A dino-sized tradition
By Kristen Hampshire

Dinosaur Park has been sparking family memories with a gift shop full of affordable gifts & souvenirs since 1936.

There’s an 80-foot-long brontosaurus named Deano straddling the city skyline along Dakota Hogback Ridge, with a southward view toward the Black Hills — and this is just one of seven, live-sized dinos constructed from concrete and on display in a family friendly destination nestled in Rapid City, South Dakota, about 20 minutes from Mount Rushmore.


It all started with bringing tourism to the Black Hills, part of a Works Progress Administration effort led by the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who rolled out New Deal programs designed to put people to work on public projects. Dinosaur Park emerged from the landscape in 1936 and has attracted generations of visitors ever since.


Photos: Ryan Becker

Katie Stoltz and her family soak in stories from tourists’ summer road trips to the park. In January, she and her fiancé Chris Solberg will take over the Dinosaur Park Gift Shop & Visitor’s Center that her stepdad and mom, Chuck and Vicki McLain, have been operating for about 18 years.


Growing up in Rapid City, Stoltz says, “No matter where you were, you could look up at the hills and see the dinosaurs.”


She says kids have always loved sitting on the tail of the brontosaurus or climbing the stegosaurus. The experience begins at the gift shop, where guests find dino memorabilia and souvenirs reflecting the region.
Stoltz says, “It has been our family’s mission to keep everything affordable here so visitors can come in, get a treat and take home a T-shirt, souvenir or toy. Most families who come leave with something.”



Q. How does the gift shop help guests take home a piece of the park?

A.We want everyone to have an opportunity to take home a memento from their visit here, which is why we offer T-shirts under $20, sweatshirts for $25 and even a $9.99 Mount Rushmore shirt. Our T-shirts and hats are always a hit, and we work with Prairie Mountain and some local companies like Park Bench Apparel. At the end of each season, we’ll sit down with them and look through their T-shirt selections so we can offer new items. Kids love the rock bins and the gem bag station where they can fill a bag with crystals for just $5.99, and we also have a kids’ area with toys, stuffed animals, books, puzzles and little trinkets like Mount Rushmore and dinosaur statues.



Q. How do you source new products for the gift shop?

A. We work with vendors to introduce new selections, and in February we go to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show to bring back unique pieces like amethysts and fossils. We also like to check out the International Gift Exposition Show (IGES) in Sevierville, Tennessee. This is usually where we find all of the toys, T-shirts and jewelry by brands like Wheeler, Wild Pearle and Cool Jewels.



Q What do you enjoy most about being part of Dinosaur Park’s legacy?

A. For me, it’s hearing the stories. Generations of families have been coming here since the dinosaurs were built in 1936. Visitors bring in black-and-white photos of their grandparents at the park and recreate them with their kids today. I love talking with people about the history of the park, the dinosaurs and the Black Hills. It’s fun to be part of something that connects families and has been a landmark for nearly 90 years.


And I have a very personal connection with the region and this place, having grown up here. My great-grandfather is Doan Robinson, who was the Father of Mount Rushmore and our first state historian. I’m proud to carry on this tradition.