Stuff You Probably Didn’t Know About Famous South Dakota Statue

When you think of South Dakota you probably don't think about big statues of naked guys. But there is one in the middle of South Dakota's largest city.

The Michelangelo replica of the Statue of David is the nude statue which stands on a pedestal at Fawick Park in downtown Sioux Falls.

If you have kids along, be prepared to do some ‘splaining,’ because they are going to have questions.

Here are 5-Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Statue of David in Sioux Falls:

1) The 18-foot tall Statue of David stands in Fawick Park just west of the Big Sioux River on South 2nd Ave. between East 10th and 11th Streets.

2) The "Statue of David" was given to the city of Sioux Falls by Thomas Fawick in 1971. Fawick is a Sioux Falls Native who made a fortune as an inventor who invented the “Fawick Flyer” that sits in the Old Courthouse museum.

3) The statue is cast from the famous sculpture completed by Michelangelo in 1504. The original is located in Florence, Italy, and is considered to be one of the finest sculptures in the world.

4) At the time of its erection (that's right...), the statue was rather controversial. A local Baptist minister wrote a letter to the editor calling the statue "not art but sin." He predicted: "In the years to come, we can expect to see on the streets of Sioux Falls people going naked. We can expect immoral acts in the parks. Don't be surprised if God doesn't bring a flood or a tornado, or strike the statue with lightning. God will judge this city."

5) To date, God has been pretty darn good to the city of Sioux Falls.