Siouxland Families

Who doesn't love FREE fun? I sure do, and I'm excited to share with you some of the great ideas I've found for free fun in Siouxland. This post is going to exclusively share free fun in Siouxland outside of Sioux City itself, and I'll be sure to update as I find new attractions that should have a place on this list. Check out  my guide to free fun in Sioux City, Iowa to find even more ideas for free Siouxland fun.   Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve North Sioux City, SD Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve is a day-use South Dakota State Park with free entrance, beautiful trails, historic buildings you can go in, farm animals to visit, and an imaginative playground. And kids love the visitors center, with tons of play space including a toy boat they can climb in, and a pioneer cabin play area with tons of toy food. My kids could spend hours there (and have!) We really are so lucky to have this in Siouxland.  For more information, check out my full guide t...

In the heart of downtown Sioux City lies one of its most popular attractions and a hub of community activity. If you're considering visiting the Sioux City Public Museum, here's what you should know: Where is the Sioux City Public Museum? The Sioux City Public Museum is at 607 Fourth Street in downtown Sioux City. There is metered parking on the museum block, which is free after 5pm and on weekends. The closest public parking ramp is the Discovery Parking Ramp on Jones St. Permanent Collection of the Sioux City Public Museum The Sioux City Public Museum permanent collection has exhibits featuring artifacts from throughout Siouxland history, from plesiosaur and mastodon fossils to Gateway computers. The museum has an open floor plan, but is broadly divided into sometimes-overlapping sections: Corn Palaces, Grandma's Attic & more After you pass the corn palace selfie station, you next head to Grandma's Attic, which is a fun and ver...

It's my birthday! To celebrate, I'm sharing with you this list of birthday freebies and deals you can score from restaurants and stores in the Sioux City area. As far as I can tell these are all in effect as of September 2024, but always read the rules and terms from whoever is offering them, as they could change. Some stores keep their promotions the same for years and years (like Starbucks) while others change them frequently (like Sephora--usually a makeup sample of some sort). For all of them, you have to be signed up for their rewards program and/or e-mail list, which will mean you get marketing and other e-mails from them throughout the year as well, so keep that in mind when deciding which ones are worth signing up for. I recommend signing up at least 2 months in advance, as some automatically send the birthday reward e-mail a few days in advance, or at the beginning of your birthday month, and if you aren't on the list before the auto-send date, you usually won...

This Saturday, July 11th is Bison Day at Broken Kettle Grassland Preserve in Westfield Iowa, about 15 miles north of Sioux City and all ages, including preschoolers, are welcome. Bison Day is totally free to attend, and events will include seeing live bison, bald eagles, and other raptors, as well as face painting, cooking and firefighting demonstrations, a scavenger hunt, and other fun activities for kids. Water and lemonade will be provided, but visitors are encouraged to bring their own food for snacks or lunch. The event runs from 9am to 3pm and visitors can come any time to stay for as little or as long as they'd like within those times. Hayrides to go see the bison will be at scheduled times throughout the day and visitors can sign up for a time after arriving at the preserve, and the bald eagles should be viewable from noon to 3pm. the Nature Conservancy owns and operates the preserve and runs the Bison Day event.

Each month we will bring you info on free events for kids in the Siouxland Area. If you know of one we have missed, please leave us a comment or send us an email. We will update our lists throughout the month as we hear of new events, so check back often for the latest scoop! We also recommend checking out our monthly post of activities that have a charge! Happening in June 6/1: Sioux City Public Library summer reading program "local heroes" kickoff event at Morningside library, 10am to noon 6/1: Junie B Jones birthday party at Barnes & Noble 7pm 6/2: Family storytime at Perry Creek library, 11am 6/2: Stick and Stone Storytime at Barnes & Noble 11am 6/2: Read-to-me dogs at Sioux City downtown library, grades K-5, 2-3pm 6/3: Family storytime at Morningside library, 10:30am 6/4: Live Animal Lunchtime at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4:30pm, all ages 6/5: Hapless Heroes, juggling and more at the Morningside library, 11am & 1:30pm, all ages, free...