Watertown: Art, Trails, and City History

Watertown (Watertown) combines art and city history with trails for walking, running, and cycling. It also offers seasonal activities at Lake Kampeska and ice rinks that operate year-round. When planning your trip, it’s worth keeping the different highlights and time frames in mind.

Art and History in Watertown

The Redlin Art Center features more than 160 original oil paintings by Terry Redlin. Admission is free. The building is surrounded by a 30-acre Conservation Park—a distinctive connection to the landscape for a place whose collection focuses on art.

The Codington County Heritage Museum also explores the area’s history. It is housed in the former historic Carnegie Library building in Downtown Watertown and features historical exhibits. The museum also offers events and activities. Those interested in Codington County’s history can find maps, documents, city directories, and photographs in the archive collection. These materials offer a different focus from the art collection at the Redlin Art Center: here, the emphasis is on the county’s history and its written and visual records.

Historic Downtown Watertown includes more than 60 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another stop for art enthusiasts, with a clearly specified time frame, is the Watertown Artwalk: its 2024 edition featured a total of 16 sculptures downtown and at other locations in Watertown.

Trails and Activities at Lake Kampeska

Watertown’s trail network includes more than 28 miles of paved and natural-surface trails. It connects neighborhoods, parks, schools, Lake Kampeska, and key recreation areas. The trails offer opportunities for walking, running, and cycling. A scenic paved trail also serves cyclists and pedestrians: it passes through many parts of Watertown and along Lake Kampeska. The local trail offerings therefore include both different trail surfaces and a specifically described paved route by the lake.

For water activities, consider the nearby Sandy Shore Recreation Area. At Lake Kampeska, it offers access to kayaking, tubing, water skiing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. Seasonal conditions and facility operations may vary. If you’re planning these activities, check the current status before your visit.

Zoo and Ice Skating: Different Time Frames

At Bramble Park Zoo, keeper talks and training demonstrations take place on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Special tours for groups are available by advance booking. All zoo facilities are accessible. The weekend schedule for the demonstrations and talks is one specific difference from a visit that isn’t planned around this seasonal program.

Prairie Lakes Ice Arena, by contrast, is a refrigerated facility with two ice surfaces that operates year-round. It is managed by the City of Watertown’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. Together, the zoo and arena offer two different ways to plan a visit: a weekend program within a set season or a year-round ice sports facility. If you’re planning a zoo program or group visit, check the relevant details.

Plan Your Stay to Suit Your Interests

Local attractions appeal to a range of interests: art and county history, trails through Watertown and by Lake Kampeska, water activities, and ice skating. Some details apply to specific time frames, such as the zoo’s seasonal program; the Artwalk is specifically identified here as a 2024 event. If you’re looking for a hotel in Watertown, you can use these highlights as a starting point for planning your trip and comparing options for your stay.

For an overview of travel throughout the state: South Dakota.