Staying a While: Inside The Landmark’s Adams Lounge and the Art of Comfortable Design

Deadwood is a place where history is made — in the streets, in the hills, and now, in the rooms and corners of what is now The Landmark Hotel & Casino.

When we first envisioned what The Landmark would become, we wanted to honor its history while still paying homage to South Dakota’s premier gaming destination. Nevertheless, The Landmark represents something different – a space that blended the feeling of history with the refinement of contemporary hospitality — a place where locals could unwind without pretension, and travelers could feel like they’d stumbled upon something rare.

A Second Floor That Feels Like a Secret

Up the staircase, light spills from crystal chandeliers that cast soft halos across exposed brick and hand-laid stripes of orange, green, and charcoal. The chandeliers themselves hang like constellations — radiant but gentle — designed not just to illuminate, but to glisten quietly, the way conversation does in a room that feels right.

This is the Adams Lounge, the heart of The Landmark’s second floor. It’s a space that holds its own rhythm. It is polished but playful, and modern yet deeply tied to the textures of Deadwood’s past. The original brick walls still whisper of the building’s century-old stories, while the jewel-toned lighting and interior design bring a new chapter of sophistication.

Soft Seating, Strong Character

From the oversized velvet chairs to the wraparound sofas and ottomans, everything about the Adams Lounge is designed for lingering. Each seat gives you a different perspective — some tucked into corners for quiet conversations, others open toward the bar’s electric glow, where glass bottles glint under a patterned steel canopy.

There’s an ease to the layout that feels almost residential. Guests lean back rather than perch. Locals settle in with a glass of wine or a specialty cocktail, often running into friends they didn’t plan to see or meeting others. Visitors discover it by chance, then return the next night just to feel that same sense of belonging.

As architectural theorist Schuldenfrei wrote, “Materials matter affectively, as cultural memory.”

It was an intentional design choice to ensure that truth lives in our space. The tactile softness of leather, the weight of quartz under your hand, the way natural light filters through historical windows — these materials hold memory. The Landmark might be Deadwood’s newest boutique hotel and casino, but it is also a place built with care, texture, and continuity.

In Conversation, Not in Competition

The Landmark wasn’t built to compete — it was built to contribute. To the hum of Main Street, to the rhythm of a night out in Deadwood, to the stories that happen between a good meal, a lucky hand, and a quiet drink at the bar.

Gaming is part of the experience here, but not the whole story. The energy of the casino below carries upward, softened by light, conversation, and the comfort of design that invites you to pause. The Adams Lounge bridges those worlds — the pulse of play and the art of staying awhile.

Here, design becomes emotion. The Adams Lounge isn’t a copy of Las Vegas glam or a throwback saloon; it’s something distinctly Deadwood — a modern expression of history and hospitality woven together. The building’s bones are historic, its spirit is contemporary, and the result is a space that feels both elevated and deeply familiar.

A Place to Belong

That’s what sets The Landmark apart. You don’t visit here just to play — you visit to be. The bar is glowing and alive, the seating soft and welcoming, the chandeliers alive with subtle motion. Every corner seems to say the same thing: You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

And in a town that’s always been defined by its stories, the Adams Lounge is quietly writing its own — one conversation, one glass, one evening at a time.