From Sioux Falls we drove north, only about an hour driving time, to Brookings. It was very cold in the morning and we had to de-ice the car windows, but fortunately the sun was out and all looked brighter. Brookings (22,000) is pretty old, founded in 1879 when settlers came and the railroad reached town, incorporated as a city in 1881, which was the same year, the university was founded. The university campus is the most obvious part of town marked by a tall campanile. South Dakota State University is the state’s largest university with a special focus on agriculture and engineering. It hosts about 13,000 students (the South Dakota University in Vermillion counted about 11,000).
Our first stop was the South Dakota Art Museum on the campus with rotating art from its permanent collections including Harvey Dunn paintings (a famous SD artist) and Paul Goble illustrations in the style of Indian ledgers. Very instructive was the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, dedicated to preserving the history of agriculture and the rural way of life in South Dakota. Heavy machinery, engines, a replica 1915 farmhouse and an 1882 homestead shack are shown there. Also, it tells about the agricultural roots of the university and about famous teachers and scientists and their inventions. Funny thing in the museum shop was that they not only sold souvenirs, books and such, but also, had a freezer with meat and sausages.
McCrory Gardens is a botanical garden & arboretum operated and maintained by South Dakota State University. It consists of formal display gardens and an arboretum, with plants that are adapted to South Dakota's harsh climate. It goes back to plant material used for research and teaching at SDSU. Professor McCrory had envisioned a research garden that would display trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers that were or could be a part of South Dakota's landscape.
Most spectacular sight was the "frozen fountain" and the waterfall where the stones shone silvery with its ice-layer.
Besides the university campus the Brookings Commercial Historic District is the other main attraction. It has 59 old buildings, mostly from the early 20th century, in different styles, mos, tly rowed up along Main Avenue. We went to explore after having had excellent coffee and warmed up in Kool Beans Coffee (a coffee roastery & café), checked out a crazy Antiques Store and admired the old buildings, like City Hall (1912), the First National Bank, 1919, the Masonic Temple (1894), the old Chicago & North Western Railway Depot (1905), New Century Block and other commercial buildings. Almost temple-like and massive was the old U.S. Post Office, whereas Nick’s hamburger shop - dating 1929 - is not only an interesting Spanish-style building, but also an icon. Gladys and Harold Niklason founded the burger Joint on Main Ave and buns are still baked on property and served to people sitting at a round counter. Grain elevators (pic) are very common in the Midwest and this one was on the end of Main Ave.
At Wooden Legs Brewery we not only got a tour & tasting and had their delicious cracker crust pizza, in a quite unusual version: with Macaroni & Cheese (pic). Their Wooden Legs Eye of Rye (IPA) was our fav. We talked to Seth Koch co-owner and head brewer and got to know that WLBC began with a few guys who shared a passion and founded the brewery in 2010 to create an gathering place for craft beer enthusiasts.
To complete the beer research in town - right, it's research for future articles! – we stopped by at Eponymous Brewing Company afterwards, another, even smaller brewery (a 2-barrel nanobrewery) . It opened its doors only in 2018 in a modern loft building on Main. Kyle McElhany and Sean Weber use local ingredients – grains, fruits, hops, wild yeast/bacteria, and barrels from regional wineries and produce high-quality beers. Their CitrAnyM American IPA was one of the citrusy, hoppy brews we both love.
Colorful fall/halloween decoration in the McCrory Gardens:
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