Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

The most popular attraction in Sioux Falls is Falls Park and the falls inside this park have captured the hearts of many people since 1856. The park itself has one-hundred-twenty-three acres and most people head straight to the falls when they arrive at the park. There is something mesmerizing about watching more than seven thousand gallons of water rush over the falls every second of the day.

Another way that people can see the view of the falls and the city is to climb up the fifty-foot viewing tower that is near the Visitor’s Center. Once people have had enough of the falls, they can visit the Queen Bee Mill, Millrace and Dam, Seney Island, the Horse Barn, and multiple sculptures that are located inside the park. The old Light and Power Company Building has been turned into the Falls Overlook Café and it is the perfect place to take a break and have a bite to eat.

Downtown Sioux Falls is an amazing place, but what enhances the area is the Sculpture Walk. Throughout Downtown, people can see sculptures on display year-round. Once the sculptures have been displayed for a year, they are available for sale to the public. New sculptures are added each year, so that people always have something new to see when they are visiting the area.

The Butterfly House and Aquarium is a wonderful place where people can immerse themselves with nature. All of the butterflies fly freely through the Butterfly House and visitors will see species from all over the world.

Inside Marine Cove, visitors will see hundreds of fish swimming around coral in more than ten thousand gallons of water. Anyone who is a little more adventurous will want to touch one of the stingrays or sharks at the touch pool and everyone can find mementos to purchase inside the Fins and Flutters Gift Shop.

Animals of all kinds can be found at both the Great Plains Zoo and the Delbridge Museum. The zoo has forty-five acres that are filled with animals from all over the world. There are not too many other zoos where visitors can get as close to the animals as they can at the Great Plains Zoo.

While many people love seeing the Asian Cat exhibit and the Rare Rhinos of Africa exhibit, the best exhibit is the Hy-Vee-Face-to-Face Farm. This is where everyone can feed the animals, ride camels, and even kiss a sheep or two. Over at the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, there are no live animals, but there are animals mounted on the walls. Some of the animals on display are on the list of being close to extinction, which makes it an even more interesting place to visit.

Construction on this old courthouse began in 1889 and after its completion in 1893 it was used as a courthouse until 1962. What was once considered the largest courthouse between Chicago and Denver had become too small and a new courthouse had to be built.

No one wanted to see the old courthouse demolished and it was converted into a museum in 1974. Now everyone can explore the old courthouse and see the slate stairs, granite pillars, stained glass windows, and the circuit courtroom where cases were heard for decades.