Rapid City
Hotel Alex Johnson
Railroad vice president Alex Carlton Johnson built this 'Showplace of the West', which opened in downtown Rapid City on July 1, 1928.
- Built
- 1928Construction began in 1927 and the hotel opened July 1, 1928.
- Style
- Tudor Revival
- Architect
- Oldefest & Williams (Edward Oldefest)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Rooms
- 143
- Credentials
- Inside a National Register historic district
The story
Alex Carlton Johnson, a vice president of the Chicago and North Western Railroad, built the hotel in 1927–28 as a ‘Showplace of the West’, and it opened on July 1, 1928. The hotel says its design pairs Germanic Tudor architecture with Plains Indian motifs. The hotel says it’s listed on the National Register; the listing is through the Rapid City Historic Commercial District, where it’s a contributing building.
The ghost story
Guests have reported a bride on the eighth floor and a window in room 812 found open in the morning, and some claim to have seen founder Alex Johnson. The hotel says the SyFy show Ghost Hunters filmed a segment here.
Source: espnsiouxfalls.com
Good to know
- Parking: on-site paid
- Elevator
- Pets welcome
- Address: 523 Sixth Street, Rapid City, SD 57701
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.