A faithful replica of a medieval Norwegian church stands amid the pines on the edge of Rapid City. For travelers drawn to the Mount Rushmore State, this is a stop that rewards a slow look.

The chapel is an exact copy of the Borgund stave church built in Norway around 1150.

What sets it apart

It was completed in 1969 as a home for a Lutheran radio ministry. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on locals and visitors alike.

Hand-carved dragon heads and steep timber gables crown its dark-stained roofline.

Why it matters

Taken together, these threads say something about South Dakota itself — a place where the old and the new sit close together. However you come to it, this is a place that stays with you long after the drive home.