All you need is a few hours on a weekday at South Dakota State University to acquire a little agricultural history and trivia, appreciate art that resonates with the region, and experience brain freeze with ice cream made right on campus. The museums are free plus they each have a store so you’ll want to do a little shopping too. Although both museums are open on weekends, the SDSU Dairy Bar is only open on weekdays.
South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum
I may have done better in history class if education was presented like the newest exhibit “On the Farm Front: Agriculture During WWII.” It focuses on what was happening in farming and rural life during this period, from war ration books for food and gas to victory gardens, a shortage of farm equipment, POWs working on the farms, increased poultry production, and the rebirth of growing hemp. The galleries often change, so check the museum’s website for new and upcoming exhibits, along with their event calendar for fun activities. Take in the history of the building itself. Built in 1918 as the Stock Judging Pavilion, this gem is on the National Register of Historic Places. Can you imagine eating dusty peas? Stroll through the 1915 farmhouse kitchen replica to see them on display. Browse the museum store because it’s jam-packed with South Dakota books, pottery, food (made in South Dakota kuchen is in the freezer) and lots more. You may even find a postcard or two. Be sure to ask about the blue and gold wool blankets in partnership between the SDSU sheep and Faribault Mill in Minnesota. When in season, buy a few seed packets from the museum store to plant at home as a souvenir. This museum is free and ADA accessible, including the children’s interactive learning area on the upper level. Parking is available west and north of the building. Check with the museum staff when you enter the building to ask if you’re parked in a public spot. If you have a Brookings Great 8 passport, get it stamped here.
South Dakota Art Museum
One of the most creative and fitting for the region art exhibitions I’ve seen is on display through July 14, 2024. “Primordial Shift: The Art of Michael Meilahn” includes a display of 32 hand-blown glass ears of corn suspended from the ceiling on cast-bronze stalks. An art experience, video illuminates the wall behind the corn while sounds of the artist’s family farm play around you. If I could take two pieces of art home with me, they would be The Prairie is My Garden by Harvey Dunn, which I’ve appreciated for most of my life having grown up in Brookings, and a new discovery to me, “Feast and Dance on Shore” by artist Richard Red Owl. It’s one of the most magnificent oil on canvas pieces I’ve seen. The museum store carries regional gifts, books, art, and a large inventory of beads for jewelry and craft makers. I bought a postcard with Harvey Dunn’s The Prairie is My Garden to mail to my mother-in-law who grew up on a farm in South Dakota and is crazy about art. Snap away! Photography is allowed in the museum WITHOUT flash. The museum is free and ADA accessible, including the restrooms on the lower level. Parking is just west of the museum on Harvey Dunn St. If you have a Brookings Great 8 passport, get it stamped here.
SDSU Dairy Bar
Sure, we can buy SDSU ice cream across the state. But there’s something special and extra creamy about eating it fresh from the Dairy Bar. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee or a specialty hot or cold drink. If you’re feeling adventurous but can’t decide which of the 30 flavors in the ice cream case to get, you can always order a rootbeer float. Talk about nostalgia. My son and I enjoyed ice cream. Plus, he couldn’t resist a scone from the baked goods case and I couldn’t resist buying a block of artisan smoked cheddar. They were out of meat sticks, which is pretty common in the summer, so it gives me a reason to come back. Order cookies and cream ice cream. SDSU claims they invented it and I believe them. I ordered a waffle cone with a scoop of it and added a scoop of mint cookies and cream on top. If you’re like me and savor an ice cream cone, a tip is to ask for a dish on the side and grab a spoon. This way you can turn your cone upside down if it’s melting faster than you can enjoy it. Free tours of the Davis Dairy Plant are available. Call 605-688-5482 to schedule it, or use the “schedule a dairy plant tour” link on their website. Ice cream is available for purchase as part of the tour. Parking is available just north of the Dairy Bar and a few spots to the south of it. Keep filling up that passport—get your Brookings Great 8 passport stamped here too!
