The Bizarre Mystery Area in South Dakota You Have to See to Believe

Road trips are all about the detours along the way. During our trips, we often find ourselves seeking out fun or interesting things to do, and luckily, South Dakota has one of the most unusual roadside attractions that will leave you with more questions than answers. That’s where Cosmos Mystery Area comes in. If you’re looking for one of the quirkiest places in South Dakota, you’ve found it. Walk into the “topsey turvey” mystery house and expect the unexpected, including optical illusions and gravity-defying occurrences. It’s bizarre, it’s wonderfully fun, and when it comes to offbeat things to do in South Dakota, this might be toward the top of the list. It seldom gets stranger than this.

Why This Is Considered the Quirkiest Place in South Dakota

You'll find the cabin in Black Hills, tucked between Keystone and Rapid City, about 15 minutes from the famous Mount Rushmore monument. Sure, it doesn't get millions of visitors like its neighboring attractions, but still, it's a fascinating place that's worth the stop. Those who travel off the beaten path to come here will find themselves questioning the laws of gravity and their senses while standing inside the tilted cabin.

When we say the Cosmos Mystery Area is quirky, we absolutely mean it in the weirdest way possible. This unusual roadside attraction in South Dakota is quite literally designed to mess with your brain, your eyes, and your entire perception of reality within this dimension. The illusion of it all will trick your brain into believing that you've stepped into a world absent from reality. It's a truly interactive experience that will leave you with something to talk about.

The Story Behind This Unique Stop

The Cosmos Mystery Area is a place where your perception is actively messed with thanks to fascinating design. Discovered accidentally by two young men looking to build a cabin in the early 1950s. Something about the entire area threw their senses out of whack, and they realized this eerie little wooded area was something special. And they were absolutely right. So, knowing they had discovered an odd phenomenon, the young men fixed the cabin, and the Cosmos Mystery Area was opened to the public.

What You’ll See When You Arrive

We won't give away exactly how or why it works the way it does, but this unique South Dakota attraction essentially functions by playing tricks on the way your eyes and brain process information. As a result, you'll discover that in some areas your height will gradually appear to increase (or decrease), and balls will roll uphill. Without a horizon line to refer to, our brains get a little distorted, and the Cosmos exploits this wackiness in the best of ways.

On the 40-minute tour around and through the cabin, you'll be fully immersed in the experience. You can participate as much or as little as you like. The tour guides will keep you engaged the entire time. After the tour, there's plenty of fun stuff to do in the Mystery Area.

While you're here, check out the geode mine, as well as the gift shop for fun items to take back with you. If you're traveling with the little ones, treat them to ice cream here. And before getting back on the highway to continue your trip, end with a picnic overlooking the scenic hills. This will be a fun and memorable detour on your road trip in South Dakota for folks of all ages.

Hours and tours vary throughout the year, and summers are very busy, so we recommend visiting the Cosmos Mystery Area website to get our tickets in advance. If you need more fun roadside attractions in the area, check out the larger-than-life prehistoric creatures at Dinosaur Park in Rapid City. Or visit the Travel South Dakota site for more places to see.