Sioux Falls Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Sioux Falls Travel & Tourism, Free Sioux Falls Travel Guide Online

Sioux Falls Travel Guide: Discount & Cheap Sioux Falls Travel & Tourism, Free Sioux Falls Travel Guide Online

Known to the Lakota Sioux as "Laughing Waters", the Big Sioux River winds throughout the city of Sioux Falls.

Sioux Falls takes its name from scenic cascades formed 14,000 years ago as Ice Age glaciers retreated. The shifting ice also exposed pinkish, quartzite bedrock, which was used to construct many of the city's older buildings.

Visitors can watch the river as it flows over the powerful falls from four viewing areas in Falls Park, one of which is a five-story observation tower. The Big Sioux River Recreation Trail and Greenway is a 16-mile-trail that begins at Falls Park and loops around the city providing walking, jogging, and biking trails as well as areas for in-line skating.

The Falls Park Sound and Light Show plays 30 minutes after dusk from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Sioux Falls is South Dakota's largest city and the center of commerce for the eastern part of the state. A good place to start a tour of the city is at one of the two Siouxland Heritage Museums: either the Old Courthouse with its Romanesque architecture or the Pettigrew Home which is designed in the Queen Anne style. While at the museums, pick up a map of the city's historic district and take some time to explore the Gothic, neocolonial, Queen Anne and Tudor architecture that dots the hilly parts of town.

Shopping and entertainment are major reasons for visiting the Sioux Falls area. In Sioux Falls there is the opportunity to shop in the largest complex between the Mall of America and Denver. The Empire/Empire East is one of the area's top attractions, with 180 retail shops and restaurants, Sioux Falls is also a city of casinos and casino resorts and is becoming a major gaming destination.

Many residents are avid outdoors enthusiasts who camp and hunt on its banks and fish and canoe. Tapping into this contingent, the city's "Outdoor Campus" (a joint venture between the Parks and Recreation Department and the Fish and Game Department) offers classes in boating, fishing, and wilderness exploration.

The Center for Western Studies on the campus of Augustana College contains exhibits of artifacts from the cultures of both the Sioux and of Iowa's European immigrants. The Northern Plains Tribal Arts Festival is held in Sioux Falls every September.

The Sioux Falls Trolley is a seasonal and free trolley service operating Monday through Saturday 10-9, mid-April to late September; Saturday 9-5, early October-late December. The climate-controlled, reproduction trolley is typical of a streetcar used in Sioux Falls in the 1900s. Visitors should look for the trolley stop banners located throughout downtown Sioux Falls and Falls Park.

70 miles northwest of Sioux Falls is the town of De Smet where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived and wrote. Six of the books in her pioneer adventure series were set in and around De Smet. Special tours of the town highlight 16 sites about which Wilder wrote. Actors and actresses re-create scenes from the books at the annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, held the last weekend in June and the first two weekends in July.

Driving west from Sioux Falls on I-90, many travelers stop in Mitchell, 65 miles from Sioux Falls to see the turreted Corn Palace. The decorative patterns and pictures made up of grasses, corn and other grains are remade annually with locally harvested products. The Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo takes place in July, and the fully decorated palace is the centerpiece of Corn Palace Week each September.

Sioux Falls Attractions: Sioux Falls Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Sioux Falls Travel & Tourism, Free Sioux Falls Travel Guide Online

Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science

301 S. Main Ave

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone:

(605) 367-6000

Admission charged.

Kirby Science Discovery Center admission (includes exhibits and large-format film) The Visual Arts Center is free except during special exhibitions

. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-5 (also Fri. 5-8), Sun. noon-5, Memorial Day-Easter; Tues.-Sat. 10-5 (also Fri. 5-8), Sun. noon-5, rest of year. Closed Thanksgiving and Dec. 25

The multipurpose cultural and entertainment center features art collections, a 1,800-seat performing arts venue and hands-on science museum. All are housed in a restored historic high school building. The Kirby Science Discovery Center boasts more than 80 interactive exhibits divided among seven themed areas. Giant-screen films projected on a 60-foot domed screen are shown in the Wells Fargo CineDome Theater.The Visual Arts Center offers six galleries of changing art exhibits along with a permanent collection of works by such regionally and nationally notable artists as Oscar Howe, L. Lova Jones and Henry Moore. Traveling Broadway shows as well as dance, musical and vocal performances take to the stage at the Husby Performing Arts Center.

