South Dakota
South Dakota’s Charming State Capital Is A Cultural Gem With Compelling Museums And Historic Sites – Islands
South Dakota is known for its expansive farmland, national parks, prairies, and mountains with plentiful outdoor attractions, like the Black Hills’ enchanting scenery or the uncrowded green grass trails in Badlands National Park. But the state’s capital, Pierre, is an underrated gem not to be missed. With its rich history and culture, paired with small-town ease, it’s an unassumingly lovely place to spend time. Clocking in at a population of around 14,000, Pierre (pronounced “Peer”) is the second-smallest of all the U.S. state capitals, second only to Montpelier, Vermont. The result is that Pierre is a laidback and unusually tranquil metropolis that packs a delightful punch with museums, historical sites, and other cultural attractions.
Located in the center of the state, right on the Missouri River, Pierre is just off U.S. Route 83. Sometimes called the “Road to Nowhere” for its path through vast and largely rural landscapes, US-83 was at one time the only completely paved, direct route from Canada to Mexico, with visitors popping into Pierre along their journey. To arrive from the skies, you’ll fly into nearby Pierre Regional Airport, which is situated a mere three miles from the city center.
How to experience Pierre’s cultural history and museums
If you only have time for one excursion during your stay in Pierre, put the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center at the top of your list. Inspired by traditional Native American building traditions of Sioux tribes in particular, this museum is literally built into a hillside. Its visually striking exterior is worth taking in before heading inside. Established in 1901, the center is a Smithsonian affiliate institution and receives support from the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation. With more than 33,000 artifacts — including Lakota quilts, political merch, pioneer and military relics, and more — visitors will find extensive historical exhibitions and info about South Dakota’s human history. Families with kids will enjoy participating in the History Explorers program, offered daily, which is a specialized educational experience that groups of all ages can enjoy together. Don’t skip a customary trip to the museum gift shop, where you’ll find jewelry, books, ceramics, and other handmade items to take home.
With more time on the docket, follow this up with an excursion to the Verendrye Museum in Fort Pierre. (Named for brothers Louis and Chevalier Verendrye, French explorers, the museum’s name is pronounced var-en-dree.) Fort Pierre, part of the Pierre micropolitan area, is a historic area — in fact, it’s the site of South Dakota’s oldest continuous settlement. With the Verendrye Museum’s engaging exhibits — including historically accurate home decor and clothing, fossils, photos, and even a country store — visitors can learn all about the area’s history in a charmingly accessible way. Nearby, also in Fort Pierre, make a pit stop at the Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial, a striking Neoclassical building that honors South Dakota’s military veterans.
Historic sites in Pierre, South Dakota
With so much intersecting history, Pierre is chock-full of compelling historical locations for avid history fans to visit. One of the most important sites to hit is Fischers Lilly Park. Today, the park is a campsite along the banks of the Missouri River, offering RV hookups, a boat ramp, bike trails, a playground, and a peaceful setting along the water. Even if you’re not camping there, it’s worth checking out the park and casting your mind back to 1804, when Lewis and Clark’s Corp of Discovery first met representatives of the Teton Lakota nation at this very spot. This tense meeting, which devolved into armed conflict due to the language barrier and differing goals between the two groups, was a key moment in Lewis and Clark’s westward expedition. Today, because of this legacy, the National Park Service has designated Fischers Lilly Park as a site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
With more time to explore and a thirst for local history, you can also visit the Cedar Hill Cemetery, the resting place of the city’s early settlers. The Log Cabin Visitor Center is another great addition featuring a reconstructed log cabin with historic displays where you’ll read about Pierre’s frontier history. For those who want to continue exploring South Dakota’s fascinating history, the nearby twin cities of Chamberlain and Oacoma are an underrated paradise for art and outdoor fun, and home to the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center. This makes for an ideal day trip at just under one hour and 20 minutes by car.
GUTHRIE, Okla. — Hadley Peppel and Team South Dakota had a strong showing at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo, which ran from June 21-27 at the Lazy E Arena.
Peppel, who hails from Herrick, was the winner in the bareback riding short-go on Saturday and finished second in the aggregate over three runs, finishing with 192 points and earning $870.71. Jace Wild Green, of Dexter, New Mexico, was the aggregate champion with a score of 198 and claiming $1,160.95.
Peppel was first in the short-go with 67 points and Wild Green was second with 62 points. Wild Green won both of the first two performances during the week, scoring 73- and 63-point rides, respectively. Peppel also took fourth in the first-go with a ride of 66 points.
In boys goat tying, Henry’s Ace Lammers finished as the champion with a total time of 27.99 seconds, powered by a first-place effort in the short-go (8.28 seconds). Lammers earned $1,608.53, plus another $618.66 for the short-go.
Powered by Lammers and Peppel, South Dakota’s boys participants finished third as a team with 4,525 points, only behind Texas (7,080) and Utah (6,585). Overall, South Dakota finished fourth in the team standings with 5,865 points, which was won by Texas (10.208.33), followed by Utah (7,780) and Oklahoma (7,520) and South Dakota. The South Dakota girls participants were fifth in the girls team standings with 1,920 points.
In the second-go of the ribbon roping event, a pair of South Dakota teams fared well. Colome’s Jakob Heath and Miller’s Grace Saiegna had the second-best time in 7.64 seconds, earning $1,497.02. Salenga was also sixth in the all-around cowgirl final standings, scoring 670 points. Wessington Springs’ Wyatt Fagerhaug and Buffalo’s Tommi Holmes teamed up to finish fourth in their ribbon roping performance in a time of 7.87 seconds, earning $953.63.
In barrel racing, Fort Pierre’s Emry Dowling took third in the aggregate timing with a time of 45.51 seconds, good for $1,201.43. Hadlee Landers, of Lawton, Oklahoma, won with a time of 44.514 seconds won the overall title, with Williams, Arizona’s Crosslyn Vest taking second (45.22 seconds). Dowling was also third-fastest in the short-go finals (15.031 seconds), which earned her $462.09, and she was fourth in the first-go (15.193 seconds).
Valentine, Nebraska’s Talon Scheer, who competed for Team South Dakota, had top-10 performances in the girls breakaway and goat tying in the first round of performances, taking fifth in the breakaway and 10th in the goat tying.
In the light rifle shooting competition, Ruger Pelster, of Harrison, Neb., finished third with a three-event score of 327 targets. Chisum Pelster was 11th (312 targets) and Grace Gesinger, of White River, was 13th (307 targets) in the finals.
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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing
03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 27 drawing
03-08-18-22-39, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from June 27 drawing
02-21-25-30-32
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 27 drawing
26-32-38-51-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota is getting another chief elections officer.
Secretary of State Monae Johnson failed to win the Republican nomination for a second term during the South Dakota Republican Party Convention Saturday in Rapid City, where GOP delegates instead favored another Pierre outsider to oversee the state’s elections for the next four years.
“When this office runs well, you don’t notice it. When it doesn’t, you feel it everywhere,” Rep. Heather Baxter told a capacity crowd of delegates and attendees at The Monument events center, where she received nearly 60 percent of votes cast by more than 700 party delegates.
Populist push falls short in South Dakota GOP contest for Public Utilities nod
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