The 8 Best Children's Museums in South Dakota, United States

March 19, 2022 Concepcion Newsome

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

1. South Dakota State Historical Society Museum

900 Governors Dr, Pierre, SD 57501-2200 +1 605-773-3458 http://history.sd.gov/Museum/
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 7 reviews

South Dakota State Historical Society Museum

2. World Fossil Finder Museum

719 Jensen Hwy, Hot Springs, SD 57747-2469 +1 605-745-5007 [email protected] http://worldfossilfindermuseum.com
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 5 reviews

World Fossil Finder Museum

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.

Reviewed By Mommiex4plus1 - Jacksonville, United States

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!

3. Children's Museum of South Dakota

521 4th St, Brookings, SD 57006-2046 +1 605-692-6700 [email protected] http://www.prairieplay.org
Excellent
84%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 155 reviews

Children's Museum of South Dakota

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.

Reviewed By OldsterWise

Lots of interactive things to do both indoors and out. Grandkids especially liked the grocery store and water works.

4. Stockyards Ag Experience

301 E Falls Park Dr Main Entrance is on the South side of the building., Sioux Falls, SD 57104-5962 +1 605-332-1917 [email protected] http://www.stockyardsagexperience.org
Excellent
50%
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25%
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4.5 based on 8 reviews

Stockyards Ag Experience

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.

5. South Dakota Discovery Center

805 W Sioux Ave, Pierre, SD 57501-1858 +1 605-224-8295 http://www.sd-discovery.com/
Excellent
49%
Good
32%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
7%
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4.0 based on 41 reviews

South Dakota Discovery Center

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.

Reviewed By elizabethd386

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

6. Dinosaur Museum

8973 S Highway 16, Rapid City, SD 57702-6577 +1 605-342-8140 [email protected] http://www.facebook.com/thedinosaurmuseumsd
Excellent
26%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
23%
Poor
12%
Terrible
9%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 86 reviews

Dinosaur Museum

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!

Reviewed By jcb1452 - Minnesota, United States

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!

7. Mead Cultural Education Center

82 Mickelson Dr, Yankton, SD 57078-5966 +1 605-665-3898 [email protected] http://www.meadbuilding.org
Excellent
27%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
20%
Poor
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Terrible
13%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 15 reviews

Mead Cultural Education Center

The Mead Cultural Education Center is home to the Dakota Territorial Museum and Children's Transportation Museum. It features permanent and traveling exhibits.

Reviewed By 705ginav

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!

8. Museum of Visual Materials

500 N Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104-5902 +1 605-271-9500 http://sfmvm.com
Excellent
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

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