Expect no dull moment on a visit to Brookings, the fourth-largest city in South Dakota.
Also the seat of its namesake county, Brookings has developed many points of interest since it was founded in 1879.
This city was named after Judge Wilmot W. Brookings, an early pioneer and promoter of the settlement of the Dakota Territory.
Brookings’ growth initially rode on its location along the railroad route of the territory, emerging as the hub of a diversified agricultural region.
With agriculture firmly in place, manufacturing companies later came into Brookings to further fortify its lofty eastern South Dakota standing.
Early on, too, Brookings stood out as an academic center, with the South Dakota State University setting up in 1881 its campus in the city.
There is always something to do in Brookings!
If you’re looking for nightlife or nature, historical stops, or unique shopping, you can find fun here.
With its rich lifestyle mix, the city promises its visitors an eclectic experience that you can have a peek at the following list of things to do in Brookings.
Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This museum is located on 11th Street at the South Dakota State University campus.
It is South Dakota’s official museum devoted not only to the history and science of agriculture in the state but also to its rural life.
Aptly enough, the museum is housed in the 1925 Stock Judging Pavilion, a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The museum’s collection includes thousands of agricultural and mechanical tools and equipment, as well as building furnishings.
It also features personal and recreational items plus communications and documentary artifacts like maps, prints, photos, and agricultural business advertising.
The museum opened in 1884 with a zoological collection which was later expanded to include farming equipment from 1880 to 1950.
More items were added starting in 2014 to include artifacts from the time of the domestication of plants and animals in South Dakota up to the present.
This multi-purpose park on Indian Hills Road spreads over 16.1 acres, nestled amid a residential neighborhood.
Residents and visitors can enjoy Arrowhead Park’s extensive green space suited for outdoor team games like tag football.
In addition, the park provides an outdoor basketball court, a tennis court, and playground equipment.
The Arrowhead Park has picnic tables and restrooms, as well as a recreational trail for biking and walking.
This pathway links to the Brookings trail system and the Indian Hills trail meandering around the park’s neighboring community.
AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Opened in 1970, this museum features, among other exhibits, the works of famous visual artists of South Dakota.
It is situated on Medary Avenue at the campus of South Dakota State University and features seven spacious galleries.
Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com
The museum’s cornerstone exhibit is the 146-piece collection of the works of Harvey Dunn, famed for his art pieces depicting the great plains of America’s Midwest.
All told, the museum’s permanent collection is composed of almost 7,000 items, including paintings.
The museum also exhibits artworks on paper, textiles, jewelry, Native American pieces, sculpture, and ceramics.
Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock.com
A 20-hole disc golf course redesigned in 2020 is among the attractions in Larson Park on 22nd Avenue.
The course features multiple pin placements and concrete tee pads, with varying challenges at each hole.
One tricky section is on the southeast side of the course, where you may need a few extra discs as you have to shoot over the park’s lagoon.
Overall, though, the course is easy to navigate, and you will enjoy the gorgeous scenery of Larson Park while playing.
Besides the disc golf course, the multi-purpose park also provides a winding walking and bike trail, a basketball court, and playground equipment.
Larsen Park, in addition, has spacious grassy areas for a picnic or a pick-up game of tag football.
This sports facility on 22nd Avenue South hosts state softball tournaments, among other events.
The SouthBrook Softball Complex flaunts five lighted softball diamonds for adult and youth sports, as well as tournament play.
In addition to these fields, the complex has a full complement of support facilities, including aluminum bleacher seating, concessions, and restrooms.
You can bring the whole family to this complex, as it has numerous picnic shelters plus a large, gravel, off-street parking lot.
The complex, moreover, nestles among lush trees providing shade to players and spectators.
Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This 135-acre park, a former landfill, is an example of a successful environmental restoration project.
After it was capped, the site was developed as a park that has met the environmental monitoring standards of the South Dakota authorities.
The park now features lush vegetation and mature trees, which provide habitat to native birds and animals.
Recreation trails, a mix of primitive and paved pathways, loop throughout the park, enabling the enjoyment of nature observation and birdwatching.
The park also has a series of small connecting ponds, which adds to the park’s scenic beauty.
These water features, which are connected by a metal bridge, are also perfect for kayaking as well as fishing.
