John Hamman

Review of Washington Pavilion of Arts an...

My family and I love the Washington Pavillion, esp...

My family and I love the Washington Pavillion, especially the Kirby Science Discovery Center & Visual Arts Center found on its upper floors. The Pavilion has alot to offer through, the primary reason we went in the first place was because the Kirby Science Center takes part of "First Fridays" here in Sioux Falls. Essentially, on the first Friday of the month, they open the center up for free and provide extended hours and remain open until 8 (as of the most recent one) and allow parents and children give the place a try without any monetary commitment. This is how we got our taste of the place to begin with, and it is a fantastic place for learning and playing for kids and even adults alike.

Furthermore, the Pavilion also hosts concerts, symphonies, and even some plays too so if that suits your fancy take a look at the side of their building where they display ads for upcoming events, call their desk, or just check online. In addition, while I haven't eaten there but have smelled the food, they have Leonardo's Cafe in the building too if you want to grab a bite!

My one nitpick or gripe is that their hours are not really accessible for working parents who want to bring kiddos to the Science Center. They close at 5 every day of the week with the exception of first fridays. This made it difficult for me to get off work on a normal weekday (which I usually get off anywhere around 5-6), and make it to the center. If you want to make a good trip out of this, you are probably going to need to make a midday trip to it on the weekend or on your day off.

Outside of that, the place is great and worth visiting a time or two. Especially since they change their exhibits from time to time to keep things fresh!