The Outdoor Campus

4500 S. Oxbow Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD

Phone:

(605) 362-2777

Admission:

Free

Hours:

Mon.-Fri. 8-5, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 1-4; closed major holidays

The outdoor education center contains a hands-on museum filled with wildlife mounts, nature dioramas and a 3,000-gallon stream bank aquarium. Hiking trails, a fishing pond, a butterfly garden and a tall-grass prairie also are featured.

Sertoma Butterfly House

4320 S. Oxbow Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57106

Phone:

(605) 334-9466

Hours:

Mon.-Sat. 10-6, Sun. 1-5, Memorial Day-Labor Day; Mon.-Sat. 10-4, Sun. 1-4, rest of year. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Hours may vary; phone ahead

More than 700 free-flying butterflies are housed in this climate-controlled facility. Tropical plants, a 5-foot waterfall and a Koi pond add to the tranquil surroundings. Educational programs also are offered. Guided tours are available. Picnicking is permitted.

Battleship USS South Dakota Memorial

2705 W. 12th St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone:

(605) 367-7141

Admission:

Free

Hours:

Daily 10-6, Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day; by appointment rest of year

The memorial commemorates one of the most decorated battleships in service during World War II. A concrete outline of the memorial has the same dimensions as the USS South Dakota—length 680 feet, beam 108 feet—and includes the ship's mast, anchor, radar screen, nine 16-inch gun barrel muzzle ends, a 94-ton 16-inch gun barrel and an 18-ton bronze propeller. A museum features nautical items.

Center For Western Studies

2201 S. Summit Ave. in the Fantle Building at Augustana College.

Sioux Falls, SD 57197

Phone:

(605) 274-4007

Mon.-Fri. 8-noon and 1-5, Sat. 10-2; closed holidays

Admission: Donation

The center presents permanent and changing displays relating to the history and cultures of the upper Great Plains. The center also houses an art gallery, which includes the Jim Savage wood carving collection, along with historical archives and a library.

Delbridge Museum Of Natural History

805 S. Kiwanis Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Included in zoo admission

Daily 9-6, Apr.-Sept.; 10-5, rest of year. Closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Last admission 1 hour before closing.

Delbridge Museum Of Natural History is within the Great Plains Zoo. The museum displays more than 150 mounted native and exotic animals. Exhibits illustrate various ecosystems, from the African plain to a tropical river. A mounted panda is among the museum's highlights.

Old Courthouse Museum

200 W. 6th St.
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

(605) 367-4210

Admission:

Donations

Hours:

Mon.-Sat. 9-5 (also Thurs. 5-9), Sun. noon-5; closed major holidays

The Pettigrew Home and the Old Courthouse are known as the Siouxland Heritage Museums whose mission is to preserve, exhibit and interpret the history of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County. Displays change periodically in the restored late 19th-century county courthouse of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.

Pettigrew Home and Museum

131 N. Duluth Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Phone:

(605) 367-7097

Admission:

Donations

Hours:

Thirty-minute house tours depart on the hour Mon.-Sat. 9-5 (also Thurs. 5-9), Sun. noon-5, May-Sept.; daily noon-5, rest of year. Closed holidays. Last tour departs at 4

Exhibits in the restored 1889 Queen Anne-style house feature the life of Sen. Richard F. Pettigrew (senator 1889-1901) and include some of his personal collections. Also explored is the history of the Sioux Falls region.

Sioux Falls Events: Sioux Falls Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Sioux Falls Travel & Tourism, Free Sioux Falls Travel Guide Online

Events & Entertainment

January

Annual Outdoor Show

Held in late January

Location: Expo Building at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

605-336-2988

Call for additional information

Annual Outdoor show

Monster Truck Winternationals & Thrill Show

Held in late January

Location: Sioux Falls Arena

605-334-8181

Call for additional information

Two exciting shows in one day! Monster Truck Racing, Robotic Dinosaur, ATV 4 Wheel Quad Races, Flat Track Racing.

February

Annual Jack Rabbit Lines Marketplace and Travel Show

Held in mid February

Location: Ramkota Exhibit Hall

605-336-0650

Admission Free

Call for additional information

The annual event includes exhibitors from the United Sates and Canada. It promotes attractions, accommodations, entertainment and destinations.

Center for Western Studies Annual Artists of the Plains Art Show and Sale

Held in mid February

Location: Radisson Encore Hotel

605-274-4007

Call for additional information

18 regional artists invited to show and sell their art. One of the longest running shows in the region. Emphasis is on Western, Wildlife, and Native American art.

