Brookings Life

Welcome to Brookings, South Dakota!

We’re proud to say we’re residents of Brookings, S.D. In our city, you’ll find a small-town environment that also offers amenities often reserved for big-city dwellers. Brookings is filled with welcoming neighborhoods with beautiful tree-lined streets and inviting homes. Noticeably lacking from our city are the crowds and congestion that exist in larger towns. Our community offers beautiful parks; fine lodging and restaurants; and recreational, cultural and educational opportunities for people of all ages.

With its lush green river valleys, rich soil, and plentiful wildlife, it is no wonder that history dating back to 1500 B.C. reveals the artifacts of many different groups of people that lived prosperously in the Brookings area. The Big Sioux River winds its way southward through Brookings County; its water having been a great attraction to wandering peoples and settlers. Brookings’ many lakes, including the Oakwood Lakes and Lake Campbell, also served as attractive settlement areas in early times. Rich wildlife habitats, which sustained buffalo, deer, elk and others, supported the needs of many Native Americans and later settlers who found their way through the Brookings area.

Historic downtown Brookings has rich architectural and historic heritage and is lined with specialty stores full of necessities and luxuries, large and small. The area is listed on the National Register of Historic places and invites a leisurely browse.

Brookings is a community of over 18,500 people with a unique blend of small town allure. This area is known for its excellent hunting, fishing, and outdoor sporting activities. Brookings is the home of South Dakota State University (SDSU), beautiful McCrory Gardens, Agricultural Heritage Museum, South Dakota Art Museum, and Wellness Center. We also have a Community Cultural Center, Veteran’s Memorial, Swiftel Entertainment Center, and Larson’s Ice Center. The Brookings Summer Arts Festival has become one of the largest events in the city and draws people from most everywhere.

The Brookings School District, which includes three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school, is committed to educating students to graduate with skills in all areas needed for them to be productive citizens. To meet that goal, the district supports a partnership of school, family and community involvement. The school district has a strong reputation for student participation in extracurricular activities such as sports, the visual arts, theater and music.

Health care facilities include Avera Hospital and Clinic and Sanford Medial Clinic. The city offers a wide variety of restaurants, from fast food to American, Chinese and Italian. Recreational facilities include two golf courses, cross-country ski trails, walking and biking trails, six city parks, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and the new Hillcrest Aquatic Center.

Larger nearby cities of interest include Watertown, S.D., which is 50 miles north of Brookings and Sioux Falls, S.D., which is 58 miles south of Brookings.