Celebrate Pavilion’s record-setting year with BOGO deal, lots to see this month

This paid piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Inc.

This summer brought more visitors than ever to the Washington Pavilion – and with good reason.

From the new life-sized dinosaurs outside the building to interactive exhibits and the new CineDome film Dinosaurs of Antarctica, the Pavilion’s newest additions drew about 32,000 visitors.

“That puts us on pace for another record year,” said Brandon Hanson, director of museums.

“People are discovering the museums are designed to be a place for people of all ages and that there are always new reasons to keep coming back.”

This month is an ideal time to check out both the Kirby Science Discovery Center and the Visual Arts Center. Throughout September, you can take advantage of a buy one, get one free promotion on museum admission. Bring a friend and their admission is on the Pavilion.

“We know there are lots of new people coming to Sioux Falls and we want to welcome them to the Pavilion in a big way,” Hanson said. “Whether that be college students showing up to town for the first time or a family moving to town looking for a way to entertain their children or a couple looking for a highly sophisticated date night in the Art Center.”

Guests increasingly are bringing their children to the Pavilion because they themselves came there growing up, he said.

“Our mission is to ‘Deliver memorable experiences that entertain, educate and enrich’ and it is an honor to be part of something that persists through generations,” Hanson said. “The Museums at the Washington Pavilion belong to the families that come, and why wouldn’t you want to be part of that? If BOGO is what it takes to get someone to try us for the first time, then we think it is more than worth opening our doors to facilitate creating lifelong memories that will be passed down.”

And no matter which day in September you visit, something memorable will be waiting for you. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming:

Daily programming

The Pavilion has offered something different for guests each day of the week, but the programs now are being reinvigorated after having to be adjusted during the pandemic.

Programming includes interactive shows at Avera Stage Science at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily – think elephant toothpaste, putting objects in a vacuum chamber and a bed of nails – 3D printing in Jack’s Imagination Lab, virtual reality experiences or creating your own sculpture at the Raven Children’s Studio.

“At the Pavilion, we believe that everyone is a learner from 0 to 99+ and our daily programming is my team’s way of interacting directly with those people,” Hanson said. “Daily programming is what makes our museums a different entertainment experience than going somewhere else. We have found that doubling down on human beings and interaction makes lasting memories for our guests.”

On weekends, other organizations become part of the fun. Sanford Health has offered yoga. Pipestone has brought in baby animals and offered programming on helping small farmers, and the Great Plains Zoo has helped guests pet a skunk.

“Plus we have self-guided activities and prompts in both Raven Children’s Studio and Jack’s Imagination Lab every day,” Hanson said. “And the team will bring out rolling demonstration carts to show off raptor claws, dino teeth, learn about asteroids and impact craters, or even just playing with families on our over 100 interactive exhibits.”

SuperPower Dog Day

Dog lovers, mark your calendar for Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and get ready for a dog-themed day at the Pavilion in partnership with Dakota Dachshund Rescue.

You’ll find dog-themed crafts in the Raven Children’s Studio, “Superpower Dogs” showing in the Wells Fargo CineDome all day, an experiment around superpower smell and hearing in the Jack’s Lab and of course some actual dogs at the north and south entrances to the Pavilion – weather permitting.

New Wells Fargo CineDome Film

On Sept. 30, the Wells Fargo CineDome will premiere a new film called “Train Time” that goes through the history of trains, their engineering and how they operate in the modern world.

“It features large, beautiful panoramic views of the Midwest,” Hanson said. “BNSF railway, which goes through Sioux Falls helped create the film and our initial previews brought back overwhelmingly positive feedback. This is a film for all-ages and especially for the train enthusiast.”

No School STEAM Day

The Pavilion offers 60,000 square feet of exhibits that center around STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math – and when school is out, the Pavilion can become your children’s classroom.

When school is out in Sioux Falls, the Pavilion offers No School STEAM Days, an interactive way to spend the day for elementary-age kids.

Programs run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are offered in two groups for younger and older kids.

This school year’s No School STEAM Days are: Oct. 11, Jan. 13, Feb. 6 and March 10.

“We were so excited to see the response to our first two No School STEAM Days. We offered 50 spots and all were filled,” said Madelyn Grogan, director of education.

“It is a great opportunity for kids to have fun and be engaged in learning outside of school time. We do our best to fill these days full of unique and entertaining learning experiences so parents feel good about the time their child is spending at the Washington Pavilion.”

Community partners such as Sanford Promise also participate in offering programming and “we continue to look for additional partners who may want to participate in this opportunity,” Grogan said. “We also have a great in-house team that will be providing instruction.”

The cost is $30 for the day and scholarships are available. Click here to sign up. 

What’s next

Coming in October, a once-in-a-lifetime traveling art exhibit comes to the Pavilion from New York. Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts features 70 well-known artists from American Art History. Notably, that would include Andy Warhol, Jackson Polluck, Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Thomas Moran and more.

“This show will open at the beginning of October, but we are offering guided tours with discounted group rates, and we even have endowments established to help cover the cost of busing for school field trips,” Hanson said. “We are looking forward to bringing an exhibition to Sioux Falls that the community would have otherwise had to travel to New York state to experience. We are already seeing a lot of private tours and events being booked, but we will have an opening for the show on Oct. 7 in tandem with the Art & Wine Walk.”

Fast lane

Are you one of the 5,000 households that already takes advantage of a Pavilion membership? The Pavilion is making easier for you to get right into the museum with a new member fast lane. Look for it right off the main lobby.

To learn more

The BOGO offer is available in person at the Washington Pavilion Box Office or online at WashingtonPavilion.org. The Kirby Science Discovery Center and Visual Arts Center are open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. For additional information or to reserve your museum admission online, please visit WashingtonPavilion.org.