From old theaters to museums showcasing the region’s history, there are oodles of interesting off-site venues throughout South Dakota that accommodate group events.
The Journey Museum (www.journeymuseum.org), located in Rapid City, showcases the four major prehistoric and historic collections to tell the full story of the Western Great Plains. Facilities for group use here are varied, including a lobby, gallery, theater, library and boardroom, as well as outdoor areas.
At press time, the historic Elks Theatre (www.elkstheatre.com) in downtown Rapid City was undergoing a theater lobby restoration project. The venue is regularly used for movies, concerts and other performances, and is available for group events, including corporate training seminars, parties and private screenings.
The Days of ’76 Museum (www.daysof76museum.com) is one of Deadwood’s newest attractions that doubles as an off-site event venue for groups, according to Lee Harstad, spokesman for the Deadwood COC and Visitors Bureau. He says the museum houses a large display of carriages and wagons and offers a living history of the famed Days of ’76 rodeo and parades held annually for the past 90-plus years in Deadwood.
The Sioux Falls-based Washington Pavilion (www.washingtonpavilion.org), which was the city’s first high school, was converted into one of the region’s most prestigious performing arts centers, according to Krista Orsack, director of sales and marketing at the Sioux Falls CVB. Today it offers historic architecture and distinctive function spaces.
J&L Harley-Davidson of Sioux Falls (www.jl-harley.com) provides a rugged backdrop for off-site functions, Orsack says. The venue primarily acts as a Harley lover’s dream shopping experience, with bikes on display and a retail store with Harley-Davidson apparel and other items.
Goss Opera House (www.gossoperahouse.com) in Watertown has been around since the late 1880s and taken care of over the years with restoration work. Today the venue, which also houses Common Ground Coffee and three floors of art galleries, accommodates performances and group receptions.