Artist of the Plains Art Show and Sale

Held in mid February

Location: Radisson Encore Hotel

605-274-4007

Call for additional information

The annual show and sale is one of the longest running art shows in the region. It offers the public the opportunity to view and purchase art by the region's best artists. Eighteen artists are invited for the weekend. Western, Native American, and Wildlife art with an emphasis on quality and diversity or work. Free to the public.

Boat Show

Held in mid February

Location: Arena/Convention Center

763-755-8111

Call for additional information

Annual boat show

April

Annual Boys Tri-State Basketball Tournament

Held in early April

Location: Sioux Falls YMCA and other Sioux Falls schools

605-336-3190

Call for additional information

Over 300 teams annually compete in the 2 day tournament

Annual Tri-State Speed Machine Expo

Held in early April

Location: Borrowed BUCKS Roadhouse Parking Lot

605-361-3171

Call for additional information

Annual Tri-State Area Speed Machine Expo is a "show and shine" event for anything that races! Race Fans will see over 75 different "speed machines" along with various vendors and children's activities. All proceeds from this event will go to the South Dakota Parent Connection, a non-profit agency that provides information and training to professionals and parents caring for children with disabilities or special health care needs.

Annual Kingswood Rummage

Held in late April

Location: Kingswood

605-728-1668

Call for additional information

The Kingswood Rummage takes place each year in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on the last full weekend in April. Thousands of shoppers from Sioux Falls and surrounding area find excellent bargains. A volunteer committee plans and coordinates the event each year.

May

Annual Big Sioux Trail Tour

Held in mid May

Location: Big Sioux Recreation Area

605-582-7243

Call for additional information

Walk or run the annual 5K held on the hiking trails of the Big Sioux Recreation Area. The view and the challenging terrain make this a 5K to remember. Register the day of the race or contact the park to pre-register. Prizes given in 5 age categories for both women and men.

Annual VA Cruise Night

Held in late May

Location: Sioux Falls VA grounds

605-333-6842

Call for additional information

Owners of classic cars, street rods, and motorcycles are invited to cruise to the Sioux Falls VA May 25, 2005 at 5:30 pm to share their vehicles with hospitalized veterans. Food will be available for purchase. This is a nonalcoholic event.

July

Annual Relay Races

Held in early July

Location: Big Sioux Recreation Area

605-582-7243

Call for additional information

Kids ages 5-13 can come and compete in events like potato sack races, egg-on-spoon race, water balloon toss, and more. Prizes are awarded and any balloons left at the end are for everyone to have fun with.

November

Annual Snow Queen Contest

Held in late November

Location: Varies

605-332-1340

Call for additional information

The Snow Queen contest is a contest for young ladies who are freshmen in high school (Jr. Snow Queen) and 17 to 21 year olds (Snow Queen). The winner of the local competition represents Sioux Falls and competes at the state level in Aberdeen in January.

December

Annual Messiah Concert

Held in early December

Location: First Baptist Church

605-336-6588

Call for additional information

Join the group for the popular Annual Messiah Concert performance by the North American Baptist Seminary Community Choir.

Annual Regional High School Exhibit

Held early March – late April

Location: Horse Barn Arts Center

605-977-2002

Call for additional information

Students from area high schools submit their best works; the combined exhibit is judged for awards and prizes. In addition, the students' teachers exhibit their art in the Portfolio Gallery.

Entertainment:

Bob Uecker Productions

Various Locations

605-335-5935

Call for performance schedule and additional information

This production company, famous for the dinner theatre "Tony & Tina's Wedding," performs shows in numerous Sioux Falls venues and across the state utilizing a local cast.

Dakota Academy of Performing Arts

2131 S. Minnesota Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

605-334-7552

Call for performance schedule and additional information

This academy is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to excellence in music and theater for children, adolescents and young adults. The company is made up of several different groups, both musical and theatrical, that perform in and around the Sioux Falls area.

Husby Performing Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion

11^th Street and Main Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-367-6000

Call for performance schedule and additional information

Husby Performing Arts Center features the 1,800-seat Great Hall, the multi-use Schulte Rehearsal Room, and the Belbas Theater. The Great Hall offers a wide variety of touring Broadway productions, symphonic and other musical concerts, national and international dance tours and more. The Husby Performing Arts Center is also the home of the South Dakota Symphony.

Orpheum Theatre

315 N. Phillips Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-367-7288

Call for performance schedule and additional information

A distinctive and historically enhanced facility, the Orpheum Theater was built in 1917 to serve the city of Sioux Falls, SD as a venue for theatrical presentations in an inviting setting. Over the next 80+ years, this theater has been the setting for some of the region's most memorable events including vaudeville, plays, concerts and other productions. It was even used as a movie theater during a portion of its history.

