2 September 2008 One Comment Print This Article  Email This Article

The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science is located in Downtown Sioux Falls and each year it seems to get better and better.  The Washington Pavilion is actually a renovation of the old Washington High School in Sioux Falls.  You can actually still see evidence that it once was a high school on the front of the building and also within the building they have kept in tact a couple class rooms.

After Washington High School was shut down and replaced by a new school, it took some years to get the idea to create a Science and Arts Center in Sioux Falls.  After about 5 years of laying dormant and over going huge renovations, in 1999 the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science made its debut in Sioux Falls. (these figures may be incorrect, unable to find exact data)  I spoke to a former teacher from the original Washington High School and he said that the renovation was so thorough, he could hardly recognize where rooms and halls used to be, yet alone navigate the building.

There is always something going on at the Washington Pavilion and everything seems to change from time to time, which always makes it an interesting place to revisit.  There are 4 main centers to the Washington Pavilion.  They are:

• The Performing Arts Center
• The Visual Arts Center
• The Kirby Science Discovery Center
• The CineDome Theatre

The Performing Arts Center

The Performing Arts Center seems to be the largest attraction within the Washington Pavilion.  There are two main theatres; The Belbas Theatre and The Great Hall.  The Belbas Theatre seats up to 291 people and is host to smaller events.  The Great Hall can seat up to 1,800 people and is host to the South Dakota Symphony and many other large production acts.

There are 8 plays scheduled to perform in The Great Hall for the 2008-2009 season, they are calling this The Husby Series.  Husby Series Home Page

The Husby Series Schedule of Events:

“I spoke to a former teacher from the original Washington High School and he said that the renovation was so thorough, he could hardly recognize where rooms and halls used to be, yet alone navigate the building.”

The Visual Arts Center

The Visual Arts Center in The Washington Pavilion is made up of 6 rotating art collections.  The featured art comes from many local, regional, and national sources.  There are also over 300 pieces that belong to their permanent art collection.

The Visual Arts Center also sponsors events such as The Sidewalk Arts Festival, Arts Night, and Pavilion Holiday.

The Visual Arts Center is also free admission.  They do accept cash donations at the door.

The Visual Arts Center Hours

Easter through Labor Day Summer Hours

Monday through Thursday – 10am to 5pm

Friday – 10am to 8pm

Saturday – 10am to 5pm

Sunday – Noon to 5pm

Labor Day to Easter Winter Hours

Closed Monday and Tuesday

Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Wednesday and Thursday – 10am to 5pm

Friday – 10am to 8pm

Saturday – 10am to 5pm

Sunday – Noon to 5pm

The Kirby Science Discovery Center

The Kirby Science Discovery Center located within the Washington Pavilion is a really cool place to check out.  There are many different exhibits, interactive science demonstrations, and really cool stuff to check out and learn about.  Many of the exhibits change often to represent different themes that the Center may have at the time.

The Kirby Science Discovery Center also hosts what they call First Friday.  The first Friday of every month you can get admission into the Kirby Science Discovery Center and admission to a CineDome move for only $5.

General Admission Fees (tax included)

The CineDome Theatre

The Cinedome Theatre is really a gem of Sioux Falls.  It is a domed theatre that makes you feel like you are apart of the action.  I have heard of people throwing up during one of these shows, however I haven’t seen it happen.

The screen is 60ft wide and concave.  The speaker system is 24 speakers on 6 channels powered with 10,000 watts.  The higher you sit in the theatre the better.

Every few months they change the movies, and they show 2 movies at a time.  During hours of operation, one movie will show on odd hours, and the other will show on even hours.

The CineDome Hours of Operation:

Closed Monday and Tuesday During Winter Season

Wednesday and Thursday – 11am to 4pm

Friday and Saturday – 11am to 8pm

Sunday – 1pm to 4pm

General Admission Fees (tax included)

Washington Pavilion Resources

The Husby Series

The Visual Arts Center

The Kirby Science Discovery Center

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