Sioux Falls, with a population of 184,000 people, is the largest city in South Dakota. Let’s be honest here: Sioux Falls is in the middle of nowhere like most midwestern cities. Yet, it still has some nice attractions for its visitors. If, for any reason, you’ll end up in Sioux Falls or even decide to go there intentionally, as we did, here’s a blueprint of things to do there.
Falls Park
Falls Park is the main attraction in Sioux Falls. The Big Sioux River runs there. The park is located not too far from downtown; you can easily reach it on foot. Or drive there if you feel lazy. No judgment here. We were there in the summertime when the weather was pretty dry. Therefore the water flow wasn’t mighty. But it was still beautiful.
Falls Park is carved with pedestrian and bicycle trails. You can see many people jumping from one rock to another, trying to get as close to the falls as possible. If you want to take your time, sit down at Falls Overlook Cafe and enjoy a scoop of ice cream on their beautiful terrace. There is also a visitors center that is basically one of the few buildings in the park. There you can take an elevator for free to the Observation tower. It’s always nice to see things from a different perspective, isn’t it?
However, not everything was so perfect in Falls Park. The smell was horrible. It was a mix between the city sewage system and birds excrement. On top of that, the unstoppable wind intensified the smells even more.
Arc of Dreams
You inevitably reach the Arc of Dreams if you decide to take a scenic riverbank walk towards Falls Park. It is an 85 feet tall stainless steel sculpture created by artist Dale Claude Lamphere in 2016. The Arc of Dreams is situated on two riverbanks, and there’s a gap in the middle of the structure that, according to the author, represents “the leap of faith dreamers take to see their dreams come true.” The sculpture becomes even more beautiful once you learn its intended meaning.
Downtown
Downtown Sioux Falls has a typical midwestern architecture. Most of the buildings were built between the 1880s and early 1930s: retails stores, office buildings, restaurants, banks, hotels, etc. No surprises here. But compared with other similar size midwestern downtowns, Sioux Falls somehow felt much more alive and welcoming.
If you’re into historical architecture, I highly recommend stopping by at the Hotel on Phillips. The rooms there are pricey. However, you can enter the amazing-looking old-fashioned lobby and simply get a cup of coffee there. This is what we did. No worries, a hot drink is not going to cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, there is an old-school bank vault that you walk through to visit their art deco bar.
Another reason why downtown Sioux Falls feels more special is due to the outdoor Sculpture Walk. Both sides of Phillips Avenue are decorated with modern, mostly metal sculptures. Artists exhibit their works for one year, and later the old sculptures are replaced with new ones for a new season. Sculptors in this way easily reach their audience and also win awards and cash prizes.
Butterfly House & Aquarium
Until the last moment, we weren’t sure if it’s worth going there. However, pouring rain helped us to make up our minds fast. It was a warm place to kill some hours. And here we were: two adults walking from one aquarium to another trying not to step on dozens of kids wildly running around. It wasn’t a peaceful quiet place for wildlife exploration. In less than two hours after opening, this place got so busy that we almost ran out of there.
Talking about aquarium exhibitions, they were far from stunning. I’ve seen many more beautiful aquariums. It probably has to do with a lack of space because physically, it seemed impossible to build bigger aquariums with more diverse marine life. Butterfly house, on the other hand, was more interesting. For an additional $3 fee, visitors could feed the butterflies. No guarantees they will want to eat from your hands, though. One butterfly fell in love with me: as soon as I walked in, it landed on my shoe and comfortably sat there the whole time while I was walking around.
Old Courthouse Museum
First things first: admission to this museum is free. Not everyone experiences emotional uprising while walking in museums, so maybe the fact that it’s free will contribute to your decision to go there. In the end, you will lose nothing, but you might learn something.
The museum has several permanent exhibitions telling the history of this region. I personally found interesting an exhibition about pheasants, South Dakota’s state bird. Another interesting exhibit was an old voting machine that visitors could try out. It is almost worth going just to cast a ballot! Another part of the exhibitions is temporary ones. The day we visited Old Courthouse Museum, we learned about toys and cosmetics.
To be honest, the building itself intrigued me more than all the exhibitions combined. The structure was completed in 1893 and undoubtedly stood out from the surrounding buildings. The staircases, huge hall, stained glass windows, and tiled fireplaces look charming inside the courthouse.
Pettigrew Home and Museum
This charming house was built in 1889, and later on, in 1911, Senator Richard Franklin Pettigrew bought it. The Senator was a respectable person in Sioux Falls who supported local businesses and worked on infrastructure development and cultural preservation. He was a collector, traveler, and amateur archaeologist. Throughout his life, he gathered many exhibits; therefore, he decided to establish a museum in his own house. Senator Pettigrew opened it for the public in 1925. After his death, he left it for the city of Sioux Falls.
Admission to this museum is also free, and you can even be so lucky to get a guided tour. Exhibits in the Pettigrew Home tell the stories about the growth of Sioux Falls and his dedication to this midwestern city.
Cathedral of St. Joseph
As soon as I entered this cathedral, it felt as I was teleported back home, back in Europe, where churches are ancient and architecturally perfect. Even though it is not so old, completed in 1919, it still has that European-like church vibe with all that fancy marble, dark wood benches, and stained glass windows. I highly recommend sneaking in before or after holy mass when this cathedral is submerged in silence.
Food experience
After visiting all these places, you get hungry. For a nice dining experience, I recommend Ode to Food and Drinks not far from the downtown and Arc of Dreams. It won’t hurt if you’ll make a reservation in advance since this place might get jam-packed, especially on weekends. Another place that truly surprised me was CH Patisserie. The sweets they made could compete with the ones originally made in France. No joke! I might start drooling just thinking about that heavenly delicious croissant with cream cheese and strawberry jam. We liked this place so much that we came back for the second time. To whoever owns it: good job!
Attention beer lovers! Downtown Sioux Falls also has a bunch of microbreweries. We visited several of them, but the biggest shout-out goes to the Monk’s Ale House. And yes, their fireplace contributed a lot to my decision to mention them in my blog post. High-quality cold draft beer next to the fire? Oh yeah! You betcha.
Corn Palace
With all due respect for those who go to the Corn Palace regularly, or for those who think it’s an amazing place. Well, it’s not. If you would look for the things to do in Sioux Falls, this The World’s Only Corn Palace will always be on the list even though it is located an hour away from Sioux Falls, in the small town of Mitchell.
First of all, this palace is a multi-purpose arena that hosts all kinds of events: concerts, exhibits, sports games, etc. This building became a tourist attraction because of its corn art. The exterior of the arena is decorated with murals created from corn. It’s cool if you go there for an event and at the same time you can explore the building. The day we came, there were no events. We bought salty popcorn, walked around a gift shop placed in the middle of the arena, and in less than an hour, we already got bored.
I admire Mitchell’s determination to promote this small town and attract tourists. Indeed, great job! After all, this place is among the top things to do in South Dakota. But in my humble opinion, the Corn Palace is highly overrated.
Things to do in Sioux Falls in a nutshell
Sioux Falls is a simple midwestern city, but it definitely has something in it. I went there with no expectations, and yet, they were exceeded. Not too much, but still. Explore the downtown Sculpture walk, Arc of Dreams, and Falls Park if you find yourself in Sioux Falls. These are my top 3 things to do there.
