When Will Deadwood Re-Open?

UPDATE: During their meeting on May 4th, the Deadwood City Commission voted to allow businesses in the town to begin re-opening this Thursday, May 7th. That’s a week earlier than most of us expected! Not every bar, casino, restaurant, and attraction will open right away, though. To see when your favorite businesses plan to reopen, please check www.deadwood.com/events.

ORIGINAL POST: Although we haven’t had any stay-at-home orders in the Black Hills, most businesses in Deadwood have been closed since mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, casinos and saloons closed voluntarily, but the city commission ordered most public spaces - including bars, restaurants, and concert venues - to close on March 25th. Hotels and bed-and-breakfasts like the 1899 Inn were allowed to stay open, and we’ve been hosting a handful of guests over the last month.

But for the most part, Deadwood’s historic Main Street has been eerily quiet.

Guests in our third-floor suite have been enjoying quiet and relaxing staycations. It’s not difficult to practice social distancing in a private bed-and-breakfast above Deadwood’s Main Street.

But other communities in South Dakota have started to lift their restrictions, and Deadwood is no different. On Monday, the city commission started the legal process of letting businesses open again. Although the date isn’t official yet, town officials seem to be looking at Wednesday, May 13th as the day to let Deadwood bars, casinos, and restaurants re-open.

Again, the May 13th date isn’t official at this point - it’s just rumor. But this date has been mentioned in casual conversations so much that one person we spoke to described it as “the worst-kept secret in town.” Deadwood Mayor Dave Ruth has indicated that the re-opening date will be made public sometime next week, and we’ll update this post as soon as it’s official. Until then, the exact re-opening date could change - but Mid-May seems like a safe bet.

What kinds of things will be open? It appears that saloons and restaurants will be allowed to reopen their dining rooms and bars, as long as patrons can be spaced six feet apart. The same goes for casino floors. Slot machines can come online right away, but table games like blackjack and poker will stay shut down until the Deadwood Gaming Commission and Deadwood City Commission agree on a plan. And since there’s a prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people, concerts and other indoor events will be on hold for now.

Of course, not every business will open up right away, so you might want to call your favorite bar or restaurant to see what their plans are. Deadwood’s museums, for example, aren’t planning to re-open until late May or early June.

The 1899 Inn is currently open, and we’d love to host you! We’ve already had guests from Rapid City and surrounding communities looking to get out of the house for a relaxing Black Hills staycation. We’re the perfect place for a quick getaway: with just five guest rooms, the inn is small, quiet, and private. Self-check-in and in-room breakfast options mean you don’t have to interact with anyone if you’d prefer to avoid contact. We’re only a seven-minute walk from Main Street, and there are four great hikes less than five minutes from our front door: Mount Moriah, the Mickelson Trail, the Homestake Trail, and the new White Rocks loop trail.

If you’d like to talk about making a reservation, give us a call at 864-210-1899 or book right now online.