Black Hills History - There’s Food & Drink in Them Thar Hills

Every town has one, not the dive bar or a disreputable drinking establishment, but the time capsule that preserves the everyday lives of our towns, their citizens and how they relaxed at the end of the day.  What is on the walls of your local tavern or pub?  What stories does it tell about your community and its people?  Join us for a journey through time as we travel the Black Hills in search of those kinds of stories.  This is not necessarily an eating & drinking tour, nor do we advocate or require excessive temperance or out-of -control abstinence.  Rather, it is a treasure hunt in the archives of local community watering holes and what they tell us about the peoples who gathered there.

Explore local history through the lens of bar stools, shot glasses, old signs and photographs.  Experience the places where the daily lives of Black Hills pioneers were discussed and shared with their comrades and peers.  Local miners, ranchers, merchants and others left their imprint in these establishments and their spirits still linger there today.  Visit places with names like: Saloon #10 in Deadwood, Casino Bar in Central City, Moonshine Gulch Saloon in Rochford, Full Throttle Saloon or The Oasis Bar in Sturgis, The Mangy Moose and Chute Roosters in Hill City.  There you may gather insights about what it was like to live in these communities and experience Black Hills History from a new vantage point.

Food and refreshments may be purchased and consumed at a stop chosen by group consensus.  Tour times and route may be customized to have a lunch or dinner stop at a favorite place. Since some places have seasonal and reduced hours we may have to change the route due to availability.  But don’t worry; there will always be plenty of places to stop and wet-your-whistle.