Reviews of Cosmos Mystery Area (Tourist Attraction)

Kailey Jensen

It was so fun and it was my first time

Nick Haney

Tucked inside the Black Hills is this amazingly weird phenomenon the whole family will enjoy, only if your equilibrium and balance work!

Amber Wright

This was a neat place to stop. You are allowed to take pictures but they tell you not to post them on any social media. There is a steep walk up to the cabin and it is difficult to walk through the cabin as well so I don't suggest this for anyone that has difficulty walking or standing for a period of time. They do not allow wheelchairs or strollers on the tour. This is a good place for families with children old enough to walk themselves without being carried. They have a gift shop and a geode excavation area also.

Trever Colpetzer

This place is very Trippy to say the least. You have to check this attraction out for yourself to see what I am talking about. You won't regret it at all. It's great family fun and wonder.

Roy Davis

Very cool a must see.

Mike O'Neal

This place is awesome. Colton I think it was but not Sarah. Or tour guide was great a must experience if your around

Brad Dixon

Visited hear thirty years ago and took my kids and they loved it. Very cool with great tour guide.

Diane McNeal

Best touristy thing I've had the pleasure of enjoying; surpassing visiting London and Saltzberg. "See. Feel. Believe." When I first saw that on a sign, I rolled my eyes and thought, "Yeah, whatever". Now, I am still feeling amazed and delighted by the experiences.

Susan Fuqua

This was such a cool, crazy place! Our guide had several demonstrations to show how weird this place really is. Great audience interaction and the kids were just thrilled to participate in the demonstrations. Lots of fun and laughs to be had...try it out!

Sara Abington

The attraction is WAY overpriced. If you have money to spend, go for it but honestly it wasn't worth it.

Stephanie Kozar

That was nuts! Dylan was great!!! Kakaaaaww

Frank Vrba

Very fascinating! One of the best attractions in the Black Hills.

Shawn Maynard

Interesting take on perspective. There is a cabin built all kinds of crooked. Your mind trucks you into leaning the wrong way and falling over. $11 per person. The experience takes about 45 minutes. Guide was entertaining.

Velda Nix

I liked the geo rocks

Sheila Mussman

Myself and my other half plus 2 children went here today. The tour is very short. 20-25 minutes. Starts every 30 minutes, I think. But all of us agreed it was worth it. You should try it at least once. It is a cool experience.

Chelsea Murray

It's a tourist trap, but I got some neat photos of myself and my family. It's worth it if you, like me, would enjoy a picture of yourself at a harsh angle bearing a deadpan face and a sarcastic peace sign. Also, the trees are bent over in low arches. It'd make a good photography location for some unique, surreal perspectives.

Nick bridges

Great for kids If you get motion sickness, stay out of the cosmos.

Kenny Richard

The cosmos was extremely interesting and a very unique place to check out. It is only a half mile off of route 16 on the way to Keystone, so it is fairly easy to access. There is a visitor center with restrooms and a small shop. There is a short hike to the hot zones where they have cabins to investigate, with the assistance of a guide, to show you the mysterious phenomenon that occurs there. There is certainly a force of gravity present there that one fan feel on all molecules of your body. It is certainly a special place to check out on your Black Hills adventure.

Jesse Hendricks

Strange place, water and balls roll up heal... fun for all ages!

Jesse Ryan

This was a lot of fun. The kids love it

K D

Its fun how things here seem odd

Sharon Blanchard

This was one of the funnest, coolest things ive ever done. We loved it. Highly recommended!

the other millennial farmer

Crazy interesting place. Everyone we talked to said it is a must see. This is true. When you go, be sure to participate in the tour. Also, if you plan your trip in advance, be aware they might have different hours on the day you want to visit. Luckily we were able to squeeze it in the next day.

Nathaniel Longstreet

Fun to do with our 5 kids

Stauney Segle

This was so cool! Our group of 9, ranging in ages from 70 to 16 all thoroughly enjoyed this place! So fun to have a little tour through the area filled with tons of different optical illusions and interactive moments of testing gravity! It’s all in good fun and the tour guides are all hilarious. Such a fun thing to do with the family and definitely worth it! Highly highly recommend! However it might give you a bit of a headache after because your poor eyes will have a real hard time figuring it out, so be prepared with some pain killers. It also was a really nice break from museums and monuments all day. Great for kids!

Brittney Townsend

Cool little side venture to get out of the car and get some exercise. Kids loved the "paranormal" feel to the place. I wouldn't recommend for persons who get easily nauseous or have mobility limitations. Guided tours and we had the kids do a 'dig for your own geode' for a small charge ($6..?). Clean restrooms and decent little gift shop.

