Sioux Falls South Dakota: The BEST Things to Do
Sioux Falls is South Dakota’s largest city, and possibly one of the cutest places in the Midwest. Located in Eastern South Dakota, Sioux Falls is a short 3.5 hour drive from both Fargo and Minneapolis. Whether Sioux Falls is your final destination or a stop on your road trip, I can guarantee you’ll be happy you visited.
This quaint community is located on the banks of the Big Sioux River. Sioux Falls is home to great restaurants and fun activities all year round. Read on for great things to do in Sioux Falls South Dakota then head to Experience Sioux Falls for even more great ideas!
A huge thank you to Experience Sioux Falls for hosting me for a wonderful weekend. All ideas and opinions featured in this post are entirely my own.
The BEST things to do in Sioux Falls
Explore Falls Park
Falls Park is easily one of the most popular places to visit in Sioux Falls. The Big Sioux River tumbles over small cliffs of quartzite. The surrounding park is 128 acres of green grass (seasonally), and miles of walkways. Falls Park is the perfect place for a picnic, ice cream date, or walk with a friend.
While visiting Falls Park consider grabbing ice cream at Falls Overlook Cafe. They have a variety of flavors from Stensland Ice Cream located only 30 minutes from Sioux Falls across the Iowa border. In addition to ice cream, Falls Overlook Cafe also serves a variety of lunch and dinner items from 11am to 8pm.
While exploring Sioux Falls we visited Falls Park several times. After dinner on the first night we spent an hour watching the waterfalls and enjoying the sunset. Our second day in Sioux Falls we returned for ice cream on the patio. I ordered a single scoop of the Key Lime Ice Cream and it was incredible!
Bike the Recreation Trail
Sioux Falls is home to a 29-mile bike trail that loops around the city. Many of the city’s parks and internal walkways are connected to the trail. There are several places to rent bicycles, e-bikes, or mountain bikes to explore the city:
Kayak Lake Lorraine
Another great way to explore Sioux Falls is from the water. In addition to the Big Sioux River there are several other great places to swim and paddle. While exploring Sioux Falls we went kayaking at Lake Lorraine with Flow and Paddle. Flow and Paddle offers regular stand up paddle board classes in addition to a variety of rentals. Check out their website HERE to sign up for a class or to book a rental.
Hike the State Parks
I always try to explore a State Park whenever I visit someplace new. State Parks are a great place to get outdoors and are often unique to the area. A daily South Dakota State Parks pass is $8 and an annual pass is $36.
Palisades State Park
(30 minutes)
Palisades State Park is one of the most beautiful Midwest parks I’ve visited. The same Quartzite cliffs that can be found at Falls Park are quadruple the size at Palisades State Park. If you’re considering exploring this stunning State Park (which I think out should), check out my full blog post HERE!
Good Earth State Park
(22 minutes)
Although I haven’t explored Good Earth State Park, i’ve heard wonderful things about it! The beautiful visitors center and gorgeous trails have me excited for my next trip to Eastern South Dakota. Check out Good Earth State Park and other South Dakota State Parks HERE.
Walk the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum
If you’re like me and aren’t sure what an arboretum is the dicitonary.com definition is: a place where trees or shrubs are cultivated for their scientific or educational interest. The Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum is located just East of town and makes for a fun stop. Take some time to enjoy the local gardens and get inspired for your own landscaping!
It is free to visit the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum.
Butterfly House and Aquarium
I was pleasantly surprised with how fun the Butterfly House and Aquarium was. We budgeted about an hour for this stop, but could have stayed at the butterfly house all day. In the large butterfly room hundreds of butterflies of a variety of classifications flit around. They’re fun to admire and many of them would land us and our clothing.
The Butterfly House and Aquarium costs $14 for adults and $10 for children.
Other things to do in Sioux Falls South Dakota
Watch a Sporting Event
- Sioux Falls Canaries (American Asocciation of Professional Baseball).
