Discover Sisseton

Sisseton offers historical and cultural sites in town, as well as natural and cultural attractions in the surrounding area to help you plan your trip. If you’re looking for a hotel in Sisseton, you can choose based on whether you’d like to focus on architecture, immigration history, and art, or include trails and landscapes. The following places illustrate the different kinds of experiences a stay in this area can offer.

Architecture and Immigration History

The Roberts County Courthouse in Sisseton was built in 1902 in the Neo-Classical Revival style and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Its construction date, architectural style, and subsequent listing in the register represent different historical aspects of the same building.

The Stavig House is an immigrant museum that tells the story of a Norwegian immigrant family. Its Stavig Letters Collection includes more than 150 letters spanning five decades and offers insights into immigrants’ experiences from both Norwegian and American perspectives. The two sites offer distinct approaches: the courthouse can be understood through its architecture and its listing in the register, while the museum focuses on family history and correspondence. Those interested in immigration will find both a long span of time and different national perspectives represented in the collection.

Art in Sisseton

The public art offerings include the Art Walk, featuring works by local artists, including artists from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. Another named work is the “Keeping Watch” mural near Veterans Avenue. It was commissioned by GrowSD and created by local artists Alexis Monroe and Nicholas Blaske. The Art Walk features works by various local artists, while “Keeping Watch” refers to a specific mural with known commissioners and creators. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between a broader art offering and one specific, named work.

Views and Trails in the Surrounding Area

From Nicollet Tower near Sisseton, visitors can see South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota, the continental divide, six counties, and eleven communities. The Nicollet Tower and Interpretive Center nearby features the Great Nicollet Map, ten murals by John S. Wilson, and the film “Dakota Encounters.” The views and the Interpretive Center offer two different focuses: visitors can take in both the visible regions and geographic features, as well as a map, murals, and a film.

Sica Hollow State Park is located 15 miles northwest of Sisseton on South Dakota Highway 10. It offers ten miles of multi-use trails for horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking. The park also includes the Trail of the Spirits, a self-guided educational trail designated a National Recreation Trail in 1971. The multi-use trails accommodate several activities, while the Trail of the Spirits is described as an educational trail with its own name and designation. These distinctions can help you choose a nature destination based on your preferred activity or interest in an educational trail.

A Cultural Gathering

The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Wacipi is a social gathering where families and friends maintain and experience Native American culture. It takes place at the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Ceremonial Grounds in Agency Village, seven miles south of Sisseton. If you’d like to plan your trip around the Wacipi, check the event dates in advance.

For the broader travel overview: Roberts County.