Karen Collette

This place is so cool and the staff were awesome. The man (retired teacher... don't remember his name) inside the gift shop was so nice and informative not only of his place, but also other attractions in the area. My kids had so much fun here. Thank you!

Tim Ayer

Katelyn was the best guide. Great sense of humor and all around fun guide.

Randall Woods

It was a mind blowing experience. It was worth the cost

Amy Hickey

Absolutely awesome Sydney was our tour guide and was very interactive.

Doug Haggerty

Awesome place to ponder why you stand sideways or why water runs uphill!

Nomad S

Neat... but is it real? I think it's optical illusions.

Brian Meyer

Really cool! Super fun for the kids

Stephanie Reyes

Interesting side trip. Kids liked it.

Chris Beasley

Kids and adults love it. I was a bit skeptical until we entered. I immediately felt the full effect of the Cosmos!

Marshall Spezman

Great way to mess with your own mind.

Liza Timmers

It’s a fun something to do. Most phenomena can be explained, but there are a couple that we couldn’t figure out. It’s an enjoyable optical illusion!

April Humphrey

Tons of fun! I great place for families! A mystery so this will be vague! Just go check it out!

Matt Winward

Listen you have seen one of these place you have seen them all. But if you have not been and you have kids 7-16 it is worth a visit. The staff seemed to have a fun time with it. The tourist trap gidt shop was what you would expect ...if not a little better. Go once if you are into figuring out spacial and mental optical illusions. Better than surfing Facebook.

Bailey Wingate

This was a blast and Sophie was so funny that's fir the good time girl!!!

Patrick Sparks

My fiancee and I had a great time! Kacie was fun and informative. The whole experience was interesting and unique.

Amanda R

Really fun as an adult and my 7 year old nephew made me take him again a week later. Is it just a trick? Maybe... But who cares! It was fun and interesting and an adventure. Plus, I like the idea of a mystery staying a mystery.

Melissa Stoffel

Like all other Mystery Areas. I wanted to take the kids since they had never been to one and I remember going as a child and thought how neat it was. Ifelt it was expensive and the kids didn't think it was all that amazing.

Maria Sweeney

Our tour guide Dylan was Awesome and made it fun for all ages!!

Melissa Ehrlich

So cool for the whole family. All of us are still scratching our heads on the science behind the experience. Highly recommend.

Eric Holbrook

Wow this place is a trip, almost literally the gravity is amazing feeling sideways for a bit afterwards!

Tammy Mansfield

Amazing place, must experience!!

Jessica Ayer

Totally odd, trippy..

Denise Repa

I had to close my eyes otherwise I felt dizzy. Be careful some later got so sick she passed out right after.

Cross My Stitches

I was expecting a better experience.

Mark V

Family had a blast. Fun place!

Galaxygamer 28

It was a lot of fun and our guide was pretty funny and was really friendly!

Glenn Taylor

This is a great family fun place to have a good time. The tour isn't very long but well worth the laughs!!

Kristina Whiteley

I mean, this place was cool. The only reason I didn't give it four stars is because my entire family was nauseous when we left. We bought a Groupon and were not warned about it causing nausea. We may have avoided it if we had been. Still pretty cool to see. Not necessarily any mystery, it's all just the way the cabin is built. But, if you don't get nauseous easily, give it a visit!

Bethany Evans

Was super fun. We went on a pretty busy day I think, because the groups were rather big. It was kind of hard for all of us to fit in the small rooms. Overall pleasantly satisfied with out stop out.

Doug Stanley

Definitely don't pass this up. Lots of fun and priced reasonably.

A Buchanan

Good price and worth the experience. Friendly and fun employees (tour guide and gift shop).

Cindy Millett

My 10 & 5 year old grandkids & I had a fun time exploring the Cosmos! Friendly guide & funny!

William M. Cross, 3rd

Kinda weird, but its supposed to be. Visit was short. I enjoyed it. Wife not so much. Our guide was real cool. It's a place you gotta visit and judge for yourself.

Jenna Agens

This place was so much fun to experience, 1 thing they don't tell you ladies, watch what time of the month you visit lol

Kristina Gallaher

Very weird place, tour guide was awesome.

william navarro

This was amazing! Our guide for the tour was a great speaker. Go and be amazed.

Matt Hubert

This was a fun experience. Kids had a blast and kept asking if I knew of anymore gravity hotspots.

