Terrace Park 🇺🇸

You will find a historic 52-acre public retreat on the shores of Covell Lake in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Founded in 1916, Terrace Park gets its name from its distinctive 30-foot drops of steep terraces, constructed from local Sioux quartzite and equipped with matching staircases.

You can explore a rich history spanning over a century, including the park's listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. While visiting, you can walk or cycle along the paths that traverse the grounds and encircle Covell Lake, an oxbow lake formed from the Big Sioux River.

On the lake's eastern side, you can wander through a peaceful Japanese garden featuring local and Japanese flora, stone lanterns, pagodas, a stone teahouse, and waterfalls. The park also hosts a historic open-air outdoor theater built in 1932, a 20-acre veteran's memorial plaza on the north end, and the 1884 Phillips estate carriage house, nicknamed the 'Lion's Den.' For recreational activities, you will find fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming facilities, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and various sports courts across the grounds.

What to see at Terrace Park

• Walk through the Japanese garden featuring waterfalls, stone lanterns, and local Sioux quartzite walls.
• Explore Covell Lake via canoeing, kayaking, or fishing from the shore.
• View the 1932 open-air Mediterranean-style outdoor theater and quartzite terraces.
• Visit the 20-acre veteran's memorial plaza featuring fountains and star-shaped benches.
• See the historic 1884 carriage house, the last remaining building from the original Phillips estate.

Visiting tips

Respect the historic features and stay on designated walking and cycling paths as you explore the terraced landscape.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Daytime

How to get there & what’s nearby

Terrace Park is easy to reach on Sioux Falls’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Great Plains Zoo. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Sioux Falls travel guide.