8 Best Places to Shop in Rapid City and the Central Black Hills, South Dakota

One of the world's top collections of Plains Native American artwork and crafts makes Prairie Edge Trading Company and Galleries seem more like a museum than a store. The collection ranges from books to stunning artwork representing the Lakota, Crow, Cheyenne, Shoshone, Arapaho, and Assiniboine tribes of the Great Plains. You won't find a place like Prairie Edge anywhere else in the Black Hills or, for that matter, hundreds of miles around. But you don't have to go out of your way to find it, since it's in the heart of downtown Rapid City next to Main Street Square.

With handmade items representing the Lakota, Navajo, Huichol, Acoma, and other tribes, Korczak's Heritage is more than a simple gift shop. In addition to handcrafted items such as jewelry and dream catchers, Korczak's carries sculpture and prints by Native American artists. The store also sells food and clothing, and gift items hewn from stones blasted from the mountain.

The Mount Rushmore Bookstores, operated by the Mount Rushmore Society, carry a selection of books, CDs, and videos on the memorial, its history, and the entire Black Hills region. There are also some titles on geology and Native American history. Products are available in the Information Center, Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, and Sculptor's Studio.

The Mount Rushmore Gift Shop sells souvenirs ranging from shot glasses and magnets to T-shirts and baseball caps. You can also buy Black Hills Gold jewelry and Native American art.

Just off Interstate 90, the enormous Scheels store carries a wide selection of all-weather hiking gear, footwear, and clothes, as well as binoculars suitable for bird-watchers and all manner of other outdoor recreational gear. This is a perfect place to stock up for all of your Black Hills adventures.