Fodor's Expert Review Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center

Perched on the edge of the half-mile-wide, 1,200-feet-deep "Open Cut"---a barren pit left over from the mining era---this ultramodern visitor center uses interpretive exhibits to tell the story of the legendary Homestake Mine and its recent rebirth as an international hub for underground, scientific research. Here you can hit a golf ball into the Open Cut for a "hole in one," and trolleys depart from the facility for informative tours of the city and its historic districts.