The tiny, dusty town of Scenic, S.D. is up for sale.
Thinking of buying some land? How about owning a whole town along with it?
Evidently in South Dakota, a whole town counts as a sellable property. Because in the tiny town of Scenic, S.D., the owners are packing up and moving out, selling the entire town in the process.
Which means this showcase – including a saloon, dance hall, museum and a jail – can be yours if the price is right. The town, 46 acres in total, is on the market for $799,000. Located 40 miles southeast of Rapid City, S.D. in the Badlands, NewsFeed has every reason to believe that the small town of Scenic indeed lives up to its name. And for the price, there’s no better way to put your own mark on the map.
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The amenities that come with the asking price sound like they’re plucked straight out of a western film. A trading post, a general store, and a post office, all remnants of a town that saw its heyday decades ago, and contained in a three-block town that sits 30 miles from its nearest neighbor. Its population sits at fewer than 10 people, down from a couple hundred in past Census reports. The town’s decline started as early as the Great Depression, when the town hit a rough patch and businesses were forced to close.
Scenic’s on the market because current owner Twila Merrill is facing a battle with cancer, and the upkeep of Scenic, however small the town may be, has become too much. And for now, the town has entered the 21st century in order to find a buyer with its own website, BuyScenicSD.com.
NewsFeed is strongly considering a bid. Because “Scenic mayor” has a nice ring to it.
Nick Carbone is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @nickcarbone. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.