The Story
As Hot Springs grew into a nationally promoted mineral-water health resort in the 1890s, builders turned to the pink-toned Minnekahta sandstone quarried nearby, producing an unusually cohesive, fire-resistant commercial district rather than the wood-frame storefronts typical of Dakota boomtowns. The Hot Springs Historic District along River Street was listed on the National Register on June 25, 1974. Over 35 sandstone buildings from the era still stand, and the National Trust named the town a "Distinctive Destination" in 2009.
Surprising Facts
→ The downtown was built almost entirely from local pink sandstone, unlike most Black Hills towns.
→ More than 35 sandstone buildings from the 1890s boom still stand in the city center.
→ The town's original Lakota-derived name was rendered "Minnekahta" before it became "Hot Springs."