Checking Out The Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center

If your vacation finds you exploring the streets of historic Deadwood in South Dakota I highly suggest taking a short drive to the neighboring city of Lead to check out the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center.

Located on the edge of the 1,250-foot-deep Open Cut, an iconic Black Hills landmark, this free facility is full of incredible exhibits.

The center not only discusses the history of the 125-year-old Homestake Gold Mine but also the future of the Sanford Underground Research facility. This scientific research station operates 4,850 feet underground and one of its current major experiments is the search for dark matter!

My favorite piece in the entire center was the Stargate located next to the entrance.

Ok, so maybe it’s actually a cylindrical tank that was used in Ray Davis’s Nobel Prize winning neutrino experiment in the Homestake Mine and not a Stargate.

To me and Jamey though it looked a hell of a lot like a Stargate and Jamey tried multiple times to activate it (it’s the feature image in this post). I mean neutrinos sound interesting and all, but so does traveling to another planet in a blink of an eye.

After checking out all the cool mining equipment outside make your way into the visitor center for more unique displays. Exhibits inside include historic photographs and educational videos as well as science and mining artifacts.

A 3-D model of the mine, named The World Below, is suspended between the ceiling and floor.

This model is a detailed display of the Homestake Mine from the surface down to the 8,000-foot level. The walls are lined top to bottom with numerous informative displays and there is a lot to take in.

One of my favorite pieces inside was a former elevator cage from the Homestake Mine. It includes a multi-screen audiovisual experience that simulates an actual descent into the mine.

I am extremely claustrophobic so I could never imagine sharing such a small space with a bunch of people. I also wouldn’t be traveling 4,800 feet below the surface of the earth to work so I guess it really wouldn’t be an issue.

If you want a unique experience why not hit a Hole in One at the visitor center.

For a small fee (I think it was five bucks) you can hit a golf ball off the observation deck into the giant hole the mine created. If you happen to have purchased the coupon book in Deadwood I believe there’s a free coupon for it inside.

Even if you don’t want to hit a golf ball be sure to spend some time on the observation deck. You will be amazed by just how massive the Open Cut hole the mine created is.

The Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center is a very cool place to check out and I highly recommend it if your in the area. Close to Deadwood this whole area of South Dakota makes an incredible vacation spot that could easily keep you occupied for weeks.