The Olde Towne Dinner Theatre

Located 15 miles south of Sioux Falls

605-372-4653

Call for performance schedule and additional information

The Olde Towne Dinner Theatre is the region's only year-round dinner theatre. It specialize in fine dining and high quality theatrical productions. Reservations are required.

Theatre Augustana and Bare Bodkins Theatre

2001 Summit Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 59197

605-336-5219

Call for performance schedule and additional information

Theatre Augustana's highly interactive, spontaneous productions run from September to May. Bare Bodkins Theatre is Sioux Falls' only professional classical company. Augustana College is also home to the Children's Theatre Company of Sioux Falls, a professional group that puts on several shows each year geared toward children.

University of Sioux Falls Theater Department

1101 West 22^nd Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

605-331-6709

Call for performance schedule and additional information

This theater department performs major plays and musicals in both the Meredith Auditorium and the Jeschke Fine Arts Center's Arena Theater.

Wells Fargo CineDome Theater

11^th Street and Main Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-367-7367

Call for performance schedule and additional information

The Wells Fargo CineDome Theater features incredibly realistic giant-screen movies on a 60-foot domed screen. Ride the rapids, explore the depths of ancient Egyptian tombs, dive into oceans and climb mountaintops. Different films are featured every season. Films last about 45 minutes and are shown hourly.

Sports:

Dakota Lawdawgs

69 Ash Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57012

605-296-3200

Call for game schedule and additional information

The Dakota Lawdawgs' play at O'Gorman High School's McEneaney Field. The team was established to give local college graduates a place to play and work on their skills for possible future professional tryouts.

Sioux Falls Canaries

1001 West Avenue N.

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-332-0605

Call for game schedule and additional information

The Northern League's Sioux Falls Canaries baseball team season runs from late May through early September at the Sioux Falls Stadium, commonly referred to as the Birdcage.

Sioux Falls Skyforce

2101 West 41^st Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

605-336-7486

Call for game schedule and additional information

The Sioux Falls SKYforce features nonstop, high-powered fun in the family-friendly Sioux Falls Arena. As part of the CBA (Continental Basketball Association), the SKYforce is strictly professional, with all of the high-flying, fast-breaking action and national halftime acts you expect from the big leagues.

Sioux Falls Spitfire

401 West 39^th Street

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

605-336-7486

Call for game schedule and additional information

The Sioux Falls SpitFire bring Big Time Soccer and Big Time Family Fun to the Sioux Falls area. There is something for everyone including high-level soccer action, half-time shows and in-game entertainment, a Kids Fun Zone, and more. The SpitFire are part of more than 40 teams across the country in the PDL of the United Soccer Leagues. Home games are played at McEneaney Field at O'Gorman High School during May, June, and July.

Sioux Falls Stampede

230 S. Phillips Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-336-6060

Call for game schedule and additional information

The Stampede hockey team is a member of the United States Hockey League (USHL), a Junior "A" hockey league. The Stampede name and buffalo mascot were chosen from a name-the-team contest to identify with South Dakota's heritage. Throughout the season, the Stampede team participates in community events and hosts various game-night promotions and special events.

Sioux Falls Storm

1910 S. Minnesota Avenue

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-332-4225

Call for game schedule and additional information

The Storm joined the Sioux Falls sports scene in 2001. They play at the Sioux Falls Arena as part of the National Indoor Football League. The season runs April through July.

Sioux Falls Facts: Sioux Falls Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Sioux Falls Travel & Tourism, Free Sioux Falls Travel Guide Online

Population:

85,013

Elevation:

1117 feet above sea level

Land Area:

54.8 square miles

Location:

Located in the southeastern section of South Dakota at the intersection of Interstate 29 from the north and south and Interstate 90 from the east and west

Time Zone:

Central Standard Time (when it's noon in Sioux City, it's 1pm in New York and 10am in Los Angeles). Sioux City observes daylight savings time from April - October

Weather:

Climate:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Dayswithprecip.	7	6	9	10	11	11	9	9	8	7	6	7
Windspeed(mph)	11.4	11.2	12.3	13.2	11.8	10.7	9.2	9.1	9.9	10.5	11.4	11.0
Morninghumidity(%)	78	80	80	78	79	82	86	89	86	81	82	82
Afternoonhumidity(%)	71	69	66	57	58	61	63	66	63	58	67	73
Sunshine(%)	57	56	57	59	61	67	73	70	66	63	51	50

Local Seasons:

Sioux Falls has four very distinctive yet moderate seasons. The summer daytime temperatures are in the 80's F, and the evenings comfortably near 60 F. Spring and fall are quite pleasant and beautiful. In the fall, the air is crisp and clean with a breeze blowing Springtime is similar with the daytime temperature rising almost daily beginning in early April with plenty of sun as well. Winters are cold and there is plenty of snow. Take the family and build a snowman in the park, and be sure to bring a camera to capture the memories.

