Skip to main content

Plan Your Visit

Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | General admission is FREE, and donations are gladly accepted.
Children looking at exhibits

Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center

Your first stop in Lead, South Dakota!
Davis Ring Exhibit

Visitor Information

Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free Admission | Free Parking | Public Restrooms | Free Wi-Fi | Mobility Accessible | Family Friendly

Top 5 Must-Do's at the Visitor Center:

  1. Take in the view of the expansive Homestake Gold Mine Open-Cut from our observation deck. 
  2. Pose for an Instagram-worthy photo in the Davis Ring, a piece of a Nobel Prize-winning experiment. 
  3. Take a virtual ride on a mine cage traveling 4850 feet below the surface.
  4. Find the perfect gift or souvenir at the Visitor Center Museum Store.
  5. Tell us what you think! Post an online review on our Google, TripAdvisor, or Facebook pages. 

Contact us at (605) 584-3110.

Trolley at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center in Lead, South Dakota

Trolley Tours (Available seasonally)

Your guided trolley tour begins with a tour of the Visitor Center and the Open Cut. Then, hop onboard the trolley for a narrated tour of the city of Lead, South Dakota. The experience culminates with a visit to the Yates Hoistroom at the surface of Sanford Underground Research Facility. There, see the massive hoist machinery that powers travel throughout the underground. Built in the 1930s to support gold mining operations, the hoists are still in use today to transport scientists and research equipment to laboratories nearly 5,000 feet below the surface.

Tour Prices: $15 adults ages 13-59 | $12 ages 6-12 | $12 seniors 60 and up | Free for ages 0-5

Reserve Your Trolley Tour today at Black Hills Vacations. You will be redirected to Black Hills Vacations booking engine. Select your date to check availability. 

Map of the Visitor Center location

Location and Parking

Google Map Directions

The Visitor Center is located just three miles from Deadwood in the heart of Lead, South Dakota at 160 West Main Street. Our location is easily accessible from highways 14A and 85/385.

The Visitor Center parking lot is spacious and free. RV's and tour buses are welcome. 

Make the most of your visit to Lead by exploring the many local restaurants, shops, museums, recreation areas and parks. Several options are within walking distance of the Visitor Center, including a free splash-pad (seasonal) at Manuel Brother's Park. 

Bus and Tour Groups

The Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center is a top attraction for tour groups visiting the Black Hills.

About the Visitor Center

Free Admission | Family Friendly | Trolley Tours Seasonally | Bus Groups Welcome | Museum Store | Meeting and Event Space