Jessica Massing

So much fun! Would definitely visit again! Kids had a blast

Richard Kaelin

Groups are too big 34 people in our group we all couldn't get inside to see what was happening need smaller

Drew Erin

This is the coolest place I've ever been to!! Loved the tour of the cabin and cool tricks to see! Gift shop was nice and had lots of nice things to choose from. I would love to experience it all again some day l!

Mandy Peterson

So trippy! Our tour guide Erica was awesome. I get dizzy and sick easily so I recommend sitting the the last room with the kids. It helped a lot. Fun tour, decent gift shop, and we all had fun!

nova gamer

Well worth it! Don't attempt if you have balance or motion issues.

Betsy Eckhardt

Our kids always love the Cosmos Mysteries!

Amanda Futral

Really enjoyed the tour and the kiddos loved searching for geodes. Thank you!

Matt Goyette

This was outstanding. The family loved it.

Amy Griswold

Kids of all ages love this place. Makes you feel like your at sea and the boat is tipped. Trees bend toward the hot spots. And where you stand matters!!

Nichole Dawson

It was a nice little place to wonder about the rest of the day! Good Tour guys who loved there job and answered all of our questions. It was a fun mystery even if it was just a illusion.

thorpefamo4

Mind blowing, and fun. Its one thing to see photos or video, but you have to BE THERE in order to personally FEEL THE EFFECTS! Went today, and are deffinately going ro go again next time we are in the area!

Jory Baer

Awesome little spot. Cool tour and fun for kids and adults. Worth the stop if you’re in the area!!

Sam Taylor

The tour was packed but that's a good thing. The tour guide was A+ she insisted we called her Abby. But I went here as a kid and wanted to bring my son and Cosmos did not disappoint. We will be back for sure.

Kally Surbeck

This is a fun activity for those with a sense of adventure and a sense of humor. We were lucky enough to have the manager Keri guide our tour. She was wonderful with our group, very engaging.

Skarlette Autumn Erica Dorris

I enjoyed the quirkiness and strangeness behind the Cosmos Mystery Area however, I would not go again. *SPOILER* It was a very short 45 minute tour of a reversed foundation building with bent walls that caused your eyes to play tricks with you. Yes it was cool but it is mainly for kids, not people who are smart enough to figure out the secret behind the magic trick. One downside to the whole tour was that our guide showed us the same trick 20 different times with 5 different people and after awhile, it got old. I felt that it could have been more creative and my time could have been spent better.

L M

Very odd experience. Wish there was more to it to make the cost feel worth it. Crazy how your equalibrium gets so thrown off here.

Nica L.

COOL PLACE!!! NOT for people that get really bad motion sickness. I got mentally tired after going here, took a nap after to get my brain all sorted out haha! thank you to the wonderful guide we had that day. 10/10 would recommend!

Matt Fire

It was so weird feeling the different gravitational force pulling u against the wall. I was standing at a 45° angle but I felt like I was straight up! Reccomend visiting

Chris Timm

Fun place to kill some time in the hills. The price is right for the experience. Our one big issue that kept us from enjoying the experience more was that our group was so large we didn't get to experience everything easily, or even able to see all of the demonstrations as they were happening, Definitely an experience that is geared more towards kids/teens.

T Spenman

It was really cool to say the least. I think they allow too many people per tour tho. There was a gal with a green disco ball type shirt who kept falling into me and my fiancé. Kind of annoying, but other tham that it was worth the money. Our tour guide was Brendan he was funny. :)

AMY CHANEY

Mind blowing and so neat! Did make us feel pretty woozy for a little bit after, but it was well worth it! We had kids from ages 9-16 and they all enjoyed it

Ed Coyle

This place is cool, the staff is friendly and fun, and the visit was enjoyable until we all started getting sick. There are plenty of other reviews on how cool the tour is, so I won't repeat. WARNING though..if you get motion sickness or are sensitive to odd visual perspectives, you might want to skip this tour. We lasted about 20 minutes and had to leave. Oh, and the road going in has a few rough spots, so take your time. Easily passable, just take your time.

Nick Bacon

A fun stop and didn't eat our entire day! Recommended!

Lisa Jorgenson

We had a variety of age groups with us so it was something fun for everybody.

Anna Kemptar

Great place to bring the kids! A word of warning for adults; the experience left me feeling a little queasy! The tour is totally worth it, and my kids enjoyed cracking open their own geodes afterwards! A great way to spend an hour or so!

Angel Kwiatkowski

My husband and 7 year old enjoyed this entertaining place. Upon entering the first cabin, I got extremely seasick so I had to sit outside with my eyes closed. Do not recommend if you get nauseous easily because what you see with your eyes does not match up with how your body is positioned.

