SURF welcomes friends and family on underground tours

In April, Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) opened its doors to friends and family of employees of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) and employees of Fermilab’s Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment / Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (LBNF/DUNE). 

The tour included a visit to the 4850 Level Ross Campus of SURF and the massive laboratory space being outfitted for LBNF/DUNE. 

In total, 478 people toured the 4850 Level DUNE space at SURF across two weekends.

The event’s success was made possible by the efforts of numerous SDSTA and Fermilab staff members who volunteered their time and expertise. Among them was SDSTA chief of staff Mandy Knight, who played a key role in organizing the tours, including compliance with safety and access requirements, scheduling cage times, managing logistics, and overseeing volunteer efforts. 

“A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our 2026 Friends & Family Days,” said Knight. “The positive feedback and smooth execution reflect the dedication, teamwork, and leadership across this entire group.”

The tours are one way to thank the friends and family who provide support to all those working at SURF. The tours also build ambassadors for the world-class research and education underway at America’s Underground Lab.

"Seeing a piece of local history transformed into a world-renowned science center, nearly a mile underground, is pretty incredible. Equal parts history lesson and science adventure,” said Spencer Rossi, a Northern Hills resident who works with Top Shelf Realty and who was among those on an underground tour. 

"My visit to SURF was one of the most memorable experiences I have had in South Dakota,” said Tung Nguyen who works in marketing for the University of South Dakota Discovery District. "The collaboration itself—scientists and engineers from many countries working together on multi-decade infrastructure—demonstrates how relationships and shared facilities become the real architecture of progress."

The last friends and family tour at SURF took place in 2018. COVID interrupted plans for a tour in the 2020 timeframe. The most recent tour was conducted safely over the weekend to limit disruption to the ongoing work on DUNE. There is no timeframe for when the next friends of family tour of SURF could take place—it will depend on resources and status of ongoing projects at SURF.