South Dakota Vacation Guide - 2025 South Dakota Vacation Guide
ARTS & CULTURE
2025-12-15 09:33:13
Miles: 216, I-29 between Sisseton and Vermillion
1 SISSETON
Exit 232
Climb to the top of Nicollet Tower to view three states and a valley carved by ancient glaciers.
Tour the Stavig House to learn how one immigrant family became prairie homesteaders and local entrepreneurs.
Hike Sica (pronounced SHEcha) Hollow State Park. Late spring to early summer wildflowers and butterflies, followed by fall foliage, put on a colorful show.
Detour to Lake City to experience Fort Sisseton Historic State Park’s annual festival in June, featuring a Civil War military encampment. Year-round, visit for fishing, camping and more.
2 WATERTOWN
Exit 177
At the Redlin Art Center, view more than 160 original oil paintings by iconic wildlife and Americana artist — and Watertown native — Terry Redlin.
Stroll the Watertown Artwalk, featuring 16 sculptures from artists across the country.
Tour the Mellette House, the restored Italianate mansion built in 1885 by the state’s first governor.
3 BROOKINGS
Exit 132
On the South Dakota State University campus, tour the South Dakota Art Museum for displays of South Dakotan and Native American art.
Then, discover the university’s South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. A replica farmhouse and steampowered tractor are among the unique exhibits.
Before leaving campus, stroll an arboretum and colorful gardens in the 70 acres of McCrory Gardens.
Traveling with children? Explore interactive exhibits and engineer projects in the Maker Studio at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota.
4 VERMILLION
Exit 26
Explore hundreds of years of music history at the newly renovated National Music Museum. The museum features a robust collection of instruments, from vintage harps to Les Paul guitars.
Visit the Oscar Howe Gallery to see how one renowned artist portrayed the Native American experience in bold paintings.
Dive into local history at the Austin-Whittemore House Museum, restored to its 19th-century glory.
4 ART STOPS ON US HIGHWAYS 212 & 12
See how the galleries, studios, public spaces and artwork of US highways 212 and 12 paint a vibrant sense of place:
[1] Visit Redfield’s C&NW RR Depot Museum & Visitor Center, where railroad artifacts mingle with local art exhibits. [2] Don’t miss the grand canvas of Faulkton. The town's art includes lifelike murals, from a buffalo roundup to a painting of children on a grain elevator. [3] Stroll through the sculpture garden next to Kokomo Gallery in Lemmon to see works by artist John Lopez, who honors the state’s agricultural heritage by transforming abandoned farm equipment into majestic works of sculptural art. [4] Don’t leave Lemmon before exploring the Petrified Wood Park & Museum, a fossilized and imaginative history of the area.
Check out our STATE OF CREATE PASSPORT on page 27
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