Discover & Learn in South Dakota: The State’s Best Museums for Kids

South Dakota is known for wide-open landscapes and iconic monuments, but look a little closer and you'll find a state that loves to teach. These hands-on destinations pair with a family road trip across The Mount Rushmore State, for those anchored in the Black Hills, passing through the state capital, or exploring the eastern heartland.

Western South Dakota: Black Hills & Badlands Children’s Museums

Home to some of the richest fossil beds on the planet and 2.5 billion years of geological history, western South Dakota is a natural classroom. These destinations bring that story to life for curious kids.

Journey Museum & Learning Center

The Journey Museum weaves together paleontology, Indigenous heritage and pioneer life to capture 3 billion years of Black Hills history in one building in the heart of Rapid City. Here, kids get hands-on, digging for fossils in the archaeology pit, stepping inside a life-size tipi, exploring the 7 acres of native gardens, and watching planetarium films of the night sky and region landmarks.

Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum

Give your kids a pass to say the h-word here; it’s totally worth it. The Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum is unlike anything else in the region. Visitors see not only the excavated bones, but also the process itself as scientists clean and prepare new specimens in real time. Paleontologists founded this intimate destination to bring kids face-to-face with the people pulling dinosaurs out of the ground. Here, kids have the opportunity to ask scientists questions or dig themselves with PaleoAdventures.

South Dakota Air and Space Museum

Are your kids astro-enthusiasts or aviation aficionados? The South Dakota Air and Space Museum, located just off I-90 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, puts kids in the cockpit of American aviation and space history. Dozens of military aircraft fill the grounds alongside indoor exhibits on Cold War bombers, space missions and the history of flight. More than 30 historic military aircraft sit on outdoor display while indoor galleries cover aviation war history from World War II through the Cold War. The best part? Free admission!

Central South Dakota: Kids’ Museums Along the Plains

Halfway between the Black Hills and Sioux Falls, the state capital of Pierre anchors this stretch of the Missouri River. It's a natural pit stop on any cross-state road trip.

South Dakota Discovery Center

South Dakota's capital is home to Pierre's top family attraction: the Discovery Center. This hands-on science and technology museum makes physics and engineering click for kids. Interactive exhibits cover electricity, magnets, health and the human body. And with new rotating exhibits popping up alongside permanent galleries, there’s always something new and exciting to discover.

Lewis & Clark Family Center at Farm Island

History gets hands-on at the Lewis & Clark Family Center at Farm Island just outside Pierre. Kids can touch actual elk and buffalo hides, match prints to native animals, and climb inside a dugout canoe like the ones Lewis and Clark relied on. Here, learning is done hands-on. And it’s fun.

Eastern South Dakota Museums for Kids

Sioux Falls anchors the east with a variety of family fun (and learning). But the region's best kid-friendly museums extend beyond the city to Brookings, which is home to one of the most acclaimed children's museums in the Midwest. Explore the east!

Children's Museum of South Dakota

The Children's Museum of South Dakota sets the bar for kids' museums in the state. This 44,000-square-foot museum and 4-acre outdoor prairie gives families room to roam, build, climb and explore. Kids can walk KidStreet, deliver mail, stop at the vet's office, fix a car, splash in a stream, and build a house on the wide open South Dakota prairie.

Kirby Science Discovery Center in the Washington Pavilion

Inside Sioux Falls' beloved Washington Pavilion, the Kirby Science Discovery Center is a multi-floor science-and-technology playground built for curious kids. More than 100 interactive hands-on exhibits span multiple floors, covering everything from space and weather to dinosaurs and agriculture. Safe to say, no one walks out bored.

Mosaic Arts & Events

Venture away from history and science toward arts and culture at Mosaic Arts & Events. Here, kids' activities, the art gallery and museum are all free to the public. Hands-on options like a LEGO station, a Barbie house to decorate, an Imagination Playground with big blue blocks, and a craft area keep kids interested. Create, touch and play.

Tips for Planning a Museum Road Trip

1. Check for sensory hours. The Children's Museum of South Dakota and other institutions offer designated sensory-friendly play sessions with reduced lights, sounds, and crowds. Check individual websites ahead of your visit.
2. Bundle your Black Hills stops. The Journey Museum and Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum are both near Rapid City. Pair them in a single day with a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial® or Custer State Park for a full family day.
3. Pick Pierre as a halfway point. If you're driving I-90 across the state, Pierre makes an ideal overnight stop. Just 30 miles north of I-90, The Discovery Center and the nearby Capitol building make for a half-day itinerary that breaks up the drive.
4. Take a Brookings detour. The Children's Museum of South Dakota is 50 miles north of Sioux Falls, a quick jog up I-29. Brookings offers a variety of amusement for little ones. Just don’t forget to bring a change of clothes for the water parks!
5. Look for membership reciprocity. Many children's museums participate in national reciprocal admission programs. If your home museum is a member, you may get free or discounted entry at South Dakota stops.

Unearth More Kid-Friendly Amusement