Cosmos Mystery Area Admission
4.5
Cosmos Mystery Area Admission
By Cosmos Mystery Area
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 15 per group
Duration: 40m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Local guide
- Entry/Admission - Cosmos Mystery Area
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 65674P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Not wheelchair or stroller accessible
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 65674P1
From
$19.05
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- coreene3940 contributionsA very fun,crazy experience - a must do while visiting Rapid City!!Soooo much fun!!!! My daughter and I had an amazing time, you have to see it to believe it! We plan to go back to SD and we will definitely experience this again.Written February 10, 2024
- AlyssaC1710 contributionsUnique fun experience and pet friendly!!!This was so fun! I loved how dogs are allowed! All the kids in the group had a blast. If you have kids I would recommend taking them but it’s fun for adults too!Written July 12, 2023
- pamelao9120 contributionsSo interesting/highly recommendSo interesting! Our guide, Kara, was great! She was mindful sharing ways and spots that might be helpful to those who get dizzy easily. And I love my rock/geode. Highly recommend!Written April 24, 2023
- Lawdog730 contributionsmind melting goofy stuffDon't try to figure it out, just enjoy the whackiness of it all. We had a good time. Kids enjoyed the stuff. I'm sure there are tricks here, but I don't know how they did it...Written February 5, 2023
- turtlegirlkita0 contributionsGood for kidsIf you have kids I'm sure they would really enjoy this, but we were a group of all adults and we thought it was kind of silly. Just a slanted building on a hill.Written August 7, 2022
- Kimraem0 contributionsOur tour guide was excellent!Emma was our tour guide and was very personable! Our grandkids liked walking through to see all the mystery. They also were able to volunteer for various demonstrations, they enjoyed it very much. Afterwards they got to dig for geodes and help 'crack' them open. That was extra, but really a pretty good value.Written June 30, 2022
- P7858QWcathyh0 contributionsA Favorite StopI have been to the cosmos three times; first time when I was a teenager, then again as an adult. Our most recent visit was with our children and grandchildren and it was a lot of fun seeing their excitement. Must see!Written June 24, 2022
- Stasia M0 contributionsMehWe wanted to take the kids and it was ok, but we felt rushed and they put extra people in with our large party so it wasn't as fun. We were through very quickly. Our guide was great and had a fun personality but it was a waste of money imo.Written June 1, 2022
- ColoradoTravelsWorld0 contributionsSuper weird!My teens and I enjoyed our stop at Cosmos. It is a pretty short visit - about 45 minutes - and it really was an interesting stop. I would not take people who have a hard time climbing hills to this attraction, as it is a steep climb and if you get vertigo easily, it could mess you up quickly. But, if you're agile and willing to try, it's a fun trip!Written April 23, 2022
- 560catherined0 contributionsGoofyI've been coming to Cosmos Mystery Area practically since it opened. Our group of 8 family members went this August. The kids and grandkids loved it. I got a little vertigo - it is truly odd and disorienting. Kind of goofy, but fun. Our guide was very entertaining.Written August 8, 2021
- SteveWI00010 contributionsLoved it! Don't miss this.What a fun place! Our guide was Michael--he made the experience a lot of fun and entertaining. The idea of defying gravity and balance was very clever! I wouldn't recommend this place for people who have physical walking limitations.Written July 30, 2021
- Peter L0 contributionsFun PlaceVisited 7/21/21. Grandkids loved it, and even though it was poring rain they still had a good time. Guide tried to make it funny and was very pleasant.Written July 27, 2021
- Z2702WOjenniferm0 contributionsMust-See Stop For KidsWe decided to check out the Cosmo Mystery Area for my 9 year old son. Of course he loved it and felt completely befuddled at some of the demonstrations. I admit, it is a mystery! He did the geode cracking as well and is so proud of his souvenir that he got to pick and break open himself!Written July 14, 2021
- Sara K0 contributionsWeirdThis was fun and weird at the same time, so if you visit, just go with it, and have a good time. Everyone in the car felt a little queasy afterward, and that took a few hours to get over, so if you have any motion sickness or balance issues, just be aware. It was really interesting, and the "tour" guide was bubbly.Written July 8, 2021
- Mljuno0 contributionsKid’s favorite part of trip!!I was here with my parents (73 & 68), my sister (47), nephew (24), and 2 kids 14 & 9. We all loved this place!! In fact, the younger ones said it was their favorite part of our weeklong trip! If you have motion sickness it may not be for you but we loved it! Our tour guide was amazing and she was funny!! Just go check it out!!Written July 3, 2021
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
178 reviews
Excellent
120
Very good
39
Average
9
Poor
7
Terrible
3
Payten C
1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Couples
