Washington Pavilion Sioux Falls Great Plains Zoo -Sioux Falls Schmeckfest -Freeman CULTURAL HERITAGE AND THE ARTS In addition to its wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities, Southeast South Dakota provides a wide array of cultural and enter-tainment facilities. As the region’s largest city, Sioux Falls offers a wide variety of historical museums, art galleries and theaters. Take in world-class entertainment including music, dance, opera and Broadway hits. The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival, held in June at Vermillion, features a professional Shakespeare performance, new each year. Levitt at the Falls, a new outdoor music venue in Sioux Falls, is one of only eight permanent Levitt venues in the nation. In downtown Sioux Falls, ride the trolley system, designed after streetcars that operated in the early 1900s. Watch for Trolley Stop banners through-out the downtown as well as at Falls Park. Take the trolley from Falls Park to the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science which houses a visual arts center, a hands-on science center, a performing arts cen-ter and the Wells Fargo CineDome with a 60-foot domed screen. Stop along the way at the Old Courthouse Museum, a grand 1800s quartzite courthouse with three floors of exhibits. Tour the Pettigrew Home and Museum, the beautifully restored 1889 home of South Dakota’s first senator, R.F. Pettigrew. The Center for Western Studies also offers a variety of history and art exhibits. Discover outstanding works of art by Native American and other regional artists at the Dakota Discovery Museum and Carnegie Resource Center in Mitchell, Center for Western Studies and Wash-ington Pavilion’s Visual Arts Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings and museums/galleries throughout the area. Explore natural and cultural history at museums in Freeman, Madison, Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Vermillion and Yankton. These museums have preserved artifacts that showcase the rich Native American and pioneering history of this region. Mark your calendars for these area arts events: Madison’s Mart in the Park in July; Yankton Riverboat Days & Summer Arts Festival and the Sioux River Folk Festival at Newton Hills State Park in August; Art & Wine Walk in Downtown Sioux Falls in May and October, and the Sidewalk Arts Festival in Sioux Falls each September. Downtown Sioux Falls, Yankton and Vermillion have original sculp-tures and murals on public display to enjoy throughout the year. New in 2019, the massive Arc of Dreams sculpture spans the Big Sioux River in downtown Sioux Falls. Porter Sculpture Park, located along I-90 at the Montrose exit, is a unique roadside attraction full of sculp-tures that are both whimsical and surreal, all made by one artist out of metal “junk”, some as tall as 60 feet and weighing 40 tons. Call the local visitors bureau for up to date info as you plan your trip. Great American West Continued on page 226 » SoutheastSouthDakota.com // 225 SOUTHEAST REGION
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2020: Page 225
