9 Most Hospitable Towns In South Dakota
South Dakota, a naturally beautiful expanse of the American Midwest, deserves to be better known. The state has long been famous for the presidential sculpture, Mount Rushmore, and the Black Hills area, which extends into the neighboring state of Wyoming. However, beyond South Dakota's larger towns like Sioux Falls or Rapid City, the state's small, hospitable towns have a tradition of welcoming the visiting stranger. This list may soon inspire a trip to South Dakota to explore the state's most appealing smaller places.
Brookings
The presence of South Dakota State University (SDSU) in east-central Brookings makes it a classic college town. Brookings was incorporated in 1883 and bears the name of the South Dakota pioneer Wilmot Brookings. Since then, it has appealed to various immigrants and newcomers, especially Germans and Norwegians. The town's Institute of Lutheran Theology reflects that heritage, being a place of training for Lutheranism, a denomination of Protestant Christianity common in northern Europe.
Brookings' museums balance industrial and creative exhibits. The South Dakota Art Museum and South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum speak to key town and regional history elements, specifically the farm-focused local economy. Outdoors fans will enjoy the McCrory Gardens and the South Dakota Arboretum, which stretch across 70 acres of SDSU's campus.
Deadwood
Like the hit television show of the same name, Deadwood, which was settled in 1876, understands how to attract public attention. The town boasts a past on par with the best, grittiest stories of the old American West. Travelers enjoy the Adams Museum, with exhibits on Deadwood's times as a rough-and-ready frontier town. Other tourists might head to The Brothel Deadwood, which describes the town's history of adult entertainment. (This museum recommends that visitors be at least 16 years old.) Those wanting outdoor exercise can get it at the western canyons and gulches of Black Hills National Forest, south of the town center.
Deadwood's Will Bill Days, a festival held every June, commemorates the town's notorious gunslinger and Western figure of legend, Will Bill Hickok. Deadwood likewise offers music through the Deadwood Jam, which invites rock bands every fall. The Wild West Songwriters Festival convenes each October.
Huron
Tucked into northeast South Dakota, in the Glacial Lakes and Prairies region, Huron bills itself as a center of hunting and sports for outdoorsmen. The town's pheasant population is a celebrated attraction, drawing shooting fans and vacationers. Huron even has a 28-foot-tall, plastic pheasant statue, which weighs 22 tons and stands proudly in the center of town. The Murals on the Town make for another downtown Huron point of interest.
In more mainstream culture, the South Dakota State Fair comes to Huron every Labor Day Weekend. The multi-day event offers live music and car and livestock shows, and celebrates all that makes South Dakota unique. Fun fact: Huron is the birthplace of Gladys Pyle, the first South Dakotan woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. Pyle began her Senate term in 1938.
Keystone
Keystone is a short way from Mount Rushmore, making the town a logical stop for tourists and road trippers. The Keystone Historical Museum, constructed in 1899, exhibits old mining tools, collections of minerals and rocks, and other objects of interest tied to past and present local industry. Other, more unusual attractions include Dahl's Chainsaw Art, a gallery of works carved from local pine by local sculptors and brothers, Jarrett and Jordan Dahl.
Family-friendly fun in Keystone is available at Holy Terror Mini Golf, which bears the name of the town's last working gold mine. The course has mining-themed obstacles, from a mine sluice to a water wheel, for a putt-putt experience neither parents nor their children will forget soon.
Pierre
Pierre, which, in the local pronunciation, sounds more like "pier," is not only South Dakota's capital but also the second-smallest state capital in America, with just under 14,000 residents. (Only Montpelier, Vermont, is more petite, with a mere 8,000 residents.) Pierre became South Dakota's official capital in 1889 after assuming the role from Yankton.
Sitting on the east bank of the Missouri River, Pierre, settled in 1880, is a traveler's favorite among South Dakota attractions. The town is proud to share its history. Regional and national history displays are abundant at the Lewis and Clark Family Center, located on Farm Island just south of town. For some time outside, Lake Oahe — one of the largest man-made lakes in the world — makes for a one-of-a-kind boating and fishing experience.
Spearfish
Spearfish is nestled in South Dakota's Black Hills, bringing together history and rugged beauty. Its historic buildings include the Matthews Opera House, which has a busy schedule of performances. For fans of classic cars, the town hosts the Black Hills Corvette Classic every summer, offering drivers the chance to show off their gorgeous cars and fans of vintage American cars an opportunity to check out beautiful rides of the past.
Spearfish also offers the High Plains Western Heritage Center, where visitors can learn about the region's past industries in ranching and other forms of pioneer-era labor. Nature fans will love Spearfish Canyon and the Black Hills National Forest south of downtown Spearfish.
Watertown
In South Dakota's northeast, Watertown, as its name indicates, has a pair of lakes near its urban center. Pelican Lake and Lake Kampeska, both east of Watertown, give ample opportunity to fish, swim, or relax by the water. The latter lake forms one end of Lake Traverse Reservation, home to one branch of the Santee Dakota Native American tribe. The Big Sioux River also winds its way through town.
Cultural options in Watertown come in numerous forms. The Redlin Art Center, which has over 150 oil paintings, also features a 30-acre Conservation Park. The Goss Opera House delivers performances in a refined setting. If parents need to give the kids a chance to unwind, the Bramble Park Zoo houses over 800 animal species, guaranteeing a break and a fresh take on some of the world's most interesting creatures.
Vermillion
In the state's far southeast, Vermillion once drew the Lewis and Clark Expedition and John James Audubon, the naturalist whose illustrations of North American birds are still sought today. Settled along the Missouri River in 1859, Vermillion derived its name from one translation of the Lakota Native American word for the waterway, which meant 'red stream.'
Vermillion's local culture is proudly displayed at the National Music Museum, part of the University of South Dakota, in downtown Vermillion. The Aalfs Auditorium, an arts center, also operates in town. Summer visitors to Vermillion, especially families, can cool off in Prentis Park, which has a swimming pool, water slide, and lazy river—an ideal place for cooling down.
Yankton
Yankton is a classic river town in southeast South Dakota; it came to life beside the Missouri River. Before Pierre, Yankton was the Dakota Territory's first capital. The city later established Yankton College, the territory's first center for higher education. Nowadays, Yankton boasts six historic zones recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Yankton College district and the Charles Gurney Hotel and its neighborhood. Once called the Hotel Pierce, the establishment opened in 1891 and was built from brick and local South Dakota stone known as Sioux Falls granite. Outside Yankton, the Missouri National Recreational River area is a summer fun zone beloved by locals and visitors alike.
These towns suggest how much South Dakota has to offer in the way of a fun, welcoming trip through the state. Brookings and Deadwood show how far the state has come, moving from rough-and-tumble Western ways to places of gardens, universities, and museums. Huron is a hunter's paradise, while Pierre and Spearfish provide a view of South Dakota statehood and artistic culture, with a touch of class. Watertown and Yankton have long welcomed traveling families to their wide offerings for family fun. A trip to these and other hospitable South Dakota towns might be just the right idea for a vacation this summer, or any time of year.
