It's hard for me to use the word "monument" here... When I think monument...I consider a monument…read moreto be something man made. To me this is more of just a gorgeous cutout of well kept and preserved natural landscape... A park. A vibrant scene. With over 400 native plant species, including big bluestem, little bluestem, and buffalo grass, the area teems with natural beauty. Stunning red stone bluffs and cliffs of Sioux Quartzite, a hard rock formed between 1.6 and 1.7 billion years ago.. A highlight of the area is Winnewissa Falls, a beautiful waterfall that cascades into Pipestone creek. Two main trails allow you to navigate this park. The Circle trail is a paved, 3/4-mile loop trail guides visitors to the key natural highlights including the quarries, historical markers, Old Stone Face, Winnewissa Falls, and the tallgrass prairie. The South Quarry trail is about 1/2 mile roundtrip, out and back on the same path, and it provides a look into the active quarrying pits where Indigenous people have been extracting pipestone for thousands of years. Both trails are easy to navigate and I'd consider them to be a very easy hike... And I'm not exactly athletic. Lol The paths are both paved and are considered wheelchair accessible. Parking is free, the lot is nice sized, and near the visitor center and restrooms. As you leave the lot heading towards the park you are basically at the starting point of the Circle trail. If you like a nice little walk... This is a great place to get out to and witness the enduring natural beauty of it's prairies, cliffs, and waterfalls, and explore remarkable geological formations... I'm willing to bet parts of the park are spectacular at sunset! And as long as you are in the area... Visit nearby Fort Pipestone and it's gift shop along with Keepers Gift Shop & Gallery!

We are enroute to Brookings, SD for football game and left a day early. Due to government shutdown,…read morethe visitor center is closed. I guess I missed a video and other displays. IDK. Stopped at a store in Pipestone and worker talked some about it. Today was a nice day in October and the place was very sparce with other visitors. The walking trail was short at .75 mile, so my spouse could handle it. It was very scenic and pretty. I read more about the monument from the brochure at the store downtown. It is also free to attend at all times.

My husband and I had passed by the Old Courthouse Museum many times since moving to Sioux Falls,…read morebut for Mother's Day we decided to do something a little different and finally stop in for a visit. We both love old historical museums, and this turned out to be one of the nicest surprises we've had since making South Dakota our home. The courthouse itself is beautifully restored. The architecture alone is worth the visit. Walking through the building really gives you an appreciation for the craftsmanship of another era. One thing that especially fascinated me were the old architectural drawings on display. It honestly amazed me to think that all of those detailed designs were created entirely by hand without computers or modern drafting programs. The amount of patience and talent required must have been incredible. The museum gives a wonderful glimpse into the early history of Sioux Falls and how different life once was here. Looking through the exhibits, furnishings, photographs, and displays made me reflect on how much simpler life must have seemed back then, even though I know it certainly had its own hardships. As newer residents of Sioux Falls, it also helped us feel more connected to the city we now call home. Sometimes when you move somewhere new, you know the streets and stores first, but not the story underneath them. This museum helped fill in some of those gaps for us. We also wound up spending far too much time in the gift shop and left with quite a few souvenirs. Mostly though, I just enjoyed spending the afternoon strolling through the museum with my honey, learning a little more about the history of the community we've become a part of. It made for a very peaceful and memorable Mother's Day.

This museum is really cool and interesting with lots of information about the building and the…read moretown, as well as lots other items from history.

It's tucked away behind the visitors observatory tower of the falls. It was really nice to read…read moreabout the social scene and culture back in the day that farmer created around the table! My favorite part was seeing the old menu and the prices on the menu for food and they have done researched and shows what the prices would be today if the menu was created!

Pleasantly surprised! This self-guided tour made our pit stop well worth the trip! The amount of…read moreartifacts and historical items blew my mind. They literally created a village which was able to take us back in time. The $6 for adults was well worth the price. The volunteers were friendly and informative. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop by.

What a delightful Village, showing life on the prairie. So many events there on 4th of July…read more Wonderful! I will go back.

If you are as old as me, you will remember the commercial, "Ho, Ho, Ho...Green Giant!" That…read morecommercial worked on me as a kid, I used to beg my mom to buy Green Giant Vegetables. To assure my consumption, my mother always showed me the Green Giant label when she was cooking. It opened my world to vegetables! Today, I actually collect Green Giant ads and other paraphernalia as part of my pop icon collection. You will see some of my ads in the photos and also some photos of my visit to the Land of Giants several years ago.