Alen Eckhardt

Wife and kids love this place, it will throw off your balance for sure.

Chris Gabel

Was disappointing was there at 1130, next guided tour was 130. So we left, weather was perfect.

Michael Diaz

25 minute tour, and most of us enjoyed this. Kids ages: 11,9,6,5. * Everyone but 5 year old had fun on the tour * 11 year old wanted to figure our how it was done and take the tour again * After tour not much else to see, so in 1 hour you could have fun and experience the Cosmos force.

Catherine Navarro

Amazing place. You can watch water and a ball roll up hill.and other amazing things happen

Helen Rusaw

LOVED IT, but if you have balance or vertigo issues you way want to reconsider

Melinda Bogwitz

That was awesome!! Maggie I think her name was? was hilarious and made learning fun. Give her a raise!!

Rebecca Kellems

Crazy place to go. Amazing

Trevor Lakoduk

Absolutely loved it, best optical illusion. Recommend to anyone.

Madison Montano

Still as mysterious as I remember it. Shila was a great tour guide! She was witty and knowledgable. Super close to Mt. Rushmore, so why not stop in?! Go!!

captin bacon

Complete bullsquat I went there twice and the last time they said people found it this time they said they built it they have wires running threw it. And non magnetic items don't lean even humans have iron and such in them

Marina V

So much fun!!! Worth the stop for sure. Great for families.

Avery Hanken

Amazing tour, great for kids. Fun and interesting, usually busy.

Dave Erickson

A fascinating stop. It takes only about an hour, but will produce within even the keenest of minds a sense of wonder about the world around you! Fun stuff for the kids and adults alike. Enter with an open mind and a curious sense of wonder, and you will find yourself scratching your head by the time you leave! And remember to tip your tour guide a couple of bucks. They make a huge difference for the kids, and make it more of an adventure than you will ever know! Well worth the entry fee. My friends and the rest of my family will definitely be stopping in when I tell them how much fun it is to become a Little Person !!!

Ron Keur

Awesome. Knowledgeable tour guide. Super fun experience!

Sheila

Definitely the ultimate brain game as it plays with your mind - it's kind of cool for that. With that being said, if your mind is susceptible to motion sickness or possibly other negative side effects from visual "stimulation," it may make you feel ill. Minimally, you will walk away with a bit of a headache.

Ronald Hegner

It messes with your mind!! Gotta go there, everyone should stop, words cant describe how it effects your mind, natural effects

Crystal Dale

Way cool. Definitely a must!

Angela Barber

Fun and mind boggling. Great for kids and adults.

Ganesh Patil

As an engineering student I realized how the illusion has been used to attract people. The guide was super awesome.

Julene Healey

It made my head and stomach feel weird. Everyone should experience this place.

MaKenna Wayne

Absolutely fun, just don't eat before hand

Richard Albergucci

This was with out a doubt one of the best places we went to in the black hills. Thought it was a gimmick, but man it really throws your balance off, almost gives you a drunkin feeling. Very fairly priced and the kids thought it was super cool too.

Royce Ewalt

One of the coolest places ever!

Forsetti Limpidsoul

I started the tour watching every little stunt and by the time we left the first station I was sure I had it figured out but when water and tennis balls started acting contrary to the laws of physics I gave up and just enjoyed the tour. Sure there are several Carnival Sideshow gimmicks going on but Underneath It All there is something truly mysterious happening.

Matthew Castillo

The kids absolutely loved it. It was a little pricey, but the guide was wonderful. Overall, the stop was a necessity, and because the kids loved it so much, I am okay with the price.

Linda Davis

We've always have gone here, but its been awhile. Seemed like they rushed you through. You use to get to try all the stuff out after the tour. They had alot of people their so you just kept moving.

Michael Barto

Really cool experience. The tour is great.

Mandy Smith

Really "trippy". Definitely something you wont forget!!

Justin Lindsey

We had fun and a few laughs. Worth the stop in between travels of other vacation spots.

Angie Callahan

Pretty cool place. Good for kids.

Swags

Fun! Creative! A bit gimmicky but will also twist your mind a bit. Not recommended if you struggle with vertigo or get nauseous easily, but we didn't have any issues. Kind of a short tour for the cost, but definitely good to try at least once.

ANIRBAN PAL

It's ok. Ways to ask for tips by the guides could have been more sophisticated

Tumor 21

Fun place to visit. Kids LOVED it. My husband did have problems with his equilibrium so beware if you are prone to equilibrium issues.

Joseph Latiolais

Fun place! Interesting stuff for adults and kids.

April L

It's a fun little tour to experience! My daughter-in-law took me there on our day together when I visited. If I lived in the area, I would definitely recommend it to anyone asking about something fun to do. Also, there's a very friendly Great Pyrenees in the lobby! Thanks for the great time!

Marlo Roach

The guide was pretty knowledgeable even though it was her first year there, found that impressive. But the place itself was a bit of a freaky experience, totally worth the trip!

Jorge Victorino

This place is crazy fun for adults and kids would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting south Dakota

praveen kumar

Was it me or was it actually a cosmic energy... bit mysterious...

Brian B

Really cool place to visit, especially with kids. Might not be a good place if you have balance issues.

PyromancerX

Incredible! Fun place to go see and to enjoy the mystery.

Paul Kohmuench

It is sweet you feel like you're leaning when you are standing straight it's cool

Marinda Golden

My 4 year old loved it! Tour guide was very interactive!

Shelly Pace

I visited Cosmos when I was 6 years old with my family, and I'm now 31. As the youngest of four kids, we have all been in agreement that of the multiple awesome vacations we took each year throughout our childhoods, South Dakota was the coolest... in large part due to our random chance at seeing a sign for Cosmos and deciding to stop and check it out. In a couple weeks, we'll all be returning, over 20 years later, with all of our own kids, because of how large of an impression Cosmos left on all of us. I am so excited to return to the place of legend to be in awe of the mind-bending gravity, the shrinking of adults and enlarge...ening of children, the crazy house that makes you stand all crooked.... Looking forward to our return.

Spearfish,SD Local

it's weird but cool ! enjoyed it

MNP Construction & Consultants

Very cool, freaky place to visit.

jacob moss

Such a fun place! Made me dizzy and nauseated but like in a good way. It was strange to be standing at 45° angles

Mikey Christian

Great experience, awesome tour guide also. Kids loved it.

Ron Brower

Never gets old! Kids loved it too and I didn't even throw up this time!

Steffenie Edwards

Just as much fun as a 30 yr old as it was when I was 10! Our 4, 10, and 14 year olds loved it!! Whether you are here to debunk it or just enjoy and have fun, this is a MUST SEE! Tour Guide Sydney was the best!!!

Sky Ortiz

The tour is a bit pricey but it's a fun 30min tour guides are very knowledgeable

Cody Fox

Really fun! My girlfriend loved it!

Jon Freebairn

We had a great time at the Cosmos. My family and I were boggled by what appears to be a very different degree of gravity. The experiments and demonstrations were fun to see and participate in. If you have some time on your adventures in South Dakota, this is a great activity to use up some of that time.

Kelly Frank

Very cool experience for the family

Shakara Gunderson

Fun little weird place to visit. Quick tour, but gets your mind going as to how any of it is possible.

Brennan Froese

Very cool place, very amazing optical illusions

Edited Visions

Awesome sauce. Everyone in the family from 8 to 38 had a great time. Price is just right. Time is just right. So it is a must.

Craig C

Fun place to visit with the kids. Lots of laughs and an all around good time. Try not to over think it and enjoy the mystery.

Joshua Brown

Fun for the whole family, plenty of laughs, and will keep you thinking the whole time you're there!

joel schamber

Cool phenomenon. Great staff. Can't be summed up in words. You'll have to go to experience it fully.

Toni Swinehart

Our guide rocked, wish I could remember her name. This was a cool experience. May rethink going if you get motion sick easily though...

Fancy Baccon

Amazing attraction. Staff seem really nice. This place really messed with me. The gravity there is wack!

Roy Kaup

It was ok but if you get car sick easily or don't like things that go round and round, you might want to skip. Very weird feeling but kind of cool.

Tiffany Hartz

Fun stop. I thought my 6 year old daughter would love it, she wasn't impressed. I sure was! Would have liked a smaller group for the tour 30+, as we couldn't all fit in the cabin at once.

Charlie

Interesting place. Brought back childhood memories of the "Tilty house" experience

Geno Vallejos

Awsome place! Wanna bring my kids here when I have time...

Linda Napoli

The scientific phenomenon of the area. It was great for the whole family.

Luke Torgerson

Tourist trap but the family had a lot of fun! I believe our guide was Erika. She needs a raise. Made the experience that much better!

Robert M. Treasure

Text book definition of a tourist trap. It's ok-cool with optical illusions on a hill. Kids would enjoy it.

Payshence Szafransky

This place is crazy, Brendon was an amazing guide had many funny jokes and activities. If I ever come back to SD I will definitely be coming back