Attractions
The State Capitol
Open to visitors from 8am-5pm daily. Guided tours are available by 48 hour advanced reservation by calling 605.773.3688. 500 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre http://boa.sd.gov/.
South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center
Temporairly Closed Until 2025. This museum features exhibits of South Dakota History. Open year round. Admission is charged; kids under 17 are admitted free. 900 Governors Drive, Pierre 605.773.3458.
https://history.sd.gov/
Lewis & Clark Family Center
Located on Farm Island, this center offers hands on lessons in US History. 1301 farm Island Road, Pierre. 605.773.2885. FarmIsland@state.sd.us.
South Dakota National Guard Museum
The museum holds relics, memorabilia and historical documents relating to the Guard’s activities from the late 1800’s through recent peacekeeping missions. 301 E. Dakota, Pierre. 605.224.9991.
South Dakota Discovery Center
Fun, interactive hands-on exhibits illustrate principles of electricity, magnetism, life sciences, telecommunications and physics. 805 Sioux Ave., Pierre. 605.224.8295. www.sd-discovery.com.
Oahe Dam Visitors Center
Take in the view from the Visitors Center of Lake Oahe, the Oahe Dam and the power plant. Open year round, tours of the power plant are Memorial Day thru Labor day.. 605.224.4617. www.sdmissouririver.com.
Oahe Chapel
Built in 1877, the chapel was both Church and schoolhouse for the Oahe Mission and Sioux Indians. Services at Memorial Day thru Labor Day. 605.773.3458.
Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center & Mattie Goff-Newcombe Conference Center
This museum is devoted to South Dakota Rodeo: the history and its stars. 605.494.1094. www.caseytibbs.com.
Fort Pierre Chouteau
In the 1800’s the Chouteau was the largest trading post on the upper Missouri River. Not much remains today but the site is a National Historic Landmark. www.fortpierre.com.
Verendrye Museum
This museum is located in Fort Pierre and houses pioneer relics and a reproduction of the lead tablet that was 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.
Monuments and Memorials
The grounds of the State Capitol include several monuments and memorials. Fighting Stallions Memorial honors eight South Dakotans, including Governor George Michelson, who died in a plane crash in 1993. World War II, Korean War, Viet Nam Memorials are also featured along Capitol Lake. Flaming Fountain Memorial provides the centerpiece for the War Memorials. Other memorials honor the state’s fallen firefighters and law enforcement officers.
Trail of Governors
Creates a lasting legacy of a South Dakota’s governors in the city where they served as leaders of the state. The life-sized, bronze statues are seen throughout the city of Pierre. www.trailofgovernors.com
