A Favorite Place

Traveling along the main East-West route, I-90 in South Dakota, the highway is pretty flat and boring, occasionally the monotony is broken up by a corn field or a well weathered billboard.  One little gem of a stop we've discovered is the 1880's Town in Murdo, South Dakota. 

It is a collection of buildings from the Old West that date from the mid to late 1800's that were collected and moved to Murdo instead of being torn down.  They are arranged in an actual town. 

Along with the buildings, Old West artifacts populate the buildings, the school house has authentic desks and a coal stove that kept the students warm in winter.  The blacksmith shop has the tools that were used to forge implements that helped win the West.

A saloon has a stage where dancing girls performed for the cowboys in from the range and has a bar that today serves soft drinks and snack. Our granddaughters, Taylor and Kierra danced on the stage, they twirled so fast the camera couldn't keep up.

There is even a costume shop where, for a minimal charge, children can dress up like cowboys and frontier ladies.

A collection of props that were used in the movie Dances With Wolves are on display, including some of the sets.  Here Taylor tries out Keven Costner's tent,

and she stands next to one of the prop horses.

A buckboard on the main street invited the girls to climb aboard.

Across the street is a huge parking lot for even the largest RV.

Just down the street is a KOA, too. 

The 1880 Town is a fun stop for several hours, the admission fee is reasonable and gives an authentic taste of the Old West.

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.