Stopping in Blue Earth feels like wandering into an old time tv commercial with a sense of humor…read more The Jolly Green Giant stands tall and watchful, a quirky landmark that manages to be both kitschy and oddly comforting. What makes the park especially memorable is its musical instrument park--a pocket of creativity where kids and adults alike can strike giant chimes, tap on outdoor drums, and strum oversized metal harps. It's playful enough to bring out anyone's inner child, yet beautiful in a way that makes you want to linger. And yes, travelers rejoice: there are clean, well-kept bathrooms nearby, the kind you'd actually recommend to fellow road-trippers. That, combined with the friendliness of the place, makes Green Earth not just a stopover but a small adventure--quirky enough to be fun, wholesome enough to restore a little faith in community.

When we have been in the past, lines have been short, and very beautiful view especially at sunset…read more But I would not recommend purchasing tickets ahead of time even at a discount, if you live out of town. Their hours are too inconsistent. Two days ago it said tubing open that day and the previous day (both weekdays, and no times listed) - weekend hours TBD, last chance to go tubing. Tonight (Friday) at 9:15 p.m. it said their last day was 2/13 4-9 p.m. and then closed for the season 2/14 (which would be the weekend). Similar inconsistencies with hours when trying to go previous seasons. Last weekend varies drastically. Weekend hours just not consistent enough for out-of-town people to plan around, even throughout the season.

Most people think of Great Bear for only skiing, but they are open in the summer too. They have a…read morenetwork of hiking trails. Some go right to the top of the ski hills which give great views of the city. You can see downtown. We live hiking here on the groomed trails. There are tons of trees so you can enjoy some shade as you hike. Try this place in the summer and you won't be sorry!

This was an extremely interesting and educational experience. First, it's a free attraction…read more Second, you get to learn about the hospital's history. Third, you get to learn about history of medicine in general. Super cool experience for both the adults and children in my group! This was more of a self guided walk through museum. We didn't see any workers/volunteers, so if you have any questions you're more than likely on your own. There was a lot to learn and take in and just admire in general! We absolutely loved this place!

Visiting from Richmond VA and this museum is amazing ! Great for kids ! So many interactive…read moreactivities and such great energy. I loved the options of rooms to travel in and out of. The exhibits that change often (per my sister who lives here) were super fun for the kids. She said tickets range around $16.50 per person five or take the age and I feel like that's so worth it for an All day experience.

We've had a family pass for years. It's really upsetting to find out they've retroactively changed…read morethe terms of our family pass that makes us pay extra for things that we're previously included. In the least at least wait until we renew our passes. That's greedy, bad business.

I don't remember what first attracted us to New Ulm but a day was planned to explore what it had to…read moreoffer. Unfortunately New Ulm was a bit of a mixed bag with some destinations educating and entertaining us while others left us wanting more. The Glockenspiel Clock was one of those things that left us disappointed. Maybe it was the overcast day. Maybe it was because the visitor's center had already crushed our dreams by telling us we were there a week too soon to see the New Ulm Municipal Band play in German Park (despite being told otherwise months before while planning our itinerary). Never the less, we made our way to Schonlau Park to watch the noon program of the Glockenspiel. There are 3 programs throughout the day at noon, 3pm and 5pm. It lasts about ten minutes and there are benches in the park so you can sit and watch the performance. There are also signs about about the history of the clock and the meaning behind the different characters. It's interesting to see and learn the history. But not as interesting as I thought it would be. My rating for the Glockenspiel falls between 2 and 3 stars. After about two minutes of the performance I had seen enough. But it might be better to see on a nicer day or during one of the local festivals when there is a lot more going on nearby.

Definite not what we were expecting. The inside has been closed every time we're in town, so we…read morehaven't seen that. Overall not super impressed with just the outside.

It is easy to drive right by this museum as it looks like a regular park. In fact surrounding this…read moremuseum are fields for recreational purposes. Upon closer inspections, you'll see the outline of the USS South Dakota Battleship. A life sized outline that is. In the center is an information center that has lots of insightful information on this ship and it's relevance in WW 2. This particular battleship survived many of the great wars between the USA and Imperialist Japan including Midway, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the surrender of Japan in Tokyo. One spectacular artifact is the Japanese flag from the lone surviving Japanese Battleship, the Nagato surrendered to the US. There are many amazing photos presumably taken by sailors on the Ship as well as letters to families of men who died on the Battleship. I was particularly moved by the tribute to Leonard "Vito" Coangelo who died in battle. Seemed like a man who was everyone's best friend. Set aside 45 minutes and do visit this place. Although it is free, it was impossible for me to leave without making a donation to this historical landmark.