Last Updated on: 29th July 2025, 01:09 pm
Deadwood is widely regarded as one of the best-preserved Old West towns in America. In addition to its historical architecture and beautiful surroundings, many come to learn about its infamous former residents, such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. In the following guide, we’ll be covering the top things to do in Deadwood, all of which can be experienced over the course of several days.
For more information on the best places to stay in the area, be sure to check the end of the article.
Walk Around the Town Center
One of the best things to do in Deadwood is simply walk around and admire its historical architecture. The main touristy street is Main Street, which can get rather crowded. But you can still find plenty of well-preserved buildings in other areas.
In the 19th century, this land was part of Great Sioux Reservation, and whites were forbidden from settling here. But following the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in the 1870s, a mining town nevertheless sprung up and soon attracted thousands of settlers.
As is common in places full of people hoping to get rich quick, Deadwood attracted many criminals. In its early days, it was a dangerous place where violent crime was rampant.
In some cases, the offenders were failed miners who turned to crime to survive. But others came to Deadwood with the sole intention of scamming and robbing. Unsurprisingly, shootouts were quite common in those days.
In 1879, the town experienced a devastating fire and had to rebuild itself almost from scratch. And as the Black Hills Gold Rush was beginning to dwindle, Deadwood was able to rebuild itself as a relatively normal town.
Nevertheless, numerous saloons, brothels and gambling halls remained.
Much more recently, another major fire struck Deadwood in 1987, hurting the town’s already fledgling economy. In response, a campaign was launched to legalize gambling in Deadwood.
As such, when walking around town today, you’ll encounter numerous casinos – some of the only in the US that aren’t in Nevada or on an Indian Reservation.
Even if you’re not a gambler, many of the historical landmarks around town are preserved and maintained thanks to proceeds from the local gambling industry.
Spend enough time walking around central Deadwood and you’ll likely encounter a ‘Main Street Shootout,’ or a theatrical reenactment of some of the town’s wildest historical gunfights.
They help give visitors a small taste of what a lawless place Deadwood was in the 1870s. Learn more here.
As we’ll cover shortly, central Deadwood is home to multiple museums, while overlooking the town is the Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
Also situated within central Deadwood is a long hiking trail known as the Mickelson Trail. While surely a nice feature for locals, I tried part of it but was disappointed to find that it largely runs parallel to a busy main road.
As such, I wouldn’t worry about setting time aside for the Mickelson Trail during your trip – especially considering how many great outdoor attractions are within easy reach (learn more below).
PARKING: If you’re staying central enough, you should be able to reach many of Deadwood’s main attractions on foot. But if you’re not, you’ll have to deal with parking.
While many of the lots around town require fees, here’s a tip: You can park outside the Deadwood History & Information Center for free. You can then walk to many of the other attractions from there.
Visit Deadwood's Museums
The Deadwood History & Information Center
As mentioned above, the Deadwood History & Information Center is a good place to find free parking. This is somewhat ironic, as the building used to be the town’s main railway depot.
Today, in addition to being a good place to learn about things to do around town, you can also find some small exhibits explaining the role which rail played in historical Deadwood. Entrance is free.
The Adams Museum
Just behind the Deadwood History & Information Center is the Adams Museum, one of the town’s must-see destinations. Constructed in 1929, the building was intended as a museum from its inception, and it originally housed a collection of pioneer artifacts.
The Adams Museum is open from Tue.-Sat., 10:00-16:00. Entrance is technically free, though a $5 donation is requested.
The Adams Museum provides biographies on many of Deadwood’s notable historical figures in addition to local Native American culture. You can also watch a short documentary about the tragic fire of 1879.
In addition to countless historical artifacts, one section is even dedicated to the minerals and geology of the Black Hills.
One especially noteworthy piece on display is the original statue placed by Wild Bill’s grave at the Mt. Moriah Cemetery (more below).
It was desecrated over time by those looking to chip away small pieces as souvenirs, and the current sculpture replaced it in 2002.
Days of '76 Museum
To the north of central Deadwood is the Days of ’76 Museum, dedicated to the festival of the same name which commenced in 1924. The museum is open from Tue.-Sat., 10:00-16:00 and costs $10 per person.
