Falls Park is a popular destination in Sioux Falls

I believe that if we lived in Sioux Falls, we’d spend as much time as possible at Falls Park. The park is home to a series of small waterfalls along the Big Sioux River.

The park is open daily. The waterfalls flow until the middle of winter when they are known to freeze over. We visited Sioux Falls several years ago for an anniversary weekend get-away. The hotel we stayed at had a limo. The driver took us to “see” the Falls; rather, frozen ice where the water would normally be dropping over rocks.

The falls are beautiful to check out during warm weather months. We’ve been there during summer a couple of times. The flow of the water is impressive. It rushes over the steps with a strong force. A power plant is located at the end of the falls.

Hundreds of people check out Falls Park during any one time. People gathered to take in the sunset during our visit. The park isn’t great for sunset views, as the sun sets behind a line of trees past the falls. You don’t get the glistening water you might elsewhere.

You can walk up next to the water. Stone remains are located along the river, so you can stand a few feet from the falls. You’re likely to get wet with the water hitting the rocks and splashing. It’s just a neat place to visit.

The park is more than the water. Visitors can take in a view of the area from the observation tower or check out the ruins of an old mill.

The observation tower gives a great view of the falls and the city skyline. Once you are familiar with Sioux Falls, you can easily scan the St. Joseph cathedral spires, the Old Courthouse’s clock tower and other city attractions and landmarks.

Statues are located throughout the park. Near the tower is the American Farmer. It’s part of a citywide public art project. It won “Best of Show” for the 2004 Sculpture Walk.

A life-sized bison statue is often the site of kids climbing on it. Families can be seen using it for a prop for pictures. “Monarch of the Plains” weighs 12 tons and is made from granite mined near Milbank, SD.

The Queen Bee Mill opened in 1881. However, it closed a few years later after failing to meet its expectations. It eventually served as a warehouse until it was destroyed by fire during the mid-1950s.

Visitors can grab lunch or dinner at the Overlook Café. It was closed for a private event during our visit; otherwise, we were going to have dinner there.

You can actually walk from downtown to Falls Park along Phillips Street. Phillips Street has some nice looking buildings and statues itself.

The Falls of the Big Sioux River are cool to check and Falls Park is a nice place to spend an hour or so of your day. We recommend checking it out.

For more information, please visit www.visitsiouxfalls.com.