The City of Presidents

As you walk through downtown Rapid City, you will notice that the street corners have company. Life-size bronze statues of every United States president stand at intersections throughout the central business district, each one on a different block, each one in a posture meant to suggest something about the person's character or era.

The project began around the turn of the century, conceived by local businessmen and civic boosters looking for a way to animate the downtown while connecting Rapid City's identity to its most famous neighbors: Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. The project expanded steadily over the years until the presidents through Barack Obama were represented. A statue of Donald Trump was commissioned after his term ended.

The statues are the work of multiple sculptors and vary considerably in artistic approach. Some are realistic and spare. Others capture famous gestures or moments. Each statue strikes a different pose. The collection has become a genuine attraction and an unusual walking-tour device: visitors can move through two hundred-plus years of American political history in a single afternoon downtown.

For local businesses, the statues have done exactly what its backers imagined. People stop to photograph them, which means they pause on sidewalks in front of shops and restaurants. The project is privately funded through a nonprofit and has spawned a dedicated visitor map. Whether you love or question the symbolism of presidents scattered through a city built on treaty land, the bronzes are one of Rapid City's most distinctive urban experiences.