Wondering what to do on a Sioux Falls Weekend Itinerary? Here is your guide for where to stay and what to do in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Sioux Falls is an underrated gem of a city. You’ll find amazing restaurants, sculpture art, cute boutique shops, and best of all, a waterfall in the middle of the city. Simply put, Sioux Falls is a city that surprises you around every turn and leaves you with a satisfying lasting impression.
So, let’s dive into what to do on a Sioux Falls Weekend Itinerary!
Sioux Falls Weekend Itinerary
Where is Sioux Falls located in South Dakota?
South Dakota is a rectangular-ish state with Interstate 90 cutting through the lower middle part of the state. From I-90, Sioux Falls is the second city from the eastern border of the state.
One of the best ways to discover Sioux Falls (and South Dakota) is by road tripping. But if you are coming from farther away and need to fly in first, Sioux Falls has a regional airport, Joe Foss Field Airport or FSD.
You can also fly into Sioux City, which is 84 miles away, or Minneapolis at 196 miles, and Des Moines at 212 miles away.
When is the best time to go to Sioux Falls.
As with most destinations in the Midwest, Sioux Falls experiences the full four seasons of weather.
Spring is a fun time to visit with the weather getting nicer, flowers blooming and cheaper lodging. Summer is the optimal time to visit as the weather is warm and you can enjoy all the outdoor adventures.
Fall is beautiful with the changing of the leaves and cooler temperatures. Winter is the most challenging time to visit as it’s cold and snowy but still beautiful and less busy.
Where to stay in Sioux Falls
Since Sioux Falls is the perfect stopover town, you’ll find plenty of big-name hotels here. But if you are looking for something a little more unique, check these hotels out.
Hotel On Phillips ~ A historic building in the heart of town that started out as a bank in 1918 and was converted into a boutique hotel 2018. You can actually still see the vault door left from the banking days at The Treasury cocktail bar. Even if you don’t stay here, you can grab a drink at the bar and check out the impressive door.
Grand Falls Casino & Resort ~ A resort that is about 25 minutes away in Larchwood Iowa. This resort has a dreamy outdoor and indoor pool, a spa, casino, golf course and a few restaurants. Be sure to get a balcony room for a view of the pool and golf course. It’s also pet friendly if you are bringing your furry friend with you.
1. Start your day at a fun coffee shop
Surprisingly, there are a lot of fun, local coffee shops to visit in Sioux Falls. Each one has its own unique touch and it’s worth visiting as many as you can while you are in town.
Here are some of the coffee shops to visit:
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The Breaks Coffee Roasting Co~ Very good tasting espresso. My latte was divine.
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Cappuccino Cabin~ The cutest little coffee shop and the nicest man running it.
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The Source Coffee Roastery & Taproom~ Coffee and Beer?? Yes, please! Somehow, they managed to put a beer tap wall in a beautiful coffee shop and it all fits together!
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La Luna Cafe~ This coffee shop is the closest to the waterfall and has a beautiful space themed decor.
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Josiah’s Coffee~ A cute shop that has specialty coffee and a full breakfast menu. But the best part about this shop is they allow you to bring your leashed dog inside.
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Coffea ~ Local coffee roasteries with four locations in Sioux Falls.
2. Have a meal at the retro Phillips Avenue Diner
Phillips Avenue Diner is the cutest little diner in downtown Sioux Falls. With a nostalgic, retro design, it’s no surprise that breakfast is the popular meal here. Try the Elvis waffle with peanut butter fluff, bananas, chopped pecans with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. You can also get lunch on the weekdays and dinner is available on the weekends. A perfect spot to wander back in the past and have a meal.
3. Fix your sweet tooth at Flyboy Donuts
Locally owned Flyboy Donuts is the place to go for some delicious cake donuts. We tried the Butterfinger doughnut and the custard filled donut and both were scrumptious. Not only do they taste good, but they are also cheap to buy as well. I think I paid a little over $3 for both donuts. And with four locations in Sioux Falls, you’ll easily be able to find some delicious donuts to try.
4. For an elevated dessert, try CH patisserie
CH Patisserie calls themselves “a little slice of Paris in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls.” A beautiful minimalistic shop showcasing the most gorgeous desserts. You’ll definitely have a hard time deciding which one to pick and will probably teeter on buying more than one. And that’s ok, you can buy two, you deserve it.
5. Go shopping in the boutique shops in downtown Sioux Falls
Shopping in downtown Sioux Falls is an unexpected delight. You’ll be amazed at the one-of-a-kind items, beautiful clothing, and the nicest shop keepers. Furthermore, if you love the architectural look of small-town downtown shops, these buildings will be eye candy for you. With beautifully designed brick buildings with fun heights and angles, it’s small-town architecture at its best.