- Sioux Falls Storm (Professional Indoor Football).
- Sioux Falls Sky Force (National Basketball Association G League).
- Sioux Falls Thunder FC (National Premier Soccer League).
- Sioux Falls Stampede (United States Hockey League Junior Tier 1).
Wild Water West Waterpark
When we visited Sioux Falls it was almost 100 degrees fahrenheit and we would have loved to be in the water. The Wild Water West Waterpark has a wave pool, lazy river, and several waterslides. It would be fun to visit Sioux Falls with kids and take them to Wild Water West!
For more information on Wild West Waterpark click HERE.
The BEST things to do in Sioux Falls: Downtown
Check out the Arc of Dreams and Sioux Falls Sculpture Walk
The Arc of Dreams is a must-visit place in Downtown Sioux Falls. This incredibly massive sculpture is almost the length of a football field. Check out the Arc of Dreams and tons of other unique sculptures by local and South Dakota Artists all over Downtown Sioux Falls. For more information on the Arc of Dreams click HERE.
Do some Shopping
Sioux Falls has one of the cutest downtowns that I’ve visited recently. The streets are bustling with great food and fun stores. Whether you’re looking for women’s clothing, home decor, or gifts, there’s a great store for you to check out! A few of my favourite places to shop while exploring Downtown Sioux Falls include:
- Zandbros – A fun variety store with quirky gifts for anyone (including yourself)!
- Mint and Basil – A great Midwest Boutique with stylish women’s clothing and trendy gifts.
- Terra Shepard – A uniquely curated boutique with handmade and ethically sourced clothing and home goods.
- The Deku Tree – A quaint shop selling with exotic and rare plants.
Take in a movie at the State Theater
The Sioux Falls State Theatre was built in 1926 (almost a century ago), and has celebrated the evolution of movies and theatre in that time. Currently the Theatre presents classic films a few times a week. If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an evening in Sioux Falls consider taking in a movie! For more about the State Theatre including showtimes, click HERE!
Admire the Cathedral of Saint Joseph
We made a point to stop by the Cathedral of Saint Joseph while exploring Sioux Falls and I’m glad we did. It’s hard to believe a Cathedral with such spectacle and grandeur is located in the Midwest. Visitors are allowed to admire the Cathedral from the outside anytime, or step in and look around during daytime hours.
Enjoy the Murals on 6th and Phillips
If you’re looking for a fun photo op consider stopping at the murals on 6th and Phillips. There are 5 huge murals designed and painted by local artists. One of the most popular of which is the postcard-esque Sioux Falls Mural – check out the cover photo for this blog post!
The BEST things to do in Sioux Falls: Where to Eat
Sioux Falls is BRIMMING with delicious places to eat. Over the course of the weekend my travel buddy, Brenna, and I tried half a dozen restaurants and I’ve got some great recommendations to share with you! While I’m working on my “Foodie Guide for Sioux Falls” I’ll share a few great places to tide you over in the meantime:
- The Source – A unique shop for coffee or a beer. Try one of their unique handcrafted coffees by day and enjoy a self-poured beer by night!
- Bread and Circus – Bread and Circus takes the traditional sandwich to the next level. This is the perfect place to stop for lunch in Sioux Falls.
- Fernson Brewing Downtown – Fernson is a classic local Sioux Falls Brewery. In addition to great brews they also have a Wagoo Burger inside. Although they specialize in burgers we tried the Fish and Chips and loved it!
- Hello Hi – This quirky Hawaiian themed bar is known for having quirky drinks. While visiting I tried the Puffer Puffer Pass- gin, luxardo, guava, lime and Prosecco in a fun puffer fish glass.
Sioux Falls is a fun Midwest destination chalk full of cool places to explore, awesome culture, great shopping, and delicious restaurants. Whether you’re passing through or Sioux Falls is your final destination, I highly recommend budgeting a few days to enjoy the city!
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