National Register of Historic Places

Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion

Rockerville, Pennington County, South Dakota
Listed
December 14, 1995
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
95001475

About this property

The Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion is a historic event venue on the south side of U.S. Highway 16 northeast of Rockerville, South Dakota, near the Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns. Built in 1934, it hosted the Duhamel Sioux Indian Pageant, a Lakota tourist performance created by Black Elk in 1927. The pageant ran every summer until its discontinuation in 1957. A major attraction in the 1930s, its purpose was to not only profit off of tourism to the nearby Black Hills and Mount Rushmore but also—according to Black Elk—to represent Lakota traditions in a respectful, authentic way. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 as a venue of enduring cultural and religious significance, and for its association with Black Elk.

Location

Rockerville, Pennington County, South Dakota
43.97261, -103.31285

Categories

RELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORYENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Civilian Conservation Corp Camp F-10
Industrial
3.8 mi
Chapel in the Hills
Industrial
5.3 mi
Black Hills Model Home
Industrial
7.4 mi
Keystone Trading Company Store
Industrial
7.5 mi
Keystone School
Civil War
7.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion listed on the National Register?

Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion?

Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion?

The period of significance for Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion is recorded as the industrial era.

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