PIERRE, S.D. (KELO AM) – South Dakota’s 13 Interstate Information Centers open Saturday, May 17, to welcome and aid guests as they travel within the state.
At the centers, visitors can find literature and posters about businesses, attractions, accommodations and events throughout the state. Travel counselors are also available to answer travel questions and provide background about South Dakota.
Most of the centers are open seven days a week, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and all are located along Interstates 29 and 90 near Chamberlain, New Effington, Salem, Spearfish, Tilford, Valley Springs, Vermillion, Vivian, Wasta and Wilmot. Tilford eastbound and Tilford westbound are open Thursday-Monday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The South Dakota Department of Transportation maintains computer kiosks within some of the centers, as well as rest areas, with road and weather information that is accessible 24 hours-a-day, year-round.
A list of the centers and their hours, and a downloadable map of the information centers and rest areas can be found athttp://www.travelsd.com/Trip-Planner/Information-Centers. Available for purchase at the Information Centers is “South Dakota Stories,” a set of four audio CDs that covers driving routes, attractions and historic sites along several routes in South Dakota. The CDs can be purchased at any of the 13 Information Centers. The centers also offer picnic shelters and pet exercise areas.
The centers in Chamberlain, Vermillion and Valley Springs remain open through October to accommodate hunters and travelers during the fall season. The other centers close in mid- to late-September. More than 675,000 people stop at the Interstate Information Centers each year.
The Interstate Information Center travel counselors are managed by the South Dakota Department of Tourism. The Department of Tourism is comprised of Tourism, the South Dakota Arts Council and the South Dakota State Historical Society. The Department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen.
Courtesy Department of Tourism