Vermillion, South Dakota travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Vermillion is a city in South Dakota with about 11,500 people in 2023, known for being the home of University of South Dakota.

2 sights · 1 things to do · 3 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 2 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Vermillion

National Music Museum

Spirit Mound Historic Prairie

Spirit Mound Historic Prairie is a state park featuring a prominent hill on the Great Plains. The Plains Indians of the region considered Spirit Mound the home of dangerous spirits or little people; members of the Lewis …

The Bluffs Golf Course

The Bluffs Golf Course is an 18-hole championship golf course.

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 10°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Sioux City)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
SUX Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field, Sioux City — 40 mi away. Directions
FSD Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Sioux Falls — 56 mi away. Directions
OMA Eppley Airfield, Omaha — 116 mi away (major hub). Directions

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 1-day itinerary

Day 1

Morning National Music Museum, The Bluffs Golf Course
Lunch Dakota Brick House
Afternoon Spirit Mound Historic Prairie
Dinner Silk Road
Evening Carey’s Bar

Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.

Food for you

Cuisine (tap to filter)

What to ask about, for your diet

Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder

Photos

Map

Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.

Understand

Vermillion was founded in 1859. The name refers to the Lakota name: wa sa wak pa'la (red stream). Vermillion has a mixed academic and rural character: the university is a major academic institution for the state, with its only law and medical schools and its only AACSB-accredited business school. Major farm products include corn, soybeans, and alfalfa.

History

Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth of the Vermillion River near the present-day town on August 24, 1804. The previous day, they had killed their first bison; the following day, they climbed Spirit Mound. In May 1843, John James Audubon visited the Vermillion ravine to view the bird life.

The original town was entirely below the bluffs on the banks of the Missouri River, and three-quarters of it washed away in the Great Flood of 1881.

William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft—candidates for the U.S. Presidency in the 1908 election—spoke in Vermillion on September 28 and 29, 1908, respectively. Along with Eugene Chafin, they toured South Dakota by train, including stops in Mitchell, Tripp, Yankton, and Elk Point.

Get in

By plane

Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) is the main gateway to South Dakota. From there travel by car or bus to Vermillion.

By car

From Sioux Falls, Vermillion is approximately 60 miles south or an hour drive.
From Omaha, Vermillion is approximately 130 miles north or a two hour drive.

By bus

Greyhound has a stop on the edge of the University of South Dakota campus.

See

See National Music Museum (NMM)

The NMM's renowned collections, which include more than 15,000 American, European, and non-Western instruments from all cultures and historical periods, are among the world's most inclusive. They include many of the earliest, best preserved, and historically most important instruments known to survive. The quality and scope of the NMM has earned it international recognition.

📍 414 E Clark St, The University of South Dakotaat the corner of Clark and Yale Streets, on the south edge of the University of South Dakota campus💲 $10☎ +1 605 677-5306⚠ Last checked Sep 2018 — confirm before you go

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