FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tues., Dec. 2, 2025
CONTACT: Katlyn Svendsen, Global Public Relations & Content Services Senior Director, Travel South Dakota, (605) 773-3301

Travel South Dakota Proudly Recognizes Official 2025
Great Place and Great Face Designees

PIERRE, S.D. – Travel South Dakota is proud to recognize 38 businesses with a 2025 South Dakota Great Place designation and 65 individuals with a 2025 South Dakota Great Face designation. These tourism-focused businesses and individuals earned the designation for their outstanding hospitality and customer service.

“South Dakota continues to be a place where visitors are met with genuine warmth and hospitality,” said James Hagen, Secretary of the Department of Tourism. “But this doesn’t just happen. We are known for world-class hospitality because of the businesses and people that prioritize it and embody that welcoming spirit on a daily basis. I couldn’t be prouder to recognize each of them for their commitment to excellence.”

The South Dakota Great Place program puts a spotlight on businesses that exemplify great service by going above and beyond for guests and employees. The South Dakota Great Face program honors individuals in the tourism and hospitality industry who excel in customer service by providing top-tier service to guests. The goal of both programs is to strengthen the tourism industry in South Dakota and offer support to tourism industry members.

“Hospitality remains at the heart of what makes South Dakota so special,” continued Hagen. “Our Great Place and Great Face designees consistently go above and beyond to make every guest feel at home.”

To view the list of Great Place businesses recognized, please click here. For a list of Great Face individuals, click here.

Online application forms for 2026 South Dakota Great Place and 2026 South Dakota Great Face will open in February 2026. All are encouraged to participate. For more information about the Great Place program, click here. To learn more about the Great Face program, click here.

The department also offers an Online Hospitality Training program. The training is free, and all tourism industry businesses are encouraged to share the training with their staff. For more information about the department’s hospitality programs, please click here.

The South Dakota Department of Tourism is comprised of Travel South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. The department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen.

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Media Notes: The 2025 South Dakota Great Place and South Dakota Great Place designees listed by community and organization:
 

2025 GREAT PLACES

Aberdeen

Wylie Park/Storybook Land

Brookings

Brookings Arts Council

The Carrot Seed Kitchen Co.

Children's Museum of South Dakota

Dacotah Bank Center

Downtown Brookings

Kool Beans Coffee and Roasterie

The Lanes

McCrory Gardens at SDSU

The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center

South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum

South Dakota Art Museum

Visit Brookings

Wooden Legs Brewing Co.

Bruce

Oakwood Lakes State Park (SD GFP)

Chamberlain

Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse Memorial

Custer

Fort Welikit Campground

Hot Springs

The Mammoth Site

Keystone

Big Thunder Gold Mine

Rush Mountain Adventure Park

Sprockets Fun Foundry

Lake Preston

Lake Thompson Recreation Area (SD GFP)

Madison

Lake Herman State Park & Walker’s Point Recreation Area (SD GFP)

Mitchell

My Place Hotel/Mitchell Holdings LLC

Rapid City

Black Hills Adventure Tours

Black Hills Caverns

Black Hills Visitor Information Center

Hotel Alex Johnson

Sioux Falls

Experience Sioux Falls

Falls Park Visitor Information Center

McCrossan Boys Ranch

Watertown

My Place Hotels

Quality Inn and Suites

Venerts Hotel Management, Inc.

Yankton

Lewis & Clark Recreation Area

Visit Yankton

2025 GREAT FACES

Brookings – McCrory Gardens at SDSU

Varlika Ahirekar, Kathryn Bowar, Carson Hunsley, Catherine Jones, Lisa Marotz, Victoria Meier, Rose Nett, Sophie Pavelka, Lori Puetz, John Qui, Alyson Swanson, Sydney Trio, Laura Valentina Lopez Bustos

Brookings – Children's Museum of South Dakota  
Loren Bauder and Bob Ullom

Brookings – Visit Brookings

Bridgit Burghardt, Laura Schoen Carbonneau, Kate Solberg

Brookings – The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center at SDSU

Christina Castillo

Brookings – Wooