Prairie Village, Madison Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls SOUTHEAST REGION Old Courthouse Museum, Sioux Falls attractions, festivals, and events Nearly every town in Southeast South Dakota offers a museum or collection of interest. The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History is open year round and home to hundreds of animals from across the globe, including Tigers, Rhinos, Giraffe, and an award-winning Snow Monkey exhibit. Heartland Country Corn Maze near Harrisburg and Mazing Acres Pumpkin Patch near Yankton have fun for the whole family. Kids can make music, build, climb, dance and discover their inner artist at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota in Brookings. Explore 40 antique-filled buildings and relive the days of an active turn of the century main street, then ride a very rare 100 year old steam powered carousel at Prairie Village in Madison. Visit DeSmet and tour two original homes and the homestead that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about in her book The Long Winter. The Cramer-Kenyon Heritage Home offers a glimpse into the historic past of Yankton. In Sioux Falls, find butterflies flying freely year round, coral reefs, anemones, seahorses and more at the Sioux Falls Butterfly House & Aquarium. Then go next door to The Outdoor Campus for free outdoor adventure. Thunder Road Family Fun Park in Sioux Falls has a new year-round facility with bowling, indoor laser tag, 7D theater, restaurant and more. Get a thrill at Wild Water West’s newest waterslide, Tornado Alley, a 55-foot tube with a funnel in the middle, or catch one of the weekly shows at the Greatest Show on H20 featuring amazing water stunts. For more fun on the water, you’ll also find waterparks in Huron and Yankton. 210 // #sesouthdakota Don’t miss the world’s only Corn Palace in Mitchell, decorated annually with new murals made from thousands of bushels of corn, grains and native grasses. It features color changing light-up domes, an observation deck and fun activities for kids. Experience the rich heritage of the area at unique events and ethnic festivals. Enjoy an authentic German meal at Freeman’s Schmeckfest or sample a homemade kolache and enter a polka dance-off at Tabor’s Czech Days. Be a “Dane for a Day” and enjoy aebleskiver for breakfast at Viborg’s Danish Days or celebrate the longest day with a Swedish smörgåsbord and Scandinavian programs at Dalesburg’s Midsommar Festival, near Vermillion. Eat your fill of “South Dakota’s state dessert” at the Kuchen Festival in Delmont or chow down on the “state nosh” at the South Dakota Chislic Festival in Freeman. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in DeSmet brings Laura’s world-famous books to life before your eyes. Rodeos and bull bashes at Madison, Mitchell, Scotland, Springfield, Wessington Springs and Yankton offer authentic western entertainment. Old-time threshing festivals at Madison, Menno, Delmont and Brandon show you how it was done in the ‘good ol’ days’. Immerse yourself in Native American culture at a powwow. County fairs are a great family outing. The Turner County Fair in Parker is South Dakota’s oldest county fair while the Sioux Empire Fair in Sioux Falls is the state’s largest fair. More events on page 214 or visit www.southeastsouthdakota.com.
South Dakota Vacation Guide South Dakota Vacation Guide 2022: Page 210
