Falls Park Visitor Center
Visiting the Falls Park Visitors Center
During your visit to the Falls Park Visitor Center, learn about Sioux Falls, Falls Park and South Dakota. See the Sioux Falls namesake as well as some of the first buildings constructed in Sioux Falls from the five-story Observation Tower. Falls Park Visitors Center also offers shopping in the Gift Shop. Dining is available in the nearby Falls Overlook Café.
Falls Park Visitor Center
Begin your time at Falls Park in the Visitor Center. Attraction and event information, maps and brochures will help you make the most out of your time in Falls Park. Falls Park Visitors Center also boasts a gift store that carries the largest selection of Sioux Falls merchandise and collectibles.
Observation Tower
Adjoined to the Falls Park Visitor Information Center is the five-story Observation Tower. Climb (or ride) to the top of the tower and delight in breathtaking panoramic views of Falls Park’s Big Sioux River, Queen Bee Mill, Millrace and Dam, Seney Island and the Horse Barn.
Big Sioux River
Running through the heart of Falls Park, the Big Sioux River gave the city of Sioux Falls its name and, like a lot of places in South Dakota, has a rich history. As the some 400-mile-long river flows south, its slow current meanders past rocks billions of years old as well as early American Indian encampments, sites of old mills and rolling hills.
Queen Bee Mill
Located on the east side of the Big Sioux River are the remains of Queen Bee Mill. Built in 1878, so that South Dakota farmers could avoid the cost of shipping wheat to Minnesota and Wisconsin, Queen Bee Mill operated between 1881 and 1883. During its operating days it consisted of the seven-story main structure and supporting structures.
Millrace and Dam
Millrace and Dam was originally constructed to provide power for the Queen Bee Mill. Today the Millrace is used as a Big Sioux River viewing platform.
Seney Island
Located upstream from the Falls is Seney Island. Called “The Island” and “Brookings Island,” throughout its early days, Seney Island was a popular spot for early recreation, however, the channel around the island was eventually closed to increase flow to the hydroelectric plant.
Horse Barn
On the north side of the Falls is the old Horse Barn, built in the late 1800s. While no records exist, it is thought the charming structure was part of a local creamery or housed horses that worked at one of the eleven stone quarries that were in existence at the time.
Dining at Falls Overlook Café
Be sure to stop by Falls Overlook Café, located on the east bank of the Big Sioux River in Falls Park. Housed in the restored 1908 hydro electric plant, the Café serves a variety of food and beverages, from summer salads like the berry berry salad to fish tacos. Be sure to check out the historic exhibits displayed inside Falls Overlook Café.
Travel Tips
- Falls Park Visitor Center is ADA compliant.
- Do not forget your camera. There will be exciting photo opportunities during your visit to the Falls Park Visitor Center.
Falls Park Visitor Center, Sioux Falls, SD
Visit the Falls Park Visitor Center as part of this group motorcoach vacation package. Located at North Phillips Avenue and Falls Park Drive in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Falls of the Big Sioux River have been a prominent part of life in the region since Native American peoples first visited the Falls and brought stories of them to European explorers. Today Falls Park stretches 123 acres and is at the center of the city’s recreation and industry. Plunging through the heart of Falls Park, the Big Sioux River drops an average of 7,400 gallons of water 100 feet over the course of the Falls each second.
