Area Attractions

THE STATE CAPITOL

Completed in 1910, the Capitol is stunning with its dramatic murals, stained glass, elaborate tilework and collections of sculpture and art. The Capitol is open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Governors Drive, Pierre. www.state.sd.us

SOUTH DAKOTA CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER

The extensive collections of the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center preserve the historical and cultural legacy of the state’s early Sioux inhabitants and the first waves of European settlers. Open year-round, the museum features permanent, rotating and traveling exhibits. Admission is charged; kids under 18 are admitted free. 900 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501. (605) 773-3458. www.sdhistory.org

LEWIS AND CLARK FAMILY CENTER

Feel the difference between elk and buffalo hides. Learn to identify the tracks of native animals. See a dug-out canoe of the kind used on Lewis and Clark’s historic expedition. The interactive displays of the Lewis and Clark Family Center, located on Farm Island, offer hands-on lessons in U.S. history. Farm Island Recreation Area, 1301 Farm Island Road, Pierre, SD 57501. (605) 773-2885. E-mail: FarmIsland@state.sd.us

SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD MUSEUM

Established in 1862 as a frontier militia, the South Dakota National Guard is tightly woven into the state’s history. The South Dakota National Guard Museum in Pierre is the state’s repository for relics, memorabilia and historical documents relating to the Guard’s activities from the late 1800s through recent peacekeeping missions. 301 East Dakota, Pierre, SD 57501. (605) 224-9991. Visit Website

SOUTH DAKOTA DISCOVERY CENTER AND AQUARIUM

Fun, interactive learning is the focus of the South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium. More than 60 hands-on exhibits illustrate principles of electricity, magnetism, life sciences, telecommunications and physics. The center’s aquarium features fish species native to the Missouri River. 805 W. Sioux Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501. (605) 224-8295.
www.sd-discovery.com

OAHE DAM VISITOR CENTER

Offering great views of South Dakota’s largest lake, the Oahe Dam Visitor Center presents a complete history of Lake Oahe and its surroundings. Exhibits describe the exploration, settlement, and natural history of Lake Oahe and the Missouri River, as well as the construction of the Oahe Dam and power plant. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day. Seven miles north of Pierre on South Dakota Highway 1804. (605) 224-5862. Visit Site

OAHE CHAPEL

Adjacent to the Visitor Center is the Oahe Chapel. Built in 1877, the chapel was both church and schoolhouse for the Oahe Mission and the Sioux Indians it served. Open by requesting the key from the Visitor Center, Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9:30am – 5:30pm. All other times by appointment only. Call (605) 773-3458.

FORT PIERRE CHOUTEAU

In the mid-1800’s, Fort Pierre Chouteau was the largest trading post on the upper Missouri River, a thriving community of traders, trappers, and Native Americans. Following that it was used briefly as a military fort. Today, not much remains of the fort’s wooden bastions and buildings; but the site has been named a National Historic Landmark. www.fortpierre.com

VERENDRYE MUSEUM

Named for the first Europeans to visit South Dakota, the Verendrye Museum is located on Deadwood Street in Fort Pierre. The museum houses pioneer relics and a reproduction of the lead tablet brothers Chevalier and Louis la Verendrye buried in a bluff above the Missouri River, thereby claiming for France the territory that eventually became the Louisiana Purchase. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day. (605) 223-7761. www.fortpierre.com

PIERRE AQUATIC CENTER

“Two great facilities under one roof!”

• Water Slide
• Diving Board
• Water Spray Toys
• 8 Lane / 25 Yard Swimming Pool
• Lockers & Showers

Open to the public – Visitors Welcome!
(605) 224-1683
900 E. Church Street, Pierre SD 57501

Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center & Mattie Goff-Newcombe Conference Center

The Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center is a historical museum devoted to the sport of South Dakota rodeo; the history of its stars. Although the Center will collect and display the rodeo memorabilia of superstars like Casey Tibbs and Mattie Goff-Newcombe, its broader reach extends into the rich culture which has made rodeo such an important part of the history of South Dakota.

210 Verendrye Drive, Fort Pierre, SD (605) 494-1094