Group Tours—Sample of a Three Day Itinerary
Sioux Falls is a great place to spend a little more time – and really experience your surroundings. Plan your tour to include one of our spectacular events! Visit www.siouxfallsevents.com for more detailed event information. The following is a sample of one of many itineraries available in Sioux Falls.
Location & Information
• Southeast corner of South Dakota, at the crossroads of I-90 & I-29
• Largest city in South Dakota, population 158,200, MSA over 200,000
• Day’s drive to Black Hills of South Dakota
• More than 4,000 hotel rooms and several group-friendly, “home-grown” restaurants
Sioux Falls Day One:
9:00-10:30am
While you are in one of Sioux Falls’ historical districts visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral. The 1916-1919 Romanesque and French Renaissance structure is one of South Dakota’s largest cathedrals. The Cathedral has undergone a two year major renovation. Tours available beginning in August 2011, please call ahead to schedule a guided tour.
10:45-11:30am
Spend time at Prairie Star Gallery-Timeless Indigenous Art in Downtown Sioux Falls. Features include an extensive collection of Plains Indian art and hand-crafted reproductions. Learn about Native American customs, culture, and traditions from a knowledgeable staff while melodic flutes and softly beating drums play in the background.
11:30am-2:30pm
Explore Downtown. . . stroll historic Phillips Avenue and enjoy the charm of locally owned unique shops, SculptureWalk, entertainment, and events.
Make your way to one of many quaint eateries in Downtown Sioux Falls. . .from Sushi to Salad Bars to Japanese to Mexican, you will find a taste for everyone!
2:30-5:00pm
Arrive at the restored 1800 quartzite Old Courthouse Museum, home to three floors of information on the region’s history. For groups 20 and larger, we suggest dropping off half of your group at the Old Courthouse Museum, and the other half at the Pettigrew Home & Museum where they can tour the home of South Dakota’s first Senator. Guided tours of the house are available for groups. Together, these two museums make up the “Siouxland Heritage Museums”. After one hour, have the groups switch locations, which are conveniently located a few blocks apart.
5:30pm
Check into your hotel.
7:00pm
Have dinner at one of Sioux Falls’ dynamic restaurants! Your options are endless with over 500 restaurants throughout the community!
Sioux Falls Day Two:
10:00am
Did you ever wonder where they get those satellite images of the earthquakes and tsunamis?
The answer. . .right here in South Dakota at the USGS Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center.
Tour the US Geological Survey’s EROS Data Center where staff receive, manage, and disseminate satellite images of Earth. Free on-site guided tours are available Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Noon-1:00pm
Break for lunch at Leonardo’s Cafe inside the Washington Pavilion. Enjoy ordering off the menu or preorder box lunches.
1:30-4:00pm
Continue your adventure throughout the Washington Pavilion. This former high school is constructed of Pink Quartzite Rock, quarried in Sioux Falls (tours of the quarry are available, call for details). The Washington Pavilion is a cultural, educational & entertainment center that houses four areas:
1. CineDome Theater: Large format theater showing adventure films every hour.
2. Visual Arts Center: Seven art galleries of national, regional and South Dakota art.
3. Performing Arts Center: Broadway tours, musicals, dance and more.
4. Science Discover Center: Over 80 hands-on science exhibits.
4:30-7:00pm
Make your way to Strawbale Winery for wine tasting in a building constructed of straw bales! Enjoy wine tasting and learn all about the process of producing South Dakota wine from locally grown grapes and fruits. Ask them to make arrangements for a catered meal!
7:00pm
Head back to your hotel or enjoy the endless selections of bars and restaurants for a night cap and some night life.
Sioux Falls Day Three:
9:00-9:45am
Start your day by visiting McKennan Park located in one of Sioux Falls’ historical districts. Pull up to Pillars of the Nation – sculpted from rocks from every state in the nation. Take a group picture within the beautiful Sunken Gardens filled with bright, colorful flowers (seasonal).
10:00-11:00am
Head to the U.S.S. South Dakota Battleship Memorial Museum. The museum highlights the most decorated battleship of World War II. The vessel fought in every major battle in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945.
1:00pm-2:30pm
Go to the Outdoor Campus to experience the area’s nature. When tour planners call ahead, they can set up a class specifically for their group, touching on topics such as Dutch-oven cooking, butterflies, or nature hikes and much more.
3:00-4:30pm
Next, stop by the Sertoma Butterfly House located right across the parking lot from the Outdoor Campus. Explore the amazing habitat of neo-tropical butterflies from around the world. Over 700 butterflies will be free-flying within the “flight room”.
7:00pm
The Overlook Café is happy to assist groups with box lunches or a customized meal ready upon arrival. If you are looking for a unique setting, dine indoors or out, right on the water. . . the Overlook Café has the best seat in town!!
Complete your tour at the city’s namesake The Falls of the Big Sioux River at Falls Park. Known to the Lakota Sioux as “Laughing Waters”, the Big Sioux River winds throughout the city culminating in the center of Sioux Falls.
Along the Big Sioux River, Fall Park is 123 acres and is located near the downtown district. Each second, an average of 7,400 gallons of water drop 100 feet over the course of the falls. See some of the first buildings built in Sioux Falls: foundation of an 1887 Queen Bee Mill, replica of its turbine house, and Sioux Fall’s original hydroelectric plant.
Falls Park features a visitor information center and gift shop and a five-story, 50-foot viewing tower offering a panoramic view of the park.
9:30pm
End your evening by attending the free, nightly Sound & Light Show at Falls Park. Listen to a historical narrative about the establishment and growth of Sioux Falls. The FREE show takes place each evening one half-hour past sundown (between approximately 9:30pm and 9:45pm – Memorial Day through Labor Day). The show runs approximately 45 minutes in length.
