United States
South Dakota (SD)
Rapid City
Things to Do in Rapid City
Cosmos Mystery Area

Cosmos Mystery Area, Rapid City: Hours, Address, Cosmos Mystery Area Reviews: 4/5

See all things to do

Cosmos Mystery Area

See all things to do
See all things to do
Cosmos Mystery Area
4
1,042
#2 of 23 Fun & Games in Rapid City
Mysterious Sites • Game & Entertainment Centers
Read more
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Write a review
About
You'll wonder how it all works at this mysterious attraction where you can stand on the walls and balls roll uphill. The 40-minute tour will amaze and delight adults and children of all ages. Opening April 12th for the 2019 season
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view

Top ways to experience Cosmos Mystery Area and nearby attractions

The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
27 within 3 miles
Powder House Lodge Restaurant
1,577
1.4 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Steakhouse • Vegetarian Friendly
Cruizzers
317
2.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • American • Pizza
Janes Boardwalk Pizza
470
2.2 mi$ • Quick Bites • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
Ruby House Restaurant
1,712
2.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Vegetarian Friendly
Big Thunder Gold Mine Eatery
87
2 mi$ • American • Bar
Brgr 61
98
2.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites • American
Boss' Pizza & Chicken
237
2.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pizza
Turtle Town
121
2.2 mi$ • Dessert • American
The Front Porch Restaurant and Bar
118
2.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
BaRLee's
580
2.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar
See all
Attractions
27 within 6 miles
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
11,662
National Parks • Monuments & Statues
Rushmore Tramway Adventures
1,533
2.6 miAmusement & Theme Parks
Big Thunder Gold Mine
1,220
2 miMines
Iron Mountain Road
1,691
Scenic Drives
Presidential Trail
1,450
Hiking Trails
National Presidential Wax Museum
378
2.5 miSpeciality Museums
Prairie Berry Winery
556
Wineries & Vineyards
Rush Mountain Adventure Park
702
Amusement & Theme Parks
Dahl's Chainsaw Art
47
2.4 miArt Galleries
Halley's 1880 Store
35
1.9 miAntique Shops
See all
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
1,042 reviews
Excellent
483
Very good
342
Average
144
Poor
45
Terrible
28
LaurenP
Chisago City, MN5 contributions
DON’T visit if you care at all about COVID and social distancing
Aug 2020 • Family
The experience itself is really fun and my kids, 9 and 5, loved it. However, it is a guided group tour. Our group had about 20 people, most of which were unmasked. They encourage you to huddle around areas and inside the structures. Inside, there is no way to stay a safe distance apart. You are arm to arm with strangers. They only give you about 10 minutes in each area during which they do demonstrations, so you can’t even fall back and wait for an area to clear out. They require you to come completely inside the rooms/areas before continuing with the tour. When I said I was uncomfortable, I was told we had to pack in and close the door. They could operate this safely by offering self-guided tours and limiting the number of people at a time, or reducing the group sizes, but choose not to. Again, neat experience, but if you think this is a fun, open air, COVID safe activity, think again. If you don’t care about COVID, it’s worth the stop and your family will love it. Aside from not being COVID safe, my only con is that with groups that large, it felt very rushed and we could have used more time to try things out and take pictures.
Written August 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kimraem
Princeton, MN248 contributions
Our tour guide was excellent!
Jun 2022
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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jimlaj
Our guides are the best. Thanks.
Written July 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jennifer M
6 contributions
Must-See Stop For Kids
Jul 2021
We 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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
VerEChoosE
Omaha, NE35 contributions
MUST DO!!! Don't miss out!
Sep 2020
I have been to one of these types of places before when in California, so I really wanted to take my friend here while in Rapid City. I had to drag her here. Turns out, she liked it the most out of all the places and things we did on vacation. She couldn't stop talking about it (7-hour drive home and she brought it up, laughing, and saying how much she enjoyed it over and over and over again!) Mysterious place but keeps you thinking about it and the fun you had for a long time afterwards.
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Shekou_1
Islamorada, FL37 contributions
Must see - quick and cheap!
May 2020 • Family
My little mini 9yr old engineer is still raving about this place, of course he had it figured out before we even entered the cabin. Really interesting to think how strong gravity is when it’s opposite of what your mind thinks. Even though nothing moves if you get seasick, be aware and know you can easily step outside to recalibrate. Honestly this was cooler than the presidents on a mountain!!
Written May 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jimlaj
Thanks for the great review.
Written June 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
BHartz
Cheyenne, WY43 contributions
Quirky but fun
Jul 2020
A quirky but fun place to visit for a little while. Upon arrival we were able to get tickets for the next tour. Our guide was fun and energetic getting everyone involved. The mystery house was the main stop on the tour with several strange things being pointed out by the guide.

A good place to visit on your way to or from seeing Rushmore.
Written July 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jimlaj
Thanks for the nice review.
Written July 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
ColoradoTravelsWorld
233 contributions
Super weird!
May 2021
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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
lovetime2vacation
North Edgecomb, ME99 contributions
Crazy optical illusion
Jul 2020
Worth the 11 bucks a head just to see how you react to going inside the building. I had to close my eyes until my brain could catch up to the optical illusion. Very cool place and our guide was hysterical! would highly recommend for an afternoon. Get your tickets online if you have a specific time you want. if you show up and you have to wait an hour...there is not much else to do there.
Written August 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Angela K
Schaller, IA5 contributions
Cute
Aug 2020
This was an interesting location. While my older children were able to differentiate that it wasn't really gravitational forces at work, but visual perception alterations. The families with younger kids were definitely enjoying the mystic forces.
Written August 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Sara K
Jackson, MS34 contributions
Weird
May 2021
This 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
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 1,041
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Frequently Asked Questions about Cosmos Mystery Area
Cosmos Mystery Area is open:
  • Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Cosmos Mystery Area tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 1 Cosmos Mystery Area tours on Tripadvisor