Passengers and visitors to Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) can now view a full-scale Triceratops skull replica, installed and assembled by the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research (BHI) of Hill City. The piece is located pre-security, near the TSA checkpoint, and will remain for approximately one year.
BHI has spent more than five decades excavating and preparing fossils from across the Black Hills region and beyond. The Institute’s collection spans dinosaurs, marine invertebrates, mammals, and fish, including one of the largest compilations of Tyrannosaurus rex specimens in the world. BHI has a museum that is currently located in downtown Hill City, SD.
In the summer of 2027, BHI’s new flagship museum, the Natural History Museum of the Black Hills will open as a new destination for visitors to experience ancient life in a way not seen before.
We think of the terminal as the region’s front door. This research quality replica is of a skull from a sub-adult Triceratops Horridus, and is a great way for visitors to learn more about South Dakota’s State fossil as they arrive and embark on their Black Hills adventure.
“Featured work from BHI gives arriving visitors a first look at one of the things that makes this corner of South Dakota so special before they even reach the baggage claim. We’re grateful to Black Hills Institute for bringing this exhibit to the airport. It’s great to already see the excitement of our customers, of all ages, getting pictures of and in front of the Triceratops,” said Patrick Dame, executive director of Rapid City Regional Airport.
“It is our hope that this little snapshot of South Dakota’s paleontological heritage will inspire visitors to seek out the wonderful natural history resources that are on display around the Black Hills region. We are proud to partner with the Rapid City Regional Airport to bring this and future exhibits to emphasize the important history preserved in our region,” said Peter Larson, President, Black Hills Institute.
The display is accessible to all passengers and visitors before entering the security screening area. For more information on the Black Hills Institute and its collections, visit www.bhigr.com.
