It was a cold blustery fall day when we last visited Rapid City. It had snowed over night, the precipitation turning to episodes of sleet and rain during the day. My wife and I had warm waterproof jackets and shoes, so we decided that despite the elements we would use our day to explore downtown Rapid City.
A highlight of Rapid City’s downtown district is a self-guided walking tour called the “City of Presidents”. It features statues of the past Presidents of the United States, situated on a number of street-corners in downtown. The statues are the inspiration of local businessman, Don Perdue. At the end of the last millennium he came up with the idea of placing life-sized brass sculptures of the Presidents within Rapid City. His inspiration was to try to encourage travelers heading to Mt. Rushmore to spend some extra time (and money) in Rapid City. Each statue has been sponsored by donations, largely from local businesses but also from private citizens, and is identified by a plaque placed at the base of the statue. The art was created by South Dakota artists and the project took 10 years to complete. The presidential display extends to #44 (Barack Obama), but I’m sure there will be more additions soon.
I enjoyed your post. I visited Rapid City a few years ago. It’s fun to find each sculpture and try to remember the history surrounding each president.