The park also provides a 5,300 square-foot facility—the Larson Nature Center—where visitors can rent outdoor gear like fishing rods, canoes, kayaks, snowshoes, adaptive bikes, binoculars, and GPS units.
In addition, the northeast of the park boasts an Outdoor Learning Center plus a target range focusing on BB and pellet gun shooting and archery.
Downtown at Sundown is a five-week outdoor summer music festival held in Brookings from July to August.
Admission is free to this nightly concert series held on 5th Street and Main Avenue in Downtown Brookings.
The activities each night open with vendors’ shops opening at 5:30 p.m., soon followed at 6:00 p.m. by the performance of the headliner band.
Besides food and music, locals and visitors can enjoy shopping, yard games, inflatables, and face-painting, among other engaging activities during the Downtown at Sundown.
Rackshaw, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The South Dakota State University campus is home to this Brookings green attraction and its kin, the South Dakota State Arboretum.
Located on 22nd Avenue, the McCrory Gardens flaunts more than 25 acres of harmoniously developed plots displaying a wide variety of flowers, shrubs, grasses, and trees.
Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The north side of McCrory Gardens features the 45-acre South Dakota Arboretum, which is home to the various trees and shrubs which have adapted to the South Dakota climate.
The arboretum is also a testing ground for new selections of shrubs and trees on their adaptability to local conditions.
Pet-friendly, McCrory Gardens likewise runs an Education and Visitor Center, which hosts events, lectures, meetings, conferences, banquets, and weddings year-round.
The circa1936 Central Elementary School houses this museum at the corner of 5th Avenue and Kidoodle Way.
Besides its 44,000 square feet for indoor exhibits, the Children’s Museum of South Dakota also features 4 acres of prairie land.
It boasts 5,000 interactive exhibits, including a life-size animation of Mama T. Rex with her baby.
The museum holds 550 books to promote lifelong learning among kids and adults through discovery and exploration.
The only one of its kind in South Dakota, the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, is where kids can experience harvesting crops and moving them from farm to market.
Its hands-on exhibits and classes combine with the Outdoor Prairie and Cafe Coteau in the museum to make it a must-stop when visiting Brookings.
Planning a trip to Brookings sometime in early July would be a great idea, as it is around this time that the city holds its annual Summer Arts Festival.
More than 200 artists from across the country, representing various art disciplines, join this juried art festival.
This event also has an Edibles and Naturals area featuring artisans offering packed cottage food items for gourmet tastes and natural skin products.
In addition, the Brookings Summer Arts Festival celebrates the city’s heritage in booths with antique and historical displays.
Brookings’ Pioneer Park on 6thStreet hosts this festival, including a children’s area offering educational activities and fun to kids.
During the festival, entertainers perform at the park’s bandshell and side stages.
While at the park, you can also visit the Pioneer Cabin, built in 1989, to celebrate South Dakota’s centennial.
AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The quadrant of 5th Street and Main Avenue in downtown Brookings is a great place for beer and burgers.
You can choose from 21 taps of regional and local craft beers from the Wooden Legs Brewing Company, a South Dakota original founded in 2010.
Its kitchen also offers pizza, hoagies, and fresh deli sandwiches to pair with your brew of choice.
For the sheer pleasure of having a hamburger, a restaurant nearby has been serving this staple since 1929.
This burger lovers’ destination is Nick’s Hamburger Shop, famous for its two-ounce mini burgers in several options.
Beer isn’t served at Nick’s, but it offers delicious shakes, which you can also pair with this burger shop’s homemade pies.
Test your aim at the Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center on 22nd Avenue.
It offers a 12-lane state-of-the-art shooting range and an Olympic-length archery range.
The gun range is open to shooters from 21 years old and above.
The climate-controlled gun range boasts a cutting-edge ventilation system and an automatic retrieval system of up to 25 yards.
The Olympic-sized archery range features 32 lanes of up to 30 yards with 3-D targets, professional-grade targets, and mobile props on wheels.
The center offers rental firearms for those with no gun or who want to try out a new or special firearm.
This dairy bar of the South Dakota State University, located on College Avenue, offers one of South Dakota’s best ice cream treats.
SDSU students manufacture the 60 ice cream flavors in the dairy bar using a cow-to-cone process.
The SDSU Dairy Bar is attached to the Davis Dairy Plant, so you can watch the ice-cream-making process while having a treat here.
