separating it from the valueless material. One of the most common ways to do this here is using a device called a hydrocyclone.
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