Speciality Museums

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Monday

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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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

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About

Located only minutes from Mount Rushmore in the town of Keystone in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, the National Presidential Wax Museum is an exciting patriotic experience for the whole family. Meet over 100 lifelike wax figures, including all 46 U.S. presidents, all depicted in stunning visual recreations of iconic moments in U.S. presidential history. Explore the stories behind the faces with a self-guided audio tour narrating the context and history of each scene. Witness the intricacies of the wax sculpture process with a seven-minute theater video showcasing the museum’s ten artists as they create America’s leaders out of wax and bring a vision to reality. Play the part of the White House press secretary and give a speech from a teleprompter podium in a spot-on recreation of the White House press briefing room! The National Presidential Wax Museum also boasts a huge gift shop filled with unique and quirky gifts that can’t be found anywhere else in the Black Hills.

Duration: 1-2 hours

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See what travelers are saying

ManningAvenger
Sellersburg, Indiana1,999 contributions
Wax figures are well done
The wax figures are very good. Almost comparable to Madame Toussand's. Every single president is represented along with some first ladies. Other historic American figures are seen here, too. Make sure to use a coupon and arrive before 11 AM to save several dollars.
Visited September 2023
Traveled as a couple
Written September 23, 2023
angeleyes27
Brigantine, New Jersey5,334 contributions
Interesting esp Bush figure, but please keep it neutral
This museum was okay, pretty interesting with some good figures especially the George Bush 9-11 one . The presentation was good and you got an audio guide that told a little narrative about the president in each exhibit. A lot of the wax figures didn’t look anything like the President especially Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. I was disappointed in the Donald Trump narrative. The country is divided politically enough without trying to add more fuel to the fire. Best to keep it neutral with just facts.
Visited June 2023
Traveled as a couple
Written October 21, 2023
jsbairmtsu
43 contributions
Sure, why not!?
Is it amazing? No. Is it a fun quick novelty, yes. Found a coupon in one of the vacation magazines around and decided just to see what this tourist trap was all about. Its fun. Some of the wax figures look freakishly real, and some miss the mark completely. This is a great time filler, road side attraction, rainy day etc place to check out. Its worth a quick 20-30 min visit for the heck of it.
Visited June 2024
Traveled with family
Written June 12, 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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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

4.0

399 reviews

Excellent

173

Very good

144

Average

63

Poor

13

Terrible

6

Stephanie B

31 contributions

Better than we thought...

Jul 2021

We went here because we had a complimentary free admission. We did take the time to watch the video at the beginning of the tour. We were glad we did this as it gave us a greater appreciation for the creation of these figures. We didn’t listen to everything. We did look at every exhibit though and it took about 30-40 minutes. I don’t know if we would ever go again, but it was definitely better than we thought it would be.

Written July 15, 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.

Clay K

Hi Stephanie, Thank you for visiting us and thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We are glad that you enjoyed your time. Wax figure creation is definitely an intricate art and we love getting to showcase this work.

Written December 6, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

flzdmpm03

Fort Myers, FL447 contributions

Nice Wax Museum honoring presidents

Sep 2020 • Couples

Interesting wax museum a few miles from Mount Rushmore honoring presidents. Be sure to watch the video which shows how the wax figures are made. If you go before 11 a.m. admission is only $6. They offer senior discounts during the day as well and coupons are available in the various books you can pick up in the area. Would recommend.

Written September 25, 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.

Clay K

Thank you for your generous feedback! We are so glad that you enjoyed your time here at the museum!

Written October 13, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

GRB8015

16 contributions

Worthwhile Experience

Jul 2022 • Family

This is a worthwhile stop for a couple hours out of the sun. The full scenes were pretty realistic but I agree with other reviews that some of the likeness come up short. George HW and Jimmy looked the worst.

Introduction said they were presenting unbiased information. However it’s pretty clear to those familiar with history and current events that the narration favors the progressive view of these men. Sad, but no different than watching CNN.

Written July 10, 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.

Clay K

Thanks for the feedback!

Written August 12, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

3mmmsmom

Cincinnati, OH84 contributions

OK history lesson

Jun 2020 • Family

The museum is comprehensive and the exhibits are quality. For the price, more historical teaching info would have been good. They offer the wands for you to get more detail but none of them worked. I saw other families having trouble with them as well. When we asked the desk attendant about them she just said “type in the number and hold it to your ear.” When that didn’t work she didn’t offer anything further. So I feel like the price was a little high for the very brief displayed exhibit explanations. I would not recommend it or do it again.

Written June 27, 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.

Clay K

Hi Anna, Thank you for visiting our museum! We are sorry that the audio tour wands didn't seem to be working, as they really do help give you a lot of information about each president and each situation presented in each exhibit. We will check our audio wands and make sure that they are all working well and fix any that aren't working as they should be. Thank you for your feedback!

Written October 13, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

FDinger

Florida1,381 contributions

Great Displays

Jun 2022

We visited the National Presidential Museum on a bit of a whim, but greatly enjoyed our experience. We started with the film describing the process for creating the life-sized wax sculptures. We then walked past the displays with all 46 presidents represented in various settings. There were many other historical figures included as well. There is self-guided audio for additional information at each display. It was all very cool and educational. The quality of the sculptures varied somewhat, as far as how much they reminded us of the actual president, but they were all professionally displayed. I highly recommend a visit.

Written July 23, 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.

Sharyn G

47 contributions

so real looking wax figures

Jul 2020

On my daughters business trip, to Hot Springs, SD, we decided to stop here since we were in the area and we had some extra time to spare.
It was a wonderful stop. Some figures didn't look .like what we remembered them, because they were a younger version of the presidents. But still great looking.
I would recommend it as a family vacation, because it is just down the road from the Reptile Garden

Written August 2, 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.

Clay K

Thanks for the review Sharyn! It's great to hear that you and your daughter had a good time at our museum. We hope the rest of your trip was just as enjoyable!

Written October 13, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Buffettone

Buffalo Grove, IL178 contributions

Cool Attraction in Keystone

Sep 2022

This was across the street from our hotel and decided to see what it was all about. The cost was 10.00 per person and you get a record for a self guided tour. We spent about 45 minutes because we listened to every speech. Some of the wax figures are very old but you can see the difference in some of the old figures and the newer ones.

Written September 19, 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.

belinda m

Portsmouth, UK653 contributions

Interesting and fun

Aug 2021 • Family

Better than what we had expected and when we went it wasn't busy at all as it had started raining. Make sure you don't rush through and get the information remote which tells you about all the exhibits through self guide. My teeneages actually enjoyed it. Great gift shop too.

Written August 7, 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.

Clay K

Hi Belinda, Thank you for visiting! We are glad you had a good experience with us and that you and your teenagers enjoyed the museum.

Written December 6, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

C H

Minneapolis, MN64 contributions

Fun!

Jun 2022

We visited with our 10 yr old niece. Displays were fun and led to interesting information sharing! Niece had been studying U.S history and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. A fun bonus for her was standing at the “presidential podium” and doing a mock press conference! So happy we stopped here!

Written June 20, 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.

Clay K

Thank you Cindy! We are so glad you and your niece enjoyed your time here!

Written August 12, 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

eugenes734

Camp Hill, PA38 contributions

Good family museum

Aug 2021

Some wax figures were well done, others not so much. President Reagan was not that recognizable. Other displays curious- President Ford with 1800s Presidents and the last display was a debate between Bush and Gore. Not badly done overall and certainly a good visit for the family.

Written August 8, 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.

Clay K

Hi Eugene, Thank you so much for visiting us and for taking the time to write a review!

Written December 6, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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