You can choose from 16 ice cream flavors served in the dairy bar daily along with milk, coffee, and snacks.
Its coolers are also stored with cheese, butter, and half-gallon ice cream tubs available for purchase.
Accessible via 22nd Avenue, the Edgebrook Golf Course features two layouts, with one offering a short 9-hole plan and the other the full 18-hole route.
The 18-hole course opened in 1972 and plays par 70 over 6,200 yards from the longest tees.
The front nine is a par 36 with two par-five holes and two par 3s, while the back nine plays a little shorter but has water hazards along its one par-five holes and three par 3s holes.
Edgebrook’s 9-hole layout is just north of the 18-hole course and is regarded as one of the best in the area.
Opened in 2010, the nine holes of this short course are par 3s, with their longest at 124 yards.
Some of the tee boxes and greens of this 9-hole layout are positioned within the tree line.
A full line of golf equipment suited for advanced or beginning players is accessible at the EdgeBrook Golf Course.
It has a fleet of 40 golf carts, a driving range, a green grass tee-stand, and large putting and chipping greens.
Food items are available at the Edgebrook Clubhouse, such as beer, cola, and snacks.
If you’re a big fan of the sport, Fishback Soccer Park will cover all your soccer needs during your trip.
Located along 20th Street, Fishback Soccer Park is a go-to place not only for casual players but also for the local soccer association of Brookings.
The greenery here is well-maintained and has sweeping, unobstructed views of the skies, making this place a popular ground for kite-flying as well.
If you’re a big fan of kites, the Kite Festival of Brookings typically happens during the summer months.
Fishback Soccer Park is a popular destination even among locals, so it’s a great way to meet new people who share the same passion as you.
If you have some downtime and there’s an interesting movie to watch, Brookings Cinema 8 is your go-to place.
Found along 6th Street in the bustling districts of Brookings, this movie theater has everything you can ask for to give you a smooth viewing experience.
It has recently been renovated and remodeled in 2017, so you’re sure to get a clean and vibrant cinema experience in Brookings Cinema 8.
Prices are great despite the renovations, and they offer delicious popcorn and an assortment of drinks as well.
One of the best places to spend quality time with friends and family, don’t miss out on this cinema if you’re raring to watch a much-anticipated movie.
Jake DeGroot, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Whether you’re interested in their academic programs or not, taking a stroll around South Dakota University is a great way to enhance your itinerary.
One thing you can’t miss here is their main building, built from red bricks that feature a high-arching chime tower called the Coughlin Campanile.
Standing at 165-feet tall, Coughlin Campanile dates back to 1929 and is now part of the U.S. Register of Historic Places.
Beyond that, you can also see their stadium and a bunch of other buildings and landmarks that are found throughout the paved walkways of the university.
Quaint but eye-popping, South Dakota State University’s aesthetic is picturesque and definitely makes for a great photo souvenir.
Give this major landmark a visit along Stadium Road.
South Dakota is known for its scenic rural camping grounds, and you can best enjoy this at Sexauer Park and Campground—one of the most picturesque natural areas of Brookings.
Located along West 10th Street, Sexauer Park and Campground offers lush woodlands and serene streams that’s still within the city; a convenient place for respite.
You can bring your recreational vehicles here if that’s your main point of interest, otherwise you can do a day trip at the park.
Sexauer Park and Campground doubles as a dog park, making this a fantastic stopover for fur parents and their fur babies.
With beautiful woodlands and landscaping, this hidden oasis in Brookings is a can’t-miss destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Fear Asylum Haunted House is a neat destination in Brookings if you’re planning to diversify your itinerary and add a little spice.
A haunted house that’s sure to test your courage, this place has modern costumes, competent actors, and extremely professional customer service.
The haunted house doubles as an escape room as well, making it a perfect addition to your plans if you’re visiting with a close group of friends or relatives.
While scary, this place is also a great bonding experience for teenagers who won’t mind the adrenaline rush.
Located along 6th Street, give Fear Asylum Haunted House a chance—if you can work up the courage for it!
With all the various points of interest that this city offers, you won’t run out of things to do in Brookings.
A visit to the campus of the city’s South Dakota State University alone should make for a most fulfilling trip to Brookings.
Discover the world.
© All rights reserved.
