The Hot Springs Mammoth Site
The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota is a tourist attraction to showcase the mammoths discovered on site and the history, as well as an active dig site to keep discovering more fossils and conducting more research.
The history behind the Mammoth Site stems from millions of years ago, when mammoths roamed the earth, and how the natural phenome of a sink hole captured so many mammoths in one single location. The human discovery of the site is also a vital part of its history, as it is how the site became what it is today: an ongoing site for research and a great place for tourists to visit and learn about the animals that roamed South Dakota long ago.
The History of the Mammoths
Long before it was known as the Mammoth Site, mammoths and various other animals roamed the land and were drawn to this site because it was a great water source as it was a spring-fed pond. About 26,000 years ago these mammoths fell into the sinkhole and the area around them collapsed, preserving their bones in the area. For clarification, a sink hole is a cavity in the ground in which water has a pace to escape and allows for whatever enters to fall down into the cavity and essentially disappear.
The History of the Discovery
After many years passed, a construction worker known as George Hanson discovered bones as the area was being prepared for a new subdivision in the year of 1974. Soon a further investigation was conducted and after donations were made, a museum was built up around the site. It was officially deemed National Natural Landmark in 1980.
Admission
The Mammoth Site is open year round to visitors with an admission cost as follows: $10.14 for adults, $8.29 for seniors 60+, $7.37 for active military and veterans, $7.37 for children 4-12, and children 3 and under are free. The cost of admission includes a 10 minutes introduction video followed by a 30 minute guided tour around the sink hole itself.
The Tourist Experience
After the tours, one is allowed to wander around the dig site in the designated areas, and even watch live digging. It is not inclusive to information on mammoths, but all of the animals of the area and the Great Plains. Currently at the sink hole dig site a total of 61 mammoths have been discovered: 58 Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths. More and more discoveries are made and the site is constantly being developed.
The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota is a tourist attraction to showcase the mammoths discovered on site and the history, as well as an active dig site to keep discovering more fossils and conducting more research.
The history behind the Mammoth Site stems from millions of years ago, when mammoths roamed the earth, and how the natural phenome of a sink hole captured so many mammoths in one single location. The human discovery of the site is also a vital part of its history, as it is how the site became what it is today: an ongoing site for research and a great place for tourists to visit and learn about the animals that roamed South Dakota long ago.
The History of the Mammoths
Long before it was known as the Mammoth Site, mammoths and various other animals roamed the land and were drawn to this site because it was a great water source as it was a spring-fed pond. About 26,000 years ago these mammoths fell into the sinkhole and the area around them collapsed, preserving their bones in the area. For clarification, a sink hole is a cavity in the ground in which water has a pace to escape and allows for whatever enters to fall down into the cavity and essentially disappear.
The History of the Discovery
After many years passed, a construction worker known as George Hanson discovered bones as the area was being prepared for a new subdivision in the year of 1974. Soon a further investigation was conducted and after donations were made, a museum was built up around the site. It was officially deemed National Natural Landmark in 1980.
Admission
The Mammoth Site is open year round to visitors with an admission cost as follows: $10.14 for adults, $8.29 for seniors 60+, $7.37 for active military and veterans, $7.37 for children 4-12, and children 3 and under are free. The cost of admission includes a 10 minutes introduction video followed by a 30 minute guided tour around the sink hole itself.
The Tourist Experience
After the tours, one is allowed to wander around the dig site in the designated areas, and even watch live digging. It is not inclusive to information on mammoths, but all of the animals of the area and the Great Plains. Currently at the sink hole dig site a total of 61 mammoths have been discovered: 58 Columbian and 3 woolly mammoths. More and more discoveries are made and the site is constantly being developed.