This ‘Top 10 Things To Do In Sioux Falls + The Best Place To Stay!’ post was first seen at Thrifty Nifty Mommy. While sponsored by Jellystone, as always, all opinions are my own.
I grew up watching Yogi Bear on tv so when I first heard about Jellystone campgrounds years ago, I really wanted to go. Sadly, I never got around to it…till now! We recently went on a little mini vacation and road trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and stayed at Jellystone Campground. So today, I want to share with you the top 10 things you should do on your next visit to Sioux Falls. While we didn’t have time to see all the sights and experience all the fun; we got lots of recommendations from locals.
Best Place To Stay
When you head to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you’ll need to find a place to stay. Our family made our home away from home at Jellystone; a fun little campground.
Welcome to Sioux Falls Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resort
For over 25 years, this family owned and operated South Dakota campground and RV Park has been offering some of the best family camping and entertainment in the Sioux Falls, SD region. Close to the city while still being country quiet, this campground is the perfect environment to share fun, family, friends and even some Pic-A-Nic Baskets.
Don’t worry if you don’t have an RV and have no desire to tent it. Jellystone Park also offers cabins!
We stayed in the Ranger Smith Retreat, which is the largest size cabin Jellystone offers. It can sleep up to 10 people! But they also offer several other cabin options for smaller groups with 6 or fewer guests.
Check out a tour of our cabin below:
Amenities And Campground Fun:
Even though you may be planning to cruise around town to hit up the top 10 attractions, you’ll also want to schedule in time to hang out at the campground.
Playground
Throughout our stay, we took advantage of a variety of fun and amenities offered at Jellystone Park, Sioux Falls. The playground was a huge draw for us. It’ had plenty to climb, slide, and play on.
Plus, it even featured tetherball! I haven’t played since I was a kid but boy did we have fun with this game. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.
Pool
Another huge draw for us was the outdoor heated pool. (The hot tub was closed because of the virus.) The pool featured a zero entry which is really awesome if you have little children. At the deepest, the pool was about 5 feet. Large enough to accommodate a decent amount of guests, everyone had space to swim, splash, and play. One day, we were the first ones in shortly after 9am but as soon as our kiddos began splashing around, others gravitated over too.
One activity they offered was Water Bingo, which was fun. It was low pressure and everyone ended up getting a prize. So happy faces all around; adults too!
Jumping Pillow
The giant jumping pillow can accommodate a lot of people and we visited it several times during our stay. It was a fun activity to burn off energy throughout the day.
Mini Golf
Along with your stay at Jellystone comes unlimited mini golf! This was really nice as kids don’t always want to play an entire game so I typically avoid this sport. (I dislike paying for something that we won’t utilize fully.)
The course was laid out nicely and offered a variety of holes and designs. We ended up visiting the Mini Golf course at least 3 or 4 times during our stay.
Daily Crafts
While this looks a little different right now, they still offer daily crafts at Jellystone. Instead of handing out in the craft building, you just stop by to choose your craft and then return to your cabin, camper, or tent area to complete. Still lots of fun and this was something that all five of our kids took advantage of daily.
Additional Things To Do & Amenities:
- Sand Volleyball
- Basketball
- Bean Bags
- Laser Tag
- Corn Maze (seasonal)
- Themed Weekends
- Recreation Center
- Pedal Cart Rentals
- Golf Cart Rentals
- General Store
- Yogi Bear Gifts & Souvenirs
- Laundromat
- Wifi
- Cable
- & More
And Don’t Forget CAMPFIRES!
As with any camping trip, lots of fun can be had outdoors. We ate outside for almost every meal.
When night falls, it’s a great time to bring out the sparklers! The kids had a great time around the fire waving these fun sticks.
And no camping trip is complete without roasting some marshmallows and enjoying a smore! If you’re looking for some ideas, we’ve shared 25+ Ways To Make S’mores.
Overall, we had a fantastic stay at Jellystone, Sioux Falls and would definitely go back!
Top 10 Things To Do In Sioux Falls
When you take a strip to Sioux Falls, make sure you also visit these fun locations in addition to Jellystone.
Top 10 Things To Do In Sioux Falls + The Best Place To Stay!
Falls Park is a must see! Hours are 5am to midnight.
Amenities include:
- Accessible Restrooms
- Accessible Picnic Shelter with Electricity (20’x40’)
- Open Air Shelter with Electricity— (call 605-367-8222 to reserve.)