I wasn't going to leave a review but since you are prompting me to do so, I will. I first came to the Cosmos back when I was a little girl on vacation with my family. It has always stuck with me and I was excited to take my fiance to experience it. We booked an 11:00 Tuesday slot (06/15/2021). First, our group was WAY too large. We couldn't all fit into the large building and my fiance and I ended up having to stand outside the doorway while our guide spoke and then while crammed inside the building we had kids flying around the room stepping on us, etc. This would've been okay if our guide wasn't rushing the group. She repeatedly told us we would have all the time in the world to try out the demos and get to take pics, etc. and then spent half the time snapping at people to hurry and move on. Because the group was half children of course we let them do it all but this meant we basically paid to watch kids experience it. We were not the only childless adults there and the others expressed the same frustrations. Fun, but definitely NOT worth the money. By the second room our guide was very clearly annoyed and didn't even bother hiding it. I totally understand she needed to stay on a schedule and there was another tour behind us, but that is NOT our problem. The tours were overbooked, plain and simple. She didn't offer to take pics for anyone and we had to ask another family to while she just stood in the corner looking pissed. As we walked down the hill multiple of us in the group mentioned feeling disappointed and RUSHED (we barely got any time for anything, got one pic because the room was so packed and the activities were all full) and like we wasted money. All in all, very disappointing that something I was so excited to do again as an adult was overshadowed by bad attitudes and time limits.
Written June 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry you felt that way. We will work to address your concerns.
Written June 19, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cindy E
Glencoe, MN302 contributions
Interesting phenomenon. A group of about 20 is led by a tour guide through several locations that defy gravity. It does require a bit of physical stamina to walk up stairs and then go walk against the gravitational pull. Guides do a lot of corny jokes and keeps the group chuckling. Cost was $13 per adult admission / tour lasted about 30 minutes.
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our price is $12 for adults; $6 for children. Our tours are designed for forty minutes. What could we do to earn a better rating?
Written June 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ValTski
2 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
I wanted to take my kids to the Cosmos Mystery Area to have the same experience I had when I was younger-very cool! The reason for 3 stars is the experience should have lasted about an hour as advertised, but was only about 35 minutes. It was extremely rushed, and several of the demonstrations were skipped. When one of the customers in our group asked why the chair demonstration was not being done (the chair was sitting right there) the tour guide said “we are behind schedule and that takes at least five minutes”. Im disappointed that my family didn’t get the full experience that they should have, because this place is a very unique and awesome thing to visit while in the Black Hills. If we would have gotten the full experience I would have definitely given it 5 stars!!
Written July 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our tours are planned for forty minutes. We are not demonstrating the truth chair at this time due to social distancing and and the pandemic. We will have a discussion with our guides to ensure clarity. I am sorry you had this experience. Come back and give us another chance - on us.
Written July 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
GlennS
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
Not overly impressed. Teenagers working the check in area were sitting on the counter when we got there and acted put out to get up and check us in. The tour guide was monotone and you could tell she was going off a script she had memorized in her head. For what I paid to take a family of 5, I expected better. At least a tour guide who seemed to enjoy her job would have been nice.
Written July 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’re sorry you had that experience. We will check into it. Come back again and give us another try - on us.
Written July 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
J B
1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
My kids always love coming to the Cosmos. My review is for those who are trying to vacation while social distancing. I booked reservations online which made it look like there would only be 20 in each tour. There were almost 40 people on our tour and it was very crowded. The staff wear masks, our family of 4 wore masks, and there was only one other family in our group that was masked. It is impossible to stay 6 feet from others on this tour unless they would limit it to 10-15 people. Even in regular times, 40 is a very crowded group.
Written July 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our maximum tour size is 20. Don’t know how you determined 40. We cannot accommodate that many people at one time during a tour. Our policies and practices ensure consistency in that regard.
