Discover Brookings

Brookings offers a range of things to discover: gardens with plenty of space for formal gardens and an arboretum, an agricultural gallery for young children, and an arts festival with numerous artists and food stalls. Which side of the area interests you most may help shape your choice of a vacation rental in Brookings.

Gardens and Trees on Different Scales

McCrory Gardens encompasses 25 acres of formal gardens and a 45-acre arboretum. The areas differ in their focus: the formal gardens make up a distinct part of the grounds, while an arboretum puts trees at the center. Those interested in gardens will therefore find more than just one type of garden here. The sizes are also specific: at 45 acres, the arboretum is larger than the 25-acre formal garden area.

The South Dakota State Arboretum offers another botanical perspective. Trees and shrubs adapted to South Dakota’s harsh climate grow there. This makes the site particularly interesting to people who are interested in plants and how they relate to regional conditions. McCrory Gardens and the South Dakota State Arboretum should be considered two separate destinations; the plants described at one are not automatically part of the other.

If gardens, trees, and different plant topics are among your travel interests, these destinations may be a deciding factor in planning your visit to Brookings.

Hands-On Agriculture for Young Children

The Ag-Xploration Gallery is a family-friendly space where children ages 1 to 6 can explore agriculture. Activities include milking a cow, moving grain with an auger, collecting eggs, and selling produce at a farmers market. The examples range from working with animals and grain to collecting and selling agricultural products.

For families with young children, this offers a different focus from the gardens and arboretum: here, the emphasis is on playfully exploring agricultural tasks. The specific target age range is useful when considering which Brookings experiences suit your family’s interests. Alongside the botanical destinations, the gallery offers a range of topics from which you can choose what best suits your trip.

Art and Food at the Brookings Summer Arts Festival

More than 170 artists from across the country come together at the Brookings Summer Arts Festival. They represent 15 art forms. The number of artists and the range of art forms make the festival a distinct cultural attraction during a stay in Brookings. If you would like to include art in your trip, you can consider this event alongside the gardens and family experiences.

The festival also features more than 40 gourmet and ethnic food stalls. Art and food are both part of the event. This means you can explore both the art forms on display and the food on offer at the Brookings Summer Arts Festival. A vacation rental in Brookings may be worth considering as accommodation for a trip where you want to give these cultural experiences as much consideration as gardens or activities for young children.

Choose Brookings as your destination if these experiences suit your interests, and tailor your vacation rental search to the trip you’re planning.

Back to the main travel overview: Brookings.