While largely focused on that particular event, the museum also provides plenty of information on Deadwood’s history and infamous characters. But what, exactly was the Days of ‘76 Festival?
The idea behind it was to attract tourists to the town – and the Black Hills region as a whole – following the end of the gold rush. Notably, Mount Rushmore did not yet exist at the time.
During the festival, actors have typically dressed up as popular figures from the town’s past. But this was initially controversial given how many of them were involved in crime, gunfights and prostitution. Nevertheless, the festival went on to become a big hit.
Interestingly, it was modeled after Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.
The Days of ’76 Museum provides a lot of similar information to the Adams Museum. And given how much larger this building is, there’s room for even more detail.
With that said, the modern building is which it’s housed just can’t compete with the historical structure of the Adams Museum, while the $10 price tag is a bit steep.
After checking out the main exhibits, you’ll find various wagons in display in the lower level. Fascinatingly, one them functioned as a primitive 19th-century fire wagon.
The Adams House
Another popular museum is Deadwood is the Adams House, the elegant home of W.E. Adams that was constructed in 1892. The house can only be visited as part of a guided tour, with tours beginning at the top of every hour. Tickets cost $12 for adults and $5 for children. Learn more here.
Unfortunately, I didn’t end up getting around to scheduling a visit during my time in Deadwood.
More Deadwood Museums
There are still even more museums in Deadwood to check out for those with more time. One of them is The Brothel Deadwood which teaches visitors about the prominence of brothels in the town’s early history. It’s yet another museum requiring a guided tour, with entry costing $15 per person. Learn more here.
To the north of central Deadwood, meanwhile, is Tatanka Story of Bison, a museum dedicated to the history of bison in the region.
And to the south of Deadwood in the town of Lead is the Black Hills Mining Museum.
Explore Mt. Moriah Cemetery
Established in 1878, Mt. Moriah replaced Deadwood’s original cemetery built two years prior. Over time, numerous legendary figures of the Old West would be buried here.
Entry costs $2 , with proceeds going to the cemetery’s preservation.
Upon entry, you’ll receive a map and brochure with short biographies of important figures interred here. And you can also learn more about them in the museums mentioned above.
Past the entrance gate, one of the first major graves you’ll encounter belongs to none other than Wild Bill Hickok. Born in Illinois in 1837, he later headed out to the Wild West to perform various odd jobs. And he quickly gained respect for being able to handle a pistol with either hand.
He won many shootouts in an era when quick-draw gunfights were common ways to settle arguments. And Wild Bill was even sometimes called upon by local authorities to clean up crime-ridden towns!
His stories and adventures already became legendary while he was still alive, and he was even the subject of popular dime novels.
Wild Bill was even friends with another popular dime novel star who shared the same name: Buffalo Bill. And Hickok once took part on one of Buffalo Bill’s touring shows.
He later headed back west for the Black Hills in 1876, but decided to spend his time playing poker instead of mining. And during one of these games at the No. 10 Saloon, he was shot from behind by an assassin named Jack McCall.
Just next to Wild Bill’s Grave, meanwhile is that of Calamity Jane. Born in Missouri in 1856 as Martha Canary, her family relocated to Montana, but both her parents passed away not long after. To make ends meet, she’d go on to work as a waitress, laundress, and prostitute along the Union Pacific Railway.
She often wore men’s clothing to disguise her gender in order to discretely accompany military expeditions. And like many others at the time, she sought further adventure by heading to Deadwood in the 1870s.
In fact, she even happened to be on the same Deadwood-bound wagon train from Cheyenne as Wild Bill Hickok.
Though she’d continually move from place to place following her initial stint in Deadwood, she returned in 1903. And it was in the area that she’d pass away that same year.
One of her final wishes was to be buried next to Wild Bill Hickok, though the true extent of their personal relationship remains up for debate.
Unlike other historical cemeteries in some parts of the US, most gravestones at Mt. Moriah aren’t particularly large or interesting. Sadly, many of the headstones have been damaged over the years due to both vandalism and weather.
Nevertheless, Mt. Moriah’s scenic hilltop setting and the views of the town below are hard to match.
In addition to graves of notable historical figures that are too numerous to detail here, you’ll find sections dedicated to Civil War veterans, Chinese immigrants, Jews, and children who perished due to epidemics.
While there are countless graves to see in the main area, one noteworthy grave is situated on its own atop an even higher hill that requires a rather tiring hike to ascend.
The grave belongs to Seth Bullock, the first Sheriff of Lawrence County. He also owned a local hardware store and raised racehorses.
We’ll be discussing him more below, along with why he wanted to be buried in this remote location.
Climb The Mt. Roosevelt Friendship Tower
Mt. Roosevelt is about a 15-minute drive out of central Deadwood. It can be a bit tricky to find, as not all of the turns are obvious. Once at the parking area, you can walk along a 0.6-mile trail. It takes visitors to the Friendship Tower while offering great views of the surrounding Black Hills.
Standing at 31 feet tall, the Friendship Tower was constructed in 1919 by Seth Bullock in honor of his friend, Theodore Roosevelt.
In 1884, he had a chance meeting with Theodore Roosevelt who at the time was based in Medora, North Dakota (then all part of the Dakota Territory). Of course, Roosevelt would later be elected president in 1905, but the close friendship between the two men persisted for decades.
As with Roosevelt, Bullock himself was an avid conservationist. Not only did he help promote the protection of Yellowstone before it became a National Park, but he established numerous protected areas in South Dakota.
Among them are Wind Cave National Park, Devils Tower National Monument and Jewel Cave National Monument.
A ceremony took place here upon the tower’s completion, with guest speakers including another conservationist and politician named Peter Norbeck. Be sure to climb up the tower for 360° panoramic views.
Seth Bullock would pass away just three months after the ceremony. And the reason his grave is so high above the others at Mt. Moria is because Mt. Roosevelt can be seen from atop that hill.
Speaking of views, look closely from the top of Mt. Roosevelt and you can even see Bear Butte!
Visit a Nearby Scenic Spot
Deadwood makes for an excellent base for outdoor lovers. Below are just a few of the day trips you can take from town. They could actually all be considered half-day trips, allowing you to spend the rest of each day exploring the town center.
For those with limited time, consider this guided tour which includes both Spearfish Canyon and Devils Tower.
While not featured below, Deadwood is also just about 75 minutes from Custer and under two hours from Badlands National Park.
Spearfish Canyon
Situated along a 19-mile stretch of South Dakota’s Highway 14A, the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway is widely regarded as one of the state’s top scenic drives.
From Deadwood, it’s about a 30-minute drive to the town of Spearfish, from which you can then access the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway from the north.
Much of the area’s beauty can be enjoyed from the road’s pullovers. But there are also plenty of hiking trails to enjoy, while the village of Savoy also serves as a hub for accessing some impressive waterfalls.
Bear Butte State Park
Located just outside the city of Sturgis and an easy drive from Deadwood, Bear Butte State Park is part outdoor, part cultural experience.
In addition to learning about Native American history at the Educational Center, visitors can climb Bear Butte itself – a lone mountain that has long been sacred to the Lakota and various other tribes.
The trail up to the top of Bear Butte is called the Summit Trail. It’s about two miles long with roughly 1000 feet of elevation gain.
Expect the roundtrip hike to take you from around 90 minutes to two hours, while the difficulty level could best be described as moderate.
Devils Tower
The fascinating Devils Tower is located in eastern Wyoming and is only about a 90-minute drive from Deadwood.
The National Monument (America’s very first) features multiple hiking trails that allow visitors to appreciate the mysterious monolith from different angles. Surrounding the tower, meanwhile, is a mix of prairie and ponderosa pine forest.
Additional Info
Not only is Deadwood a destination in its own right, but it also makes for a great base for destinations like Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon and Bear Butte State Park. As such, you’ll want to stay at least several nights.
I stayed at the Deadwood Gulch Resort which I have no complaints about. While not in the town center, it was an easy drive away, while you can also take a shuttle to town if you don’t feel like driving (or parking).
I had a peaceful and quiet stay, though my room was on the upper floor and not overlooking the parking lot. I’d imagine that guests staying on the ground floor facing the lot might have to deal with noise.
Other highly-rated, more central options include Four Points by Sheraton Deadwood, Celebrity Hotel, and Travelodge by Wyndham.