Written July 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Denise Olson
Los Angeles, CA309 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
If you get Covid-19, it was from here. There is 0 going on and their response to another review is an absolute lie. There is no cleaning in between groups. We were rushed in behind a group, and another group came up on our backs. There was no one cleaning in between. Apparently for a short time the limited guests to 10 to a tour. Well, that went out the window and it was packed. Small, confided “cabin” with no social distancing space. Everyone touching everything. No cleaning products around, no one waiting to clean in between tours. They are outright lying about that. Tour guide said they tried to advocate for social distancing and the owners said no. How greedy. They got our $50. Don’t let them get yours and sick at the same time. There was even a woman coughing in our tour. No mention of asking the woman to leave. These poor high school guides having to put themselves in this job for greedy owners looking to make a buck. Everywhere else we went to in South Dakota actually did a good job of cleaning and distancing. It’s “not the point” for guests to “not notice you’re cleaning”. You actually want us to see that happen so we know it happens. We were 45 minutes early for our tour. Not once did anyone go into the bathrooms to clean (which we’re disgusting) and not once did anyone clean any surface or handrail. Avoid at all costs.
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are spraying sodium hypochlorite in the cabins on a frequent basis and hand cleaning high touch surfaces. What we tried to do was make this “invisible” to our customers, and I think that’s where we may have made a mistake. I assure you these activities are occurring and what we will do going forward is make it visible to our customers. That’s probably where we made our error in implementation. Additionally we have installed ionizing filters in our AC and air handling systems to preclude the airborne particles, for which it is now known to be the primary source of transmission, from affecting our guests and employees. Your comments regarding making our efforts more visible are the valuable and are the accurate and beneficial element of your review. We will address that today. Thanks for pointing that out.
Written July 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kimberly S
Cuyahoga Falls, United States14 contributions
Jul 2021
My teenage boys enjoyed the tricks and optical illusions but my husband and I felt like it was a waste of money. It was 30-40 minutes to walk up a hill and experience a few "tricks". There are better values in town to spend time and money.
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry you felt that way. Enjoy your time in the Black Hills.
Written July 4, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SKK
Vermillion, SD1 contribution
Nothing was being cleaned or sanitized in between groups. No sanitizer stations during the tour. This would be the easiest thing. People in our group tried keeping their distance but obviously due to the size of the attraction itself it's not real easy. My children still enjoyed it and that was the entire point. I believe our tour guide was Lindsey and she did great. None of this was her fault. I am glad the attraction is open during this but it doesn't take much time to go into a room and spray some Lysol at least. They were watching the numbers in the store, which was appreciated but once on the tour it was like, "grab this railing that probably 50-100 people have touched today. Even if you won't be sanitizing, make a sign saying we won't be cleaning in between tours being your own sanitizer on the tour.
Written July 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have established cleaning procedures for the Cabins; bathrooms; and all high touch surfaces. After every tour each cabin is wiped down with sodium hypochlorite. You didn’t see them clean, as that is our intention. We are as worried as you about this pandemic and are doing all that we can to ensure our customers and staff are safe.
Written July 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SSmith
Chicago3 contributions
May 2021
I felt like I was drunk on a ship walking into this wonky house. The pull was crazy, watching the ball roll uphill was weird and this was an overall impressive experience for my teens. I would go back just to experience it again and understand what was happening - that's the only thing I wish I could understand is the science behind it.
Written May 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’re not telling the physics behind the experience. It’s gravity man. What could we do to earn five stars?
Written June 9, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FrequentFlier769850
Brunssum, The Netherlands19 contributions
So I remembered coming here as a kid with my grand parents. It has not changed much except that now the tour guide really tries to sell this weird gravity lie and story about college students. It is a pretty good optical illusion with fun displays. But as a science teacher I was really bothered that they kept lying to my young girls who I actually had to explain that gravity doesn’t work that way. Even sadder many of the adults left thinking that it was true ( a sad state for American education :(
Written October 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry you felt that way about our version of family fun. We have been in business 70 years and it is our objective for our visitors to have an enjoyable and fun experience. Sorry you did not. Don’t let you day job spoil your time away from work.
Written October 6, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Would this be difficult to do with an 18 month old toddler?
Written June 6, 2022
I don’t see a time posted... does it matter when we show up on the day we choose?
Written April 26, 2019
Showing results 1-3 of 3
