Nestled in an often overlooked section of downtown Rapid City, is an unassuming attraction that is well worth the visit. On the southwest corner of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, in Memorial Park, stand two original sections of Germany’s historic Berlin Wall.

Purchased by an area resident and donated to the city in 1996, the Berlin Wall sections in Rapid City are part of one of the most unique displays of its kind. There are only about 40 locations in the U.S where original sections of the wall are displayed and the one in Rapid City is considered to be among the most comprehensive.

The two wall sections are each 12-feet tall and stand as a sobering reminder of the differences between freedom and control.

In front of the Berlin Wall sections are two iron “tank traps” – wicked looking iron X’s that stand about three-feet tall and used to serve as extra safeguards for the wall on the Communist controlled East Germany side.

This side of the wall is the simple drab gray of concrete, compared to the still visible graffiti paintings on the opposite side that used to face the more politically free West Germany.

The display is an absolute history lesson in itself as there are more than 30 photos, along with interpretive signs, that tell the story of the construction and eventual demolition of the Berlin Wall.

Situated less than 20 miles from Mount Rushmore, America’s Shrine of Democracy, the Berlin Wall exhibit in Rapid City is a very different kind of tribute to freedom. Although not nearly as massive as the famous faces, the Berlin Wall display is often remembered just as vividly by those who visit.