Play is the focus at the Children’s Museum of South Dakota. Visitors are encouraged to touch, climb, push buttons and interact with all parts throughout the exhibits. “Our belief is that playing is how children learn about the world around them,” says Kerrie Vilhauer, the museum’s director of marketing.
The museum features a variety of engaging exhibits, including a TV studio with a green screen, a veterinarian’s office complete with medical tools, a sod house showcasing pioneer life and a grocery store connected to a farm where kids can pick and sell their own vegetables. The museum also offers insights into diverse cultures including Guatemala, Mozambique and Indigenous peoples of South Dakota. Children can learn about the cultures by playing interactive videos and exploring the life-sized tipi.
The Children’s Museum of South Dakota provides an outlet for activities often not permitted elsewhere. Children can unleash their creativity in the art studio, splash around the interactive water zones and climb a cloud some which reach two stories high.
The exhibits aren’t limited to the indoors. Guests can get outdoors to enjoy a splash pad, dig for dinosaur bones and even meet Mama T. Rex, a 25-foot animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex.
When all that play works up an appetite, families can take a lunch break at Cafe Coteau before returning to the exhibits. When it’s time to leave, guests can take a little piece of the museum home with them by purchasing a souvenir at the gift shop. All proceeds from the cafe and gift shop support museum operations.
Children’s Museum of South Dakota is an ever-changing environment with weekly special events and new exhibits added throughout the year. Check the museum’s website www.prairieplay.org for updates about special events, campus, and sensory-friendly play times.
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*This story has been written in collaboration with South Dakota State University‘s Public Relations class for our 2025 Visitor Guide. Read the guide here.*