Sites
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.
http://sd.gov/.
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.history.sd.gov .
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historical documents relating to the Guard’s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
http://mva.sd.gov/natl_guard_museum.html.
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 year-round
with summer hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and winter
hours 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seven miles north of
Pierre on South Dakota Highway 1804. Call
1-888-386-4617 or go to
www.sdgreatlakes.org.
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; summer hours 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. and winter hours 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. All other times by appointment only. Call
1-800-386-4617.
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!"
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Water Slide
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Diving Board
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Water Spray Toys
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8 Lane / 25 Yard Swimming Pool
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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
