What is it about small town America? Getting away from the noise of a big city. No traffic congestion. Seeing a sunset. A smile from a stranger. Those are just a few of the things that travelers find in the small-towns of South Dakota.

Yankton, South Dakota is just one of the many small towns we are proud to call charming.

HGTV knows beauty when they see it. Recognized as one of the 50 Most Charming Small Towns in America, Yankton was chosen as a quintessential part of American life.

Meridian Bridge

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One of the many focal points is the historic Meridian Bridge. Formerly the cities connection to Nebraska on State Highway 81, it now continues to take walkers, joggers, and bikers over the Missouri River.

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When you set out to visit and discover new parts of South Dakota, your list may include where to eat, what will the kids enjoy, are there any historical connections, or where will you stay.

Dakota Territorial Museum

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Yankton is one of the oldest towns in South Dakota and for history buffs, the Dakota Territorial Museum houses exhibits of Lewis & Clark, the Children’s Transportation Museum, and learn the fate of the man who killed Wild Bill Hickok.

Lewis & Clark Lake

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One of the most popular draws to Yankton is the Missouri River and Lewis & Clark Lake where boating pleasure comes in many forms. The river runs right through downtown Yankton and Riverside Park.

Upstream from Yankton Gavins Point Dam has excellent fishing. It also serves an an additional crossing into Cornhusker country.

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We also tip our hat to Yankton as the Archery Capitol of South Dakota, hosting the World Archery Championships.

Best Time To Have A Good Time in South Dakota

Gallery Credit: Dave Roberts

The Remaining Drive-In Theaters In South Dakota

If you were born last century...you know, in the nineteen hundreds (ugh)...you may have spent a summer evening in the car watching movies. I don't mean on your phone, I mean at the drive-in movie theater!

If you were in Sioux Falls in the 1970s and '80s you may remember seeing Jaws and Indiana Jones at The East Park or the Starlite Drive-In. Both drive-ins opened just after World War 2.

The East Park didn't make it out of the '70s, closing in 1978. The Starlite survived long enough to see the birth of home video, closing in 1985.

FLASHBACK: Remember the East Park and Starlite Drive-in Theaters in Sioux Falls?

Drive-in movies had a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic. They were a way to go out and do something social without getting out of your car.

If you tried one during that time, or you remember the fun of a warm summer evening watching movies on that giant screen there are still places in South Dakota and around Sioux Falls you can do it.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns