Things To Know Before Visiting South Dakota’s Famous Mammoth Site With Young Kids
I’ve never had more than a passing interest in dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures. But ever since I read about Hudson-Meng Bison Kill site in Nebraska, my interest was piqued on major archeological digs in the Midwest. What would it be like to see a massive dig site in action?
Disclosure: The Hot Springs tourism office provided complimentary admission to Mammoth Site of Hot Springs for me and my family. All opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own.
UPDATE: This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated in August 2026.
The question leads to why I wanted to include a stop at Mammoth Site in Hot Springs during my family’s South Dakota road trip. The answer: You’ll be impressed by the experience. More than 60 Colombian and woolly mammoths have been identified there, as well as a number surprising (to me) fossils of camels, llamas and giant short-faced bears, to name just a couple here.
What to expect
Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief: The dig at Mammath Site is in a climate-controlled building (AKA air-conditioned). You’ll want to take a tour, which includes a short film in the beginning and a guided walk around the “in-situ” exhibit (fancy talk for bones being on display as they were discovered). You get headphones to wear so you can hear your guide. My 3-year-old hated them with a passion.
Photography is allowed, but you’re encouraged to wait until after the tour so that you don’t miss whatever the guide is showing next. It’s so tempting, though, to want to snap photos in the moment.
After the tour, you’re free to roam, then proceed to the room next door. It’s full of interesting replicas, including a mammoth model and a walk-in mammoth bone hut. There’s a gift shop full of books, stuffed animals and apparel.
Parent’s tips for visiting with kids
We lucked out and saw Mammoth Site Excavation Committee members at work during our visit. However, the people who timed their visit about 30 minutes after us missed them during their lunch break. Time your visit around the noon hour.
There picnic tables for lunch time, if you packed accordingly and packed a lunch. The tables aren’t far from an outdoor work site.
Bringing little ones here
My kids were 3 and 5 when we visited, so not exactly at the grade levels that have been studying any of this in school. That said, they’ve at least read “Magic Treehouse” books and know a thing or two about woolly Mammoths and other prehistoric creatures. I think this is a great spot to visit with kids at any age!
My 3-year-old daughter, Mooch, lost interest early on in the tour, though. Our 5-year-old fared better. The tour guide provides a lot of facts, but there’s very little hands-on things to keep the truly young interested.
UPDATES: That’s not to say they have nothing kids can touch! Since our visit, Mammoth site has gotten some interactive tables that kids will love. There’s an augmented-reality topographic sandbox, with a projected image on sand that changes as you shift the sands around into larger mounds. There’s also a stream table that shows how water interacts with the environment and how changes affect the water flow. We have a similar table in Omaha at Kiewit Luminarium and it is a popular area! Kids might a little wet.
If you go
Mammoth Site of Hot Springs
- Where: 1800 US 18 Bypass, Hot Springs, South Dakota
- Hours: Open year-round, hours vary depending on the time of year.
- Cost: $11.96-$13.80; kids 3 and younger, FREE
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Planning a trip to South Dakota and Western Nebraska? I wrote a series of posts and reviews of kid-friendly attractions, lodging and a photo-heavy trip recap. Check them out:
