The Washington Pavilion is the region’s home for the arts, entertainment and science. Located in a beautifully renovated historic building in downtown Sioux Falls, it is one of only a few facilities in the world to bring together under one roof the performing arts, visual arts, interactive science and educational opportunities.
The Washington Pavilion makes art and science part of the daily lives of thousands of people with programming from Broadway tours to intimate chamber recitals in two state-of-the-art theaters in the Husby Performing Arts Center; more than 100 hands-on interactive science exhibits and the newly renovated Wells Fargo CineDome in the Kirby Science Discovery Center; and regional and national exhibits ranging from noted South Dakota artists to Andy Warhol in the Visual Arts Center.
With approximately 100 interactive exhibits, the Kirby Science Discovery Center offers an incredible array of fun and educational activities. Young minds learn best by getting their hands on something and going to work. Three different levels allow visitors of all ages to hang-glide, explore space, learn about tornadoes, dig for dinosaurs, rock-climb, race each other and make music, movies and all kinds of other fun. The Wells Fargo CineDome puts you in the middle of the action with a 60 ft wide, four story tall screen with educational films featured daily.
Husby Performing Arts Center
The Mary W. Sommervold Hall is an unparalleled venue for concerts, plays or musicals. Amazing acoustics and great sight lines assure there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Over the years, we’ve hosted some unbelievable talent from Ron White, Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby to Collective Soul, Dwight Yokam and Elvis Costello to Broadway hits “Cats” and “Mamma Mia”. Great comedy, Great music, Great Theater. Come enjoy the Mary Sommervold Hall. The Husby Performing Arts Center also features shows and educational activities in the smaller Belbas Theater and black-box Schulte Room.
The Visual Arts Center is free and open daily. Exhibits feature some of the top artists in the region, in the country and even internationally. The shows are rotated every couple of months so make sure to stop by the Visual Arts Center often. With six separate galleries, the Visual Arts Center mission is to teach the public about the history, practice and value of art in contemporary society. Free community lectures and artists’ receptions are held throughout the year.
Now Featuring
Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters explores the extraordinary causes, effects, and historical significance of the most powerful natural disasters on our planet. This impressive exhibition and its National Tour were developed by The Field Museum, Chicago. The 7000-square-foot exhibition features sensory experiences, media, multi-disciplinary science, and real artifacts that reveal how these forces have occurred throughout Earth’s history and continue to shape the planet today.
Ansel Adams Masterworks features a collection of forty-eight works by Ansel Adams. Called “The Museum Set,” these works reveal the importance Adams placed on the drama and splendor of natural environments. Included are many of Adams' most famous and best-loved photographs which encompass the full scope of his work: elegant details of nature, architectural studies, portraits, and the breathtaking landscapes for which he is revered.
**STEMwise conference participants will have the opportunity to tour both the Nature Unleashed and Ansel Adams Masterworks exhibits.**