How to Get There:

By Air

Sioux Falls Regional Airport

2801 Jaycee Lane

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

605-336-0762

The Sioux Falls Regional Airport is served by one major airline and four shuttle services that fly to domestic and international destinations. Located on the north edge of the city and just minutes from downtown and the Sioux Falls Convention Center, SFRA serves Sioux Falls, southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, and northwest Iowa with a well-maintained, modern and efficient airfield.

By Car

Located in the southeastern section of South Dakota, Sioux Falls is easily reached by car. From the north or south, the city is intersected by Interstate 29 and from the east and west, Interstate 90. Interstate 229 bypasses the business district to accommodate commuter traffic.

By Bus

Greyhound

301 N Dakota Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57102

605-336-0885

How to Get Around:

With so many sites to see and things to do, the best way to get around is by either personal or rental car. Within the city, drivers enjoy a arrangement of arterial streets with relatively little congestion. Sioux Falls also offers an extensive public transit system with special accommodations for the disabled and elderly, as well as free trolley rides that take people around downtown year-round and to Falls Park from May through October.

National Holidays

:

New Year's Day: Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day: 3rd Mon. in Jan.

President's Day: 3rd Mon. in Feb.

Memorial Day: last Mon. in May

Independence Day: July 4

Labor Day: 1st Mon. in Sept.

Thanksgiving Day: 4th Thurs. in Nov.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Dec. 24 and 25

New Year's Eve: Dec. 31

Sioux Falls Kids Activities: Sioux Falls Travel Guide, Discount & Cheap Sioux Falls Travel & Tourism, Free Sioux Falls Travel Guide Online

Great Plains Zoo

805 S. Kiwanis Ave.

Phone: (605) 367-7059

Great Plains Zoo is 1 mi. e. on 12th St. from I-29 exit 79, then .2 mi. s. on Kiwanis Ave. in Sherman Park. Home to approximately 400 animals, including flamingos, Asian cats, zebras, giraffes and penguins, the zoo's many displays resemble the animals' natural habitats. A children's zoo also is featured. Allow 1 hour, 30 minutes minimum.

The Outdoor Campus

4500 S. Oxbow Ave.

Sioux Falls, SD 57106

Phone:

(605) 362-2777

Admission:

Free

Hours:

Mon.-Fri. 8-5, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 1-4; closed major holidays

The Outdoor Campus is off I-229 exit Louise Ave., then e. on 57th St., following signs. The outdoor education center contains a hands-on museum filled with wildlife mounts, nature dioramas and a 3,000-gallon streambank aquarium. Hiking trails, a fishing pond, a butterfly garden and a tall-grass prairie also are featured. Allow 1 hour minimum.

Wild Water West Waterpark

26767 466th Ave.

off I-29 exit 77, 5.7 mi. w. on 41st St., which becomes 267th St., then .6 mi. s. to 26767 466th Ave.
(605) 361-9313

This family entertainment center features a tower complex with four 6-story-high waterslides; a 700-foot-long lazy river; two activity pools; sand volleyball; Caribbean Falls slides; and shower facilities as well as a batting-cage complex and a commando paintball field. Food is available. Allow 3 hours minimum.

Pigeon Forge Travel Guide |Hershey Travel Guide |Fort Worth Travel Guide |Adelaide Travel Guide |Curacao Travel Guide |Las Vegas Travel Guide |Irving Travel Guide |Telluride Travel Guide |Ocean City Travel Guide |Los Angeles Travel Guide |Barcelona Travel Guide |Prague Travel Guide |Cincinnati Travel Guide |Lautoka Travel Guide |Tokyo Travel Guide |Singapore Travel Guide |Kelowna Travel Guide |Oakland Travel Guide |Lake Tahoe Travel Guide |Charlottesville Travel Guide |Halifax Enfield Travel Guide |Brussels Travel Guide |Miami Travel Guide |Beaufort Travel Guide |Panama City Travel Guide |Panama Travel Guide |Galveston Travel Guide |Alexandria Travel Guide |Aspen Travel Guide |St. Louis Travel Guide |