June 29, 2023

This paid piece is sponsored by Experience Sioux Falls.

Even though summer just recently marked its official start, the summer tourism season is well underway in Sioux Falls.

“Whether visitors are spending a few days in Sioux Falls or simply stopping for a break on a road trip, they almost always include a visit to Falls Park,”  Experience Sioux Falls CEO Teri Schmidt said.

Falls Park is TripAdvisor’s No. 1 thing to do in Sioux Falls and has been for many years. And it continues to be a key inclusion in Experience Sioux Falls’ marketing efforts.

“Even though it’s one of the top attractions we promote, we often hear visitors saying it’s such an unexpected surprise in the middle of our city,” Schmidt said. “There’s just something soothing about the sound of waterfalls that people are drawn to. Even with current lower water levels, visitors are curious about the pink quartzite and find it a beautiful part of the park.”

While there’s no way of accurately counting the total number of people who visit Falls Park, the number of visitors who enter the Falls Park Visitor Information Center can be tallied. The Visitor Information Center, which is managed by Experience Sioux Falls, counted 166,140 people who walked through the doors last year.

“Based on our research, we say the number of people who stop into the Visitor Information Center is approximately one-third of the total number of visitors to the park,” Schmidt said.

“Our data is showing out-of-state visitation through May is up 4.5 percent year over year, with day trips up 10 percent year over year. A lot of the activity we’re seeing so far this year is coming from the Minneapolis and Omaha markets.”

People visit Falls Park from not only all over the United States, but from all over the world. In 2022, the park saw the most international visitation from Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and France, based on those who signed the guestbook at the Visitor Information Center. Domestically, visitors came from 48 states, with the majority traveling from Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa.

So far this year, the top three countries are Canada, Germany and the U.K., while the top three states are Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas.

The Falls Park Visitor Information Center is also the No. 1 spot for Sioux Falls merchandise and memorabilia, selling everything from apparel and postcards to drinkware and more.

“We have restocked our shelves with some great new products and new designs for this summer,” said Melea Harris, Experience Sioux Falls host city manager. “Historically, our top sellers are always postcards, magnets and stickers, which tells us that people want something to remind them of their visit.”

While the summer season is always the busiest, “we also tend to see an uptick in visitation with people wanting to enjoy Winter Wonderland and also shop for holiday gifts for their friends and family,” Harris added.

No matter the time of year, Falls Park remains a popular destination in Sioux Falls, and with redevelopment projects moving closer to the park, it looks like visitation momentum will continue to increase.

Tourism outlook: State, local leaders anticipate strong summer ahead