6. Walk the sculpture walk in downtown
Another amazing thing about being downtown, is the sculpture walk. Interestingly, every Spring over 50 Artists loan their sculptures to be placed throughout downtown. While you walk the sculpture walk, there are voting boxes so you can vote on your favorite sculpture. Then, in the fall all the votes are tallied and whatever sculpture wins, the city of Sioux Falls will buy it and will display it in town.
7. Visit the Arc of Dreams Sculpture along the river walk
One of the biggest sculptures (almost a football field wide) is the Arc of Dreams. A stainless-steel sculpture created by Dale Claude Lamphere. Meant to be a tribute to the dreamers of the past, present and an inspiration to the dreamers of the future. The 15-foot gap at the top of the sculpture represents the leap of faith dreamers take to see their dreams come true.
8. Pose for a selfie at the mural wall
In the same area as the Arc of Dreams statue, is this incredible Mural Wall. Depicting 5 murals with the most famous one being the “Sioux Falls” mural created by Zach DeBoer. Within the Sioux Falls mural, you can try to find all the things that he put in the mural that make up the city. While the Sioux Falls mural is the most popular, all the murals are amazing. Try different poses at each mural for your Instagram feed or even an epic picture to print and put on your wall at home.
9. Spend time at Falls Park
No visit to Sioux Falls would be complete without visiting the namesake and the crown jewel of the city, Falls Park. As you can imagine, these cascading waterfalls are incredible to watch. With over 128-acres, this park features many overlook platforms including a 5-story observation tower. Additionally, there’s also an impressive amount of history here with ruins of buildings and signage explaining their significance. Furthermore, if you are feeling hungry, you can eat at Falls Overlook Café and enjoy an incredible view of the falls.
10. Visit the reproduction of the Statue of David
A Sioux Falls native, inventor Thomas L. Fawick, created the first four door car and became a millionaire from patents he created. An avid collector of art, he donated this Statue of David reproduction to the city in 1971. Standing strong within Fawick Park, it’s a true sight to behold. Especially if you can’t get to Florence to see the original statue.
11. See the Time Capsule in Fawick Park
Located next to the Statue of David is a Time Capsule. In the capsule are items from the city that were placed in 1976 to be opened on July 4th, 2076. The inscription written on the capsule states: “Here are enshrined the artifacts of our observance of the Nation’s 200th anniversary of freedom and independence, along with the aspirations for the future, written by the people of this Bicentennial “Horizons City” and area.” How neat it would be to see what was stored inside the capsule for 100 years!
12. Take a tour of the Pettigrew Home and Museum
Take a guided tour of the home of South Dakota’s first Senator, Richard Pettigrew. He was an advocate for bringing awareness to South Dakota and actually brought in the first railroads to Sioux Falls. As a world traveler and an avid collector, he created a museum in his home in 1925. When he died in 1926, he left his home and museum to the city of Sioux Falls. Today, you can tour the home and museum as it would’ve looked while he lived there. Tours are free of charge.
13. Visit the Old Courthouse Museum
Built by local architect, Wallace L. Dow in 1893, this former courthouse was almost demolished when discussing the need for a new courthouse with more space. Luckily, it was saved by concerned citizens in 1974. Preserving its history, it was converted into a museum with three floors of public exhibit space. Today, you can tour the building and see the courtrooms and beautiful space for free.
14. Eat at Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen
Featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives, this fun eatery lives up to the hype. With a fun list of sandwiches like their Porkstrami with pork belly, sauerkraut, fontina, grainaise on rye. Or their curried cauliflower sandwich with red lentil, hummus, yellow curry, arugula, cilantro, radish on pita bread. Their salads are impressive as well. I tried the Moroccan chicken with arugula, grapes, feta, harissa marinated cucumbers, crispy lentils, preserved lemon vinaigrette. Very delicious.
15. Try a flight at a brewery
Have a nightcap at one of the many breweries in Sioux Falls. A few of the downtown breweries are Fernson Downtown, WoodGrain Brewing Co and Severance Brewing Company. For an extra fun time try the EightyOne Arcade bar, where there are tons of fun pinball and arcade games.
Last thoughts on this Sioux Falls Weekend Itinerary
Sioux Falls is one of the best towns in the Midwest for a weekend getaway. You’ll be amazed at just how much this town will captivate you and how much you’ll want to visit again!
I hope you get to explore this fun town and have fun making those memories!
Sioux Falls Weekend Itinerary
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