Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play and Stay This Winter

      7 Fresh Places to Eat, Drink, Play and Stay This Winter

      Hot off the minds of Midwest travel writers: a fresh look at where to eat, drink, play and stay around the region. Read More
    • Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

      One has conquered the world of plant-based baking. Another runs a microbakery from her home. Two own businesses with their spouses. And the fifth is a James Beard finalist chef. The common thread? Absolutely delicious cakes. Read More
    • The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      The No-Fail Relish Tray Recipe is Here

      For many Midwesterners, holiday feasting kicks off with a relish tray. We dare not mess with an icon—at least, not too much. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better With Age

    Why Wisconsin Supper Clubs Just Keep Getting Better With Age

    At Wisconsin supper clubs, the steak is served rare and the traditions are well done. Like the brandy in an Old-Fashioned, these timeless institutions only get better with age.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

    Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

    This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints! (The alternate version, with ham and cream, is excellent too.)
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    Avid DIYers Transform a 1929 Chicago Home One Project at a Time

    Avid DIYers Transform a 1929 Chicago Home One Project at a Time

    With visions of dinner parties and game nights dancing in their heads, a Chicago couple renovated their historic (and first) home, one DIY project at a time.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    How to Care for Flowering Houseplants

    How to Care for Flowering Houseplants

    Author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf shares how to make blooms last longer—and repeat.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Unique Midwest Light Displays to See This Winter

    Unique Midwest Light Displays to See This Winter

    Buses, trains and very few automobiles—check out these out-of-the-ordinary holiday lights displays.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Travel
  3. South Dakota
  4. Top Free Things To Do In South Dakota

Top Free Things To Do In South Dakota

By Editorial Assistant: Ashley Smith Updated September 10, 2021
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The Corn Palace, South Dakota Air and Space Museum and Redlin Art Center are just a few of the free attractions in South Dakota.

Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Sioux Falls

Falls Park

Falls Park (pictured) Take the elevator to the top of a five-story viewing tower for the best views of the park, where the Big Sioux River drops 100 feet in a series of dramatic waterfalls. visitsiouxfalls.com

Old Courthouse Museum The design of the 1893 pink quartzite building, including stained-glass windows and tile fireplaces, intrigues as much as regional history exhibits. siouxlandmuseums.com

Pettigrew Home and Museum Tour the 1889 Queen Anne-style home of South Dakota's first senator, Richard Pettigrew, and learn what life was like in Sioux Falls during the late 1800s. siouxlandmuseums.com

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rapid City

City of Presidents

City of Presidents (pictured) More than 40 bronze statues of U.S. presidents line downtown streets; pick up a map at visitor information centers. visitrapidcity.com

Museum of Geology The fossils on display span the history of South Dakota and include dinosaurs, marine reptiles and plants. If mineralogy intrigues, check out agates and other finds in the Hall of South Dakota Minerals. sdsmt.edu

The Sculpture Project: Passage of Wind and Water Twenty-one granite pieces reflect the natural and cultural history of the region. Artist Masayuki Nagase carved the pieces in Main Street Square. rcsculptureproject.com

South Dakota Air and Space Museum World War II bombers, a Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and other pieces of aviation history fill this indoor-outdoor museum. Free guided tours available. sdairandspacemuseum.com

2 of 5

3 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

South Dakota State University museums

SD Art Museum

South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings (pictured) See South Dakota native Harvey Dunn's prairie paintings amid a diverse collection by American, Native American and international artists. sdstate.edu

The Agricultural Heritage Museum, Brookings Displays include a 1915 farmhouse kitchen, a late-1800s claim shanty, a restored 1915 steam engine and changing exhibits on the state's agricultural history and culture. agmuseum.com

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Spirit Mound

Spirit Mound Historic Prairie

Spirit Mound Historic Prairie, Vermillion Lewis and Clark braved Native American warnings against stopping here. Walk to the top of this grassy hill to see the prairie as they did and read signs about the story of the mound, the expedition and wildlife. nps.gov

4 of 5

5 of 5

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

More in South Dakota

Corn Palace

The Corn Palace, Mitchell (pictured) See a Corn Palace video and tour this landmark dating to 1892, when town residents gathered to celebrate the harvest with a festival. Now, the half-block-long building hosts stage shows and sporting events. The exterior gets redecorated every year with murals of corn, other grains and grasses. cornpalace.com

South Dakota State Capitol, Pierre The 1910 building in Pierre features paintings of agriculture, livestock, mining and family. sd.gov

Akta Lakota Museum, Chamberlain Artifacts, artwork and interactive exhibits share the story of the Lakota people. Life-size dioramas show how they skinned bison and prepared for long winters. aktalakota.org

Redlin Art Center, Watertown Hometown artist Terry Redlin imbued his paintings with a distinctive light to pack emotional punch in his depictions of wildlife and nostalgic American scenes. redlinart.com

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Editorial Assistant: Ashley Smith

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 5 Sioux Falls
    2 of 5 Rapid City
    3 of 5 South Dakota State University museums
    4 of 5 Spirit Mound
    5 of 5 More in South Dakota

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Top Free Things To Do In South Dakota
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.