South Dakota

If you start your journey in western South Dakota, Rapid City is the largest city in that part of our state. It has one of our major airports and it is located along Interstate 90. You'll find a wonderful variety of city parks, hiking and biking trails, The Journey Museum, shopping, and events throughout the year. Rapid City is the hub from which you can tour several attractions in western South Dakota. As you travel south out of Rapid City, one of the first major attractions is Reptile Gardens on Highway 16. They have educational shows that include birds of prey, alligator wrestling, and information on various snakes from around the world. They also have birds and tortoises. Nearby is Bear Country USA , a drive-through wildlife park, which also includes other wild animals like lions. They have a great visitor center that is at the end of the park's drive-through route. Continuing south, the next major attraction is our most famous attraction - Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Highway 244. There are park rangers who give guided tours; they have a visitor center with park officials on duty; and there is a dining room and gift shop at the Memorial. The museum has interactive exhibits, a theater with films about carving the mountain, a walking trail, and a patriotic evening lighting ceremony. Not too far away is a mountain carving in progress that pays tribute to many Native American tribes in North America. You can learn more about this attraction at Crazy Horse Memorial.org which is off Highway 386 and 16. The Black Hills area is also home to Jewel Cave National Monument which is south and west of Crazy Horse Memorial and Wind Cave National Park which is south of Custer State Park which is a fun place to visit because of the wildlife, especially a heard of 1,500 bison. It covers 71,000 acres. Also, in the southern Black Hills, you'll find The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, which is home to archeological and paleontological finds. They also have guided tours of the one mammoth in situ exhibit. You can also find private businesses like the 1880 Train which offers short rides on an old rail line between Hill City and Keystone. For hiking and biking, you can enjoy the 109-mile George S. Mickelson Trail that follows an old railroad line in the Black Hills, complete with restored bridges and tunnels. It winds through scenic landscapes. There are trail heads and bicycle rentals in several cities. Custer State Park covers 71,000 acres and is home to bison, elk, Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, antelope, deer, donkeys, and many bird species If you decide to travel to the northern Black Hills on Highway 385, you can visit the city of Deadwood where you will find mining history and legends of the Wild West. After your time in Deadwood, you can travel north and get back on Interstate 90. If you go west on Interstate 90, you'll find the city of Spearfish at Exit 12. It is home to the High Plains Western Heritage Center. They have wonderful displays on the ranching history of our state, including a gift shop with books, jewelry, and art. Get back on Interstate 90 and travel east to the city of Sturgis where you'll find a museum devoted to motorcycles. As you continue east on Interstate 90, you'll pass through Rapid City, but continue for 55 miles to the city of Wall at Exit 110 to the famous Wall Drug Store where you'll find wonderful cake donuts and buffalo burgers, a great book store, and fun gifts to purchase. In addition, they have one of the largest collections of original western art in the United States showcased on their dining room walls. If you travel south of Wall on Highway 240, you'll find Badlands National Park . The landscape here is moonlike and the spires and buttes are layered in different colors of dirt - from sulfur yellow to rust to gray. They have a visitor center with films that tell the geological history of the park, which was once an underwater sea. You can get back on the Interstate at Exit 131 after you've traveled through the Badlands. Next stop is the Pioneer Auto Show in Murdo at Exit 192. The museum has over 275 cars plus several other motorized exhibits and replicas of buildings that one would have found in a pioneer town. South Dakota is divided from north to south by the Missouri River, where you can find tales about the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery. This group of explorers mapped this part of the United States in 1804-1806. The State Capitol is in Pierre, 33 miles north of Interstate 90 at exit 212 along the Missouri River. The official state website has the photo of our state's Governor Rounds. From this page, click on Just For Kids and from there "Tour South Dakota" for a virtual tour of the Capitol Building. The Cultural Heritage Center has exhibits on the state on early pioneers, Native American history, mining, riverboat travel, politics, and art of many South Dakota artists. Not only is our history influenced by the French, our state capitol has a mosaic floor that was tiled by Italian artisans. There were 60 of them and each laid a small blue-colored tile to commemorate their work. No one has ever found all 60 tiles. If you travel south from Pierre and get back on Interstate 90, the next major city is Chamberlain on the Missouri river. On the same campus as the Saint Joseph Indian School is the Akta Lakota Museum. They have exhibits of Native American life as well as displays from many of South Dakota's Native American artists. The next major city along Interstate 90 is Mitchell. They have a fun attraction called the World's Only Corn Palace, originally built in the early 1890s to showcase South Dakota's agricultural yields. You will recognize the architecture of the building. About 65 miles east of Mitchell is intersection of Interstate 29, which runs north and south through South Dakota. You can turn north and travel to Watertown to visit a small, but fascinating zoo - Bramble Park and Zoo. They have several species of local birds and animals plus wild animals from around the world. The Goss Opera House in downtown Watertown is currently hosting a traveling King Tut exhibit. During the first weekend in August, the Redlin Art Center gives a free evening concert and the entertainment in 2009 includes Sawyer Brown. The Redlin Art Center is dedicated to one of America's favorite artists, Terry Redlin, where most of Mr. Redlin's original art is displayed. The building design is Greek with several gazebos and ponds on the property. In northeastern South Dakota, you'll find more French explorer influence at the Nicollet Tower located near Sisseton, South Dakota. Joseph Nicollet came to South Dakota and mapped this part of our state. Near Sisseton is Fort Sisseton State Historical Park with restored living quarters, stables, hospital, and dining room for Civil War soldiers. There are interpreters on site, but it is fun to walk the grounds and climb the lookout tower. It is located on the highest bluff in the middle of the prairie. If you turn south onto Interstate 29 from Interstate 90, you'll find our state's largest city of Sioux Falls. They have many city parks and biking and hiking trails throughout the city. In downtown Sioux Falls, is the restored Falls Park with a viewing tower, walking trails, and an artists' center. They have an Outdoor Learning Center and the Sertoma Butterfly House. Sioux Falls has a historic district and downtown Sioux Falls has small unique shops, restaurants, and old churches. Off of the Interstate and in east of Pierre on Highway 14, you'll find the small town of Huron. If you're in South Dakota during June, you can attend an Outdoor Expo, June 13-14. There are over 100 activities that are all hands-on including kayaking, shotgun shooting, panning for gold, fly fishing, cooking over campfires, trapping, hunting dog demonstrations, and archery. All free. There are private art galleries filled with work of local artists, which includes many works of art by Native Americans across the state. There are many more towns and cities that have unique museums and historic sites