- Bike Trail Access Point
- Farmer's Market
- Historic Displays
- Visitor Center Observation Tower
- Overlook Cafe
- Sculptures Drinking Fountains
- Playgrounds
- Walking Paths
- Stockyards Ag Experience
The Arc of Dreams is America's newest landmark sculpture created by South Dakota Artist Laureate, Dale Claude Lamphere. The sculpture is a tribute to the dreamers of the past, present and an inspiration to the dreamers of the future.
The monumental stainless steel sculpture spans across the Big Sioux River downtown nearly the length of a football field between 6th and 8th streets. At the center of the Arc of Dreams is a 15-foot gap, 85 feet above the river, representing the leap of faith dreamers take to see their dreams come true.
The iconic sculpture is the signature piece of art for the city of Sioux Falls, helping to illustrate what we want to be… a unique and thriving modern city on the prairie.
Interior courthouse features include slate stairs, granite pillars, stained glass windows, and tiled fireplaces. Perhaps one of the most striking features of the building is the 16 large murals on the walls of the hallways painted between 1915 and 1917.
Today, you can visit three floors of public exhibit space that provide a colorful look at the region’s history. The exhibits and displays are fun for all ages as you'll get the chance to see toys from your childhood, old motorcycles, and more! The second floor features the restored circuit courtroom and law library.
Admission to the building is FREE! There is also FREE 2 hour parking nearby too.
Get ready to see brilliant butterflies and fun exotic sea creatures! This year-round tropical environment is fun for all ages.
Immerse yourself in the wonders of the natural world in the Butterfly House & Aquarium.
Discover animal and plant life from every corner of the globe as you kick back, relax and enjoy this lush rainforest in the center of Sioux Falls.
Open 361 days a year, the Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History is home to more than 1,000 animals from 137 species.
The 45-acre park offers up-close views to animals often not found in larger Zoos including Tigers, Rhinos, Bears, Primates, Giraffe, and an award-winning Snow Monkey exhibit.
The Zoo also includes the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, a rare collection of 150 mounted animals including 38 “vanishing species.”
Voted Sioux Falls’ #1 fun spot by The Local Best, Wild Water West is your ticket to summer fun!
This waterpark is always bringing the latest water and land attractions to Sioux Falls. Families and adult groups travel from near and far to spend the day. So throw on a swimsuit, grab a towel and sunscreen, and get in on the action.
Attractions include:
A sacred and civic landmark!
Self-guided tours can be taken from 9-11:30 AM and 1-5 PM, Monday through Friday unless a wedding or funeral is scheduled. Visitors may tour the Cathedral on Saturday and Sunday but these days present more liturgies to work around so visitors are encouraged to check our weekend schedule before arriving.
The mission of the Washington Pavilion is to inspire, educate, entertain, and enrich our region by creating opportunities for all to explore and experience the arts and science.
Something for all ages, the Washington Pavilion is the region’s premier entertainment, cultural, and educational facility. It's located in the historic former Washington High School in downtown Sioux Falls.
The Washington Pavilion features:
- Visual Arts Center
- Kirby Science Discovery Center
- Wells Fargo CineDome Theater
- Husby Performing Arts Center
Take a tour of the elegant 1889 Queen Anne-style home of South Dakota's first senator, Richard Pettigrew.
Guided tours of the historic home are available or browse the museum galleries and discover the Sioux Falls of the late 1800s.
One of World War II's most decorated fighting ships, fought gallantly in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.
After the Japanese mistakenly thought they had sunk the South Dakota it went by alias's Battleship X and Sodak.
So tell me, did I miss anything that you'd recommend in our Top 10 Things To Do In Sioux Falls?
Donna
Saturday 28th of November 2020
Sioux Falls sounds like a fantastic place to visit. I would love to see the Arc of Dreams!
Deborah D
Saturday 24th of October 2020
My family would really enjoy this as a day trip.
Peggy Nunn
Monday 19th of October 2020
That looks like a great place to have fun. It is too far away for me to visit but I would like to.
Mia E.
Sunday 23rd of August 2020
These are the best vacation spots where there are so many things to do to keep active. Looks like they have something for everyone.
Asha Gregory
Saturday 22nd of August 2020
This place looks so fun! Thanks for the other ideas of what to do, too! We are planning a family trip to Sioux Falls next summer!