Storybook Island — Attraction in Rapid City

Non-whites visitors BEWARE!

Of the two times my family has visited the park, we were harassed twice by staff. The first time at the park we did not know that it was free admission, great news!

However, on our first visit, we brought food and drinks for us and our son and were unaware of the park's 'No outside food or drinks' rule. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but the barely pubescent Gestapo staff member singled out my wife, almost jumping out the window of the entryway kiosk, shouting "HEY, no outside drinks!" OK, calm down. Our gripe with this rule was that all the other lilywhite visitors walked right in with drinks and were not bothered by any staff members, not inside or at the entry point. Everyone inside had their personal tumblers and drinks from fast-food places. Not one other person needed to abide by the rules, but my wife was called out.

On our second trip the following week, she was harassed yet again by an SS youth employee in the 5 and under section. There are no signs in that area to my knowledge stating that parents cannot use the equipment with their child. I understand that some adults can't be on the equipment due to weight restrictions and the park not wanting broken stationary rides for kids. The problem yet again is, all the ivory white adults in that section were not approached by staff, large and small adults alike. There were even multiple adults on a single see-saw at a time. But were they asked to move? No. Not one other person was asked to get off the see-saws. Just my native looking wife.

At first, this treatment just seemed like an oversight. Then, once it seemed like she was being singled out, it became apparent that either the staff members here are racist white teen Übermensch or the owners are racists themselves. The sad thing is that my son really loves it here and it would have been an amazing park to bring him to in order to expend some of that toddler energy. We will be sure never to donate to this place and definitely will be bringing in food and drinks in the future, if we should ever...

I absolutely adored Storybook Island — it was a dream come true for my kids! From the moment you arrive, the atmosphere feels straight out of a storybook. You walk through castle gates over a charming drawbridge, passing a sparkling pond with ducks, whimsical water features, and playful pretend animals. Rapunzel hangs her golden hair from the castle tower, with a prince climbing up to meet her — such a magical and enchanting welcome!

There is so much space for kids to run and play among adorable storybook-themed displays. The train ride was a highlight, and at just $3 per rider, it was very reasonable, especially since admission to the park is free. The beautiful carousel inside a covered pavilion felt absolutely precious, and the friendly staff helped the kids hop on their horses with care.

Disney-style storybook music plays throughout the park, adding to the fairytale wonder. We loved the playful drinking fountains shaped like a lion and a hippopotamus, the pirate ship with its little pond and bridge, and the playground for kids 5 and under — all clean, safe, and spread out beautifully.

Shady trees and plenty of benches made it easy to relax and take it all in. Each bench had a placard honoring its donor, and there were beautiful engraved stones along the pathways with names of people who contributed — a lovely reminder that the park is funded through donations and community generosity. Storybook Island is operated by the Rotary Club of Rapid City and welcomes donations to help keep the magic going.

There’s also a cute little gift shop packed with tempting souvenirs, and an ice cream shop on site that wasn’t open yet when we arrived but probably operates later in the day.

Overall, Storybook Island is pure childhood magic brought to life — whimsical, charming, and absolutely worth a visit....

I was amazed that a place like this is free but after going here two times since we've moved to Rapid and having bad experiences both times, I NOW see why it's free. Their workers (possibly 10 year olds?) pretend to be mini gestapos with arbitrary rules that only apply to "certain" people. For instance, they don't allow food or drink into an outdoor park. Kinda strange but ok. So I had to chuck my iced coffee only to see every single person in the park with their own drinks. I guess the trick is to bring your OWN coffee tumbler? Weird. Second time there I was told I couldn't be on the duck ride with my son. I'm a small lady, 5'2, 120lbs so I don't see me breaking it but ok. Rules are rules I suppose. But when you're told you're not allowed to do something only to see much larger parents (men and women) going on the same "rides" with their children and no one stops THEM it kinda makes me think I'm being singled out. Possibly bc those parents are of a lighter variety? I don't know. I absolutely don't mind following rules. But when they are inconsistent and arbitrary, it's asinine. For those reasons, I would never donate to this park or bring my son back. I would rather spend money at Run Wild where I am treated like a...