South Dakota’s claims to fame are sometimes few and far between. But the beauty of our state draws tourists and movie producers alike to take in the glorious landscape. There are a surprising number of movies filmed in South Dakota. Listed below are nine movies you might not know about.

1. Armageddon
Armageddon - Filmed In South Dakota
Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center / Flickr
Most people have seen this 1998 classic film. However, most people don't know that it features scenes shot in Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
2. Starship Troopers
Starship troopers - FIlmed in south dakota
Chris / Flickr
Also filmed in South Dakota, Starship Troopers is full of shots that feature the Badlands.
3. Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves -filmed in South Dakota
Ronnie Macdonald /Flickr
Dances with Wolves is one of the more well known movies to be filmed in South Dakota. It was filmed in 1990 and you can still tour the set today.
4. National Treasure: Book of Secrets
National Treasure: Book of Secrets - Filmed in South Dakota
Matthew Paulson / Flickr
The striking beauty of the Badlands lends itself as a stunning movie backdrop. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is yet another movie filmed in this location.

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5. How the West Was Won
How The West Was Won - Filmed in South Dakota
Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA
Alex Weimer / Flickr
Custer State Park is beautifully featured in this film. In fact, locals actually dug up and replanted trees as the movie directors desired. This film also features herds of South Dakota buffalo.
6. Head of State
13000 SD-244, Keystone, SD 57751, USA
Mark Kaletka / Flickr
Released in 2003, shots for Head of State were filmed on Mount Rushmore National Highway in Keystone, South Dakota.
7. The Neverending Story III
The Neverending Story III - filmed in south dakota
13000 SD-244, Keystone, SD 57751, USA
Melissa Gutierrez / Flickr
Yet another movie filmed in South Dakota is The Neverending Story III. Check out the film to see the scenic area of Mount Rushmore in the background.
8. The Call of the Wild
Carthage, SD 57323, USA
flickr/Jerry Huddleston
This documentary counterpart to the movie "Into the Wild," this film is also based on a true story, part of which took place in Carthage, South Dakota. The star of the show gets a job working at a grain elevator in the state and those scenes were shot in good ol' South Dakota.
9. Nebraska
Nebraska - Filmed in South Dakota
13000 SD-244, Keystone, SD 57751, USA
Kyle Taylor / Flickr
The final film to make the list is Nebraska. The film features a few shots from around the state, most notably, Mount Rushmore.

It’s such a treat to see our beautiful state featured in these incredible films. What a pleasant surprise it is to see how many movie creators saw the potential South Dakota holds as a scenic backdrop. Which of these movies have you seen? Which one surprised you the most? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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movies filmed in South Dakota

Jennifer Young | June 14, 2022

What movies were filmed in South Dakota that have become classics?

There have been quite a few movies made in South Dakota that have become quite popular over the years. Listed below are three of these movies. They're a definite must-see if you haven't done so already.

1. Dances with Wolves

Dances with Wolves is a western film that was released in 1990. It was directed and produced by its leading actor, Kevin Costner. Dances with Wolves was filmed in Pierre and Rapid City at Badlands National Park, in addition to the Black Hills, the Sage Creek Wilderness Area, and along the Belle Fourche River.

2. Armageddon

Released in 1998 was Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck. South Dakota's Badlands National Park was featured in this award-winning film, which is about a group of oil drillers who NASA sends into space to keep an asteroid from hitting earth.

3. How the West Was Won

How the West Was Won is a western classic that was released in 1962. Starring James Stewart, John Wayne, and Debbie Reynolds, this film features herds of buffalo at Custer State Park. Today, you can visit Custer State Park and still see herds of buffalo, in addition to several other types of wildlife.

What's a movie filmed in South Dakota that includes a scene with Mount Rushmore?

Mount Rushmore is one of South Dakota's most popular landmarks. It's also been featured in quite a few movies. A movie filmed in South Dakota that features this landmark is National Treasure: Book of Secrets, starring Nicolas Cage. In the film's Mount Rushmore scene, there's a hidden chamber behind President Lincoln's head. If you've never seen National Treasure: Book of Secrets, you don't know what you're missing. It's a great movie for the entire family!

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