Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Mitchell (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Corn Palace, Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village, and Dakota Discovery Museum. Also, be sure to include Dakota Wesleyan University in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Mitchell (South Dakota).
Table of Contents
Corn Palace
Moorish-style landmark known for murals. The Corn Palace, commonly advertised as The World's Only Corn Palace and the Mitchell Corn Palace, is a multi-purpose arena/facility located in Mitchell, South Dakota, United States. The Moorish Revival building is decorated with crop art; the murals and designs covering the building are made from corn and other grains, and a new design is constructed each year. The Corn Palace is a popular tourist destination, visited by up to 500,000 people each year.
The Corn Palace serves the community as a venue for concerts, sports events, exhibits and other community events. Each year, the Corn Palace is celebrated with a citywide festival, the Corn Palace Festival. Historically it was held at harvest time in September, but recently it has been held at the end of August. Other popular annual events include the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo in July and the Corn Palace Polka Festival in September. It is also home to the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers and the Mitchell High School Kernels basketball teams.[1]
Address: Mitchell, 604 North Main Street, Mitchell, South Dakota, U.S.
Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village
Museum. The Mitchell Site, designated by the Smithsonian trinomial 39DV2, is an important archaeological site in Mitchell, Davison County, South Dakota. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964. At that time it was the only reliably dated site of the Lower James River Phase. The site, sheltered under a dome, is managed by a nonprofit organization and is open to the public as Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village. Visitors can watch archaeologists uncover artifacts in the Thomsen Center Archeodome. The Boehnen Memorial Museum features a reconstructed lodge and many of the artifacts found at the site.[2]
Address: 3200 Indian Village Road, 57301 Mitchell
Dakota Discovery Museum
History museum, Museum
Address: 1300 McGovern Ave, 57301-7901 Mitchell
Dakota Wesleyan University
Private university in Mitchell, South Dakota. Dakota Wesleyan University is a private Methodist university in Mitchell, South Dakota. It was founded in 1885 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The student body averages slightly fewer than 800 students. The campus of the university is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3]
Address: 1201 McGovern Ave, 57301-7904 Mitchell
Holy Family Church
The Holy Family Church, School, and Rectory in Mitchell, South Dakota is a historic church complex at Kimball and Davison Sts. E. 2nd and E. 3rd Avenues. It was built in 1906, 1912, and 1921 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The church was built in 1906 at cost of $100,000. The school, at cost of $150,000, was opened as Notre Dame Academy in 1912. The rectory was built in 1921 for $30,000.[4]
Mitchell West Central Residential Historic District
The Mitchell West Central Residential Historic District, in Mitchell, South Dakota, is a mostly residential historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
About 25 acres (10 ha) in area, covering about 12 square blocks, it is roughly bounded by First and Seventh Avenues. It included 105 contributing buildings and 54 non-contributing ones, on 94 parcels. It includes some of the oldest buildings in the city, including houses dating from about 1883 to about 1938. Among other styles it includes Italianate and Second Empire architecture.
It includes Koch Flats, a three-story wood frame apartment building at 209 W. 2nd Ave. which was built in 1880 as the town's first public school, the Whittier School. It was moved about two blocks from its original location in 1895, and was renovated under direction of local architects Walter J. Dixon and Floyd F. Kings in 1938. It is Mitchell's best example of Art Deco style.
Dixon and King are believed also to have designed the Wilson Apartments, at 404 N. Duff St. built c. 1929.[5]
Whittier School
School in Mitchell, South Dakota. The Whittier School in Mitchell, South Dakota is a Works Progress Administration-funded school building of vernacular, local design that was built in 1935. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
It has brick exterior walls and a stone belt course along with modillion blocks near the roofline. It has a hipped roof with red clay tile. Most windows are nine over one, double hung windows. It was designed by architects Kings & Dixon.
Whittier has many distinguished alumni including Bobby Bowen, Garrett Lyle Gross, Eric Giblin, Beau Mackey, and Bruce "B.J." DeJong. Mr. Mackey has participated in local cage fights in the Sioux Empire.[6]