South Dakota Miscellaneous Topics

The deepest mine in the United States, the Homestake gold mine (now defunct) is in the Black Hills of South Dakota, near the town of Lead. Its shaft plunges more than 8,000 feet (2,400 m) beneath the surface. From 1969 to 1993, it was home to the Homestake Chlorine Solar Neutrino Experiment, famous for detecting the solar neutrino problem. The South Dakota State Legislature and governor recently passed legislation giving the mine to the National Science Foundation for use as an underground research laboratory.

South Dakota is home to the largest naturally heated indoor swimming pool in the world. Evans Plunge, heated from natural mineral springs, is in Hot Springs.

The Black Hills of South Dakota was one of the sites considered for the permanent home of the United Nations.

South Dakota has the largest U.S. population of Hutterites, who originally emigrated from Ukraine in 1874, left en masse for Canada in 1918 following persecution over their pacifist religious beliefs, and partially returned in the 1930s.

The largest and most complete fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex ever found was uncovered near Faith in 1990. Named "Sue," the remains are over 90% complete and are currently on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

The 1990 movie Dances with Wolves directed by and starring Kevin Costner as Lieutenant John Dunbar was filmed entirely in South Dakota.

Three US Navy ships have been named USS South Dakota in honor of the state.

Five of South Dakota's counties lie entirely within Indian reservations. They are: Corson, Dewey, Shannon, Todd, and Ziebach.

Pierre is the second-smallest (in terms of population) state capital; only Montpelier, Vermont, has fewer people.

The 68-mile-long Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway offers views of the Black Hills along Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road.

South Dakota state quarter