South Dakota’s Strangest Landmark: A 23,000-Pound Quarter Pounder

South Dakota is home to many weird and wonderful things. The Porter Sculpture Park on I-90 near Sioux Falls, the International Vinegar Museum in Roslyn, and of course Wall Drug.

The Black Hills of South Dakota have an even higher concentration of odd and awesome places to visit. There's Deadwood and all its old west history. And the hot springs, conveniently enough, in Hot Springs, SD.

MORE: Explore South Dakota's Lost Tourist Attraction: Bedrock City

President Martin Van Buren Statue, Rapid City (Google Maps)

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Why Is There a Quarter Pounder Statue in Rapid City?

But the king of wonderfully weird attractions is Rapid City. We got the Dinosaur Park, Reptile Gardens, and all the statues of presidents around town.

Speaking of statues in Rapid City, I just learned about the oddest one of all. In Rapid City South Dakota there is a 23,000-pound sculpture of a McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburger.

Yea, for real!

3919 Cheyenne Boulevard Rapid City, South Dakota (Google Maps)

In February 2020, the big wigs at McDonald's corporate picked a McDonald's restaurant in Rapid City as the place to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Quarter Pounder.

The Quarter Pounder, named for the hamburger's pre-cooking weight, was introduced in 1971 by a McDonald's franchisee in Fremont, California. The burger is bigger than the standard McDonald's cheeseburger. It was such a success it was added to McDonald's nationwide just two years later.

3919 Cheyenne Boulevard Rapid City, South Dakota (Google Maps/Canva)

Where is the Rapid City Quarter Pounder Sculpture?

The 50th anniversary Quarter Pounder sculpture was put in front of a McDonalds at 3919 Cheyenne Boulevard in Rapid City on February 26, 2020.

Rapid City was chosen over spots in North Dakota, Wyoming, and Hawaii. Atlas Obscura says that the deciding factor was that McD's said that people in Rapid City eat the most Quarter Pounders in the country.

The inscription reads, "Calidum et Deliciose Succosum" which is Latin for "Hot and deliciously juicy" (Google Maps/Canva)

Sculptor Raymond Gibby designed the bronze burger and the pedestal it sits on was made by Bott Monument of Riverton, Wyoming.

The Rapid City Quarter Pounder stature is nine feet tall and eight feet wide, so it shouldn't be a problem to get the whole family in front of it for a picture.

What Was It like to Vacation in South Dakota’s Black Hills 60 Years Ago?

This time of year our thoughts often turn to planning that perfect getaway to enjoy the warmer weather and extended daylight.

For a lot of us in South Dakota, that means a trek to the Black Hills and all of the things they have to offer.

But vacationing in western South Dakota is hardly a new concept. People from all over the globe have been coming to the area for decades.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness/B1027.com

Filed Under: McDonald's, Rapid City, South Dakota, The Black Hills of South Dakota

Categories: Articles, Entertainment, Newsletter KKLS, South Dakota