6 Cheap And Free Things To Do in Lead, South Dakota
Lead is located in Lawrence County, South Dakota and is home to almost 3,000 residents.
The town was settled in 1876, and incorporated in 1877 and was home to the Homestake Mining Company for over 100 years.
In 1974, most of Lead was added to the National Register of Historic Places under the name of the Lead Historic District.
Below are some cheap and free things to do during your visit.
Mural Project Walking Tour: Almost twenty murals are scattered around the town of Lead. Many can be seen just by walking around the small downtown area.
You can pick up a free pamphlet at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center.
Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center: The center has incredible exhibits discussing the history of the 125-year-old Homestake Gold Mine. It also discusses the Sanford Underground Laboratory at Homestake now in operation.
It is located on the edge of the 1,250-foot-deep Open Cut and is free to visit.
Black Hills Mining Museum: The museum has some great displays on the mining history of the Black Hills of South Dakota. There is also a simulated underground gold mine tour which is pretty cool.
Adult tickets are $8 for the museum only or $15 for the museum and mine tour. Children 9 and under are free.
Pizza Lab: The Pizza Lab is an independently owned and family-operated establishment serving pizza, ribs, wings, breadsticks, and salads. They have arcade games, pool tables and a bar serving alcohol.
The breadsticks are to die for!
Hike The Homestake Trail: The Homestake Trail is a 5.7 mile out and back trail that follows the old railroad lines and connects the cities of lead and Deadwood.
Broken Boot Gold Mine: At the Broken Boot, experienced guides take you through guided tours of an abandoned gold mine. They also offer gold panning.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for ages 6-17, and free for those 5 and under.
For more information on anything listed above click on the link for my full post.
We boondocked for free in the Black Hills National Forest above the city of Deadwood at Top Of The Mountain Dispersed Camping. If you prefer hook-ups there are multiple RV parks in Deadwood or your choice of hotels.
Deadwood is only fifteen minutes away from Lead so it’s easy to visit both towns during your vacation.
I did a post on free and cheap things you can do in Deadwood you can check out here.
