South Dakota has good golf courses, skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, hiking, and biking among rolling prairies, pine forests, and granite mountain peaks like Mount Rushmore. Glacial lakes and Missouri River reservoir lakes provide great fishing, boating, canoeing, water skiing, and windsurfing. The whole family will enjoy this prairie land where grain growing begat roadside attractions like the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Everything made from corn, even the popcorn, tastes better here. Where buffalo roam, roadside diners serve up buffalo and luscious homemade fruit pies. Shop for good deals on cowboy boots on the same Black Hills and Badland Main Streets where cowboys and cowgirls outfit themselves. Be near the eroded buttes, spires, and prairie grasslands of Badlands National Park in Lead, Deadwood, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Hill City, Custer, and other nearby towns. The whole family will enjoy watching for big game like bison, bighorn sheep, antelope, eagles, and hawks. Drive the one-hour Hwy 240 loop road, with a side-trip to Robert's Prairie Dog Town. Learn about the Oglala Sioux Tribe at the White River Visitor Center, which is near Wounded Knee. Tour the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site's Cold War nuclear silos, just outside the Park's boundaries. About 90 minutes west of Badlands National Park is Mount Rushmore. Lead, Deadwood, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis, Hill City, Whitetail Springs, and Custer are also very near Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, and Jewel Cave National Monument. View Mount Rushmore from the aerial tramway in Keystone, which also houses the Borglum Historical Center celebrating the artist behind the sculpting of Rushmore. Take the kids to the Dinosaur Park in Rapid City. Attend Custer State Park’s Annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival. Bedazzle the whole family with sparkling calcite crystals in 151-mile long Jewel Cave. Bison, pronghorn, and elk graze the grasslands of Wind Cave National Park. Central South Dakota has the state capitol, Pierre, in addition to numerous lakes along the Missouri River. Go fishing and boating in the rivers and lakes. Take the kids to the South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium in Pierre to see the state’s native fish. Drop by the Dacotah Prairie Museum along the James River in Aberdeen in the northeast to learn prairie history and natural history. Swing by Sioux Falls to see the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial and special exhibits at the Old Courthouse Museum. Choose from among 10 golf courses in Sioux Falls.
Restaurants in South Dakota
5.0 based on 5 reviews
The World Fossil Finder Museum is not your typical fossil museum but a museum with several world wide first fossil discoveries. We are a family friendly museum that wants to inspire and educate children and adults of all ages to enjoy learning about the natural wonders of the world.
We visited the museum after a full day of fossil hunting with Riley and Tim from the museum. They guided us through fossil hunting and actually showed us how to prepare a tortoise shell fossil to bring home to restore. My husband found an oreodont skull and our friend and I found portions of oreodont jaws with teeth, various pieces of bones and as much fossil tortoise shell as we wanted to pick up. We scrambled up and down hills and searched through washes and got a taste of what it is like to search and work on a paleontological site. It was a full active day and we all learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the fossils we got to take home. This was a very unique opportunity and I highly recommend for anyone interested in fossil hunting and preparation. You contact the museum to set up the experience. Tim and Riley were superb!
4.5 based on 155 reviews
Harvest food and move it from farm to market. Greet life-size Mama T. Rex or climb among clouds. Excavate some giant dinosaru bones or deliver the mail on KidStreet. This is a sample of the hands-on activities at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota. With 5,000 interactive parts and 550 books, the museum supports a love of lifelong learning through exploration and discovery. The museum is located 50 miles north of Sioux Falls, SD, and is a perfect stop for your family vacation. A cafe and toy store are also available on-site.
Lots of interactive things to do both indoors and out. Grandkids especially liked the grocery store and water works.
4.5 based on 8 reviews
We deepen the connection between agriculture to everyday life with learning experiences that highlight history, science, culture and economic impact. We educate through interactive displays, hands-on learning and vibrant stories.
4.0 based on 41 reviews
Everyone gets to try things out at this "science playground for the whole family" where "please touch" interactive science and nature exhibits provide a fun and educational experience. The center is housed in a huge converted city power plant and includes aquariums stocked with walleye, gar, trout and other Missouri River fish.
A must stop if you have kids. Exhibits change, our kids are ages 2-9, they all love to stop whenever we can. Great way to spend an hour or two
3.5 based on 86 reviews
The Dinosaur Museum is located adjacent to Reptile Gardens. Mini Golf, Mirror Maze, & Theater are all free with Admission. Come see the most realistic, life-like dinosaur replicas in the world. We have dinosaurs of all sizes, from tiny micro-raptors to a full size T-Rex. Inside the Dinosaur Museum, you will see over 98 ancient reptiles from more than 65 species, learn more in our educational Movies Theater, while little ones play in the adjacent Fossil Dig. have the opportunity to make your way through our famous Mirror Maze, and even try your putting skills at our Mini Golf Course!
Despite other not so positive reviews, It was great. Friendly people and a neat old structure. The exhibits were well done and informative. The mirror maze was super cool. Not crowded at all. Stop here, it’s worth it!
3.5 based on 15 reviews
The Mead Cultural Education Center is home to the Dakota Territorial Museum and Children's Transportation Museum. It features permanent and traveling exhibits.
The Mead Building is a great piece of architecture! The display of Lewis and Clark was fun. The second floor history of what the Mead Building was amazing. I loved the bead and quill display. We spent 2 hours there. The basement and third floor are being repaired and unavailable to view for a couple more years. Very worth while!
5.0 based on 1 reviews
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