Falls Park is a public park in north central

Sioux Falls Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up t ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

, surrounding the city's falls. The

Big Sioux River The Big Sioux River is a tributary of the Missouri River in eastern South Dakota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. It flows generally southwardly for ,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataTh ...

runs through the park, which includes a cafe, an observation tower, and the remains of an old mill. The park comprises over 128 acres just north of downtown, along the Big Sioux River. An average of 7,400 gallons of water drop 100 feet over the course of the Falls each second. There are many viewing platforms, including the five-story observation tower. Falls Park includes some of Sioux Falls' oldest buildings.

Buildings

Falls Overlook Café

The Falls Overlook Café is across the river from the observation tower and is housed inside the 1908 Sioux Falls Light & Power Co. hydroelectric plant. It is open for lunch and dinner every day during the summer months.

Observation tower

The observation tower is connected to the visitor center. The visitor center offers guidance to those visiting the city as well as a variety of

souvenirs.

Queen Bee Mill

The mill opened in late 1881, consisting of a seven-story main structure built of

Sioux quartzite The Sioux Quartzite is a Proterozoic quartzite that is found in the region around the intersection of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa, and correlates with other rock units throughout the upper midwestern and southwestern United States. It was ...

quarried on site. Nearly $500,000 was spent on the construction of the state-of-the-art mill and its supporting structures. The mill could process 1,500 bushels each day. However, the mill closed by 1883, a victim of inadequate water power and a short supply of wheat.

Stockyards Ag Experience Barn

Little is known about the history of the Sioux quartzite barn on the northern edge of Falls Park. Oral history has suggested the building was constructed in the late 1800s as a part of a dairy/creamery operation, though there are no historical records to substantiate this. The City of Sioux Falls has owned the structure since 1917. At that time, animals performing city work were stabled there. The barn is now home to the Stockyards Ag Experience, a museum and learning center that connects visitors to agriculture.

External links

{{Commons category, Falls Park, Sioux Falls
Falls Park - Official City of Sioux Falls Website

- Visit Sioux Falls-Falls Park
Buildings and structures in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Tourist attractions in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Parks in South Dakota Protected areas of Minnehaha County, South Dakota