Arts and Culture South Dakota Missouri River

Experience Native and Western Arts and Culture Along the Missouri River

In Central South Dakota, Native American and Western traditions meets on the river. Preserved in 100-year-old towns, Old West and pioneer artifacts, buildings, and local history still stand on wide streets and in the corners of prairie lands. The Great Plains people have five tribes along the Missouri river, with their own history and cultural expressions. Together, they create a unique artistic and historical landscape for explorers to discover. Collections housed in our small-town museums are supplemented by items donated from the public, such as fossils given to the Timber Lake Museum from amateur paleontologists, dental instruments at the Dakota Sunset Museum, and original chool regalia at the Pickstown Museum. The care taken in each of these local museums is exceptional, and their knowledge of area history always impressive.

South Dakota
Missouri River
Museums

South Dakota Missouri River Museums

The story of South Dakota, its ancestors, and rich lineage of Native American culture is awe inspiring and can be experienced today thanks to the ongoing preservation of historians, local museums, art galleries, and more. Whether you’re looking to learn about the evolution of local tribes, technological advancements in transportation, agriculture, or simply want to see what life was once like, you’ll find educational experiences waiting for you around every bend of the Missouri River.

Check Out These Museums on Your Next Missouri River Vacation:

Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

South Dakota Hall of Fame

Chamberlain Lewis and Clark Welcome Center

Dakota Sunset Museum

South Dakota Tractor Museum

The Klein Museum

South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center

South Dakota National Guard Museum

South Dakota Discovery Center

Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center Museum

Timber Lake and Area Museum

Mead Museum

Lewis and Clark Regional Visitor Center

Experience
Local Music

Experience Local Music

From polka to Pow Wows, music truly is the food of love along South Dakota’s Missouri River region. Home to events like the Oahe Days Music and Arts Festival held every June in Pierre, as well as annual tribal fairs and pow wows in places like Eagle Butte and Lower Brule, our bluffs and rolling river hills are amplified by the sounds of local music.

Movie Theaters
& Live Performances

Movie Theaters & Live Performances

Hoping to catch a flick or live performance on your next vacation to South Dakota? You’re in luck, our region is fortunate to offer a diverse collection of theaters and performances venues that are certain to make your visit memorable. Whether you’re watching the latest blockbuster or supporting a local community production, you’ll find a little bit of something for everyone!

Catch A Movie or Performance On Your Next Vacation:

Movie Theaters:

State Theatre

7th Generation Cinema

State Theatre

Lyric Theater

Pix Theatre

Dakota Theater

Drive-In Theaters

Pheasant Drive-In

Winner Drive-In

See Live Performances

The Missouri River is chalk full of local bands and performers who frequent establishments throughout the area. To find live music near you on your next Missouri River Vacation

Pierre Players

Winner Community Playhouse

Dakota Theater

South Dakota Art

From the Trail of Governors in Pierre to the Akta Lakota Museum in Chamberlain, the Missouri River region is home to a plethora of local art installations, statutes, and more that depict the vibrant history and culture of our state, Native American tribes, and so much more. See the region like never before as you peer through the creative lens of artists depicting our region’s people and places over the last several hundred years!

Experience South Dakota Art Galleries and More

The Missouri River is chalk full of local bands and performers who frequent establishments throughout the area. To find live music near you on your next Missouri River Vacation

Akta Lakota Museum

Dakota Plains Gallery

Dignity: Of Earth and Sky

The Klein Museum

Walleye Up Statue

Trail of Governors

Waterfront Gallery for the Arts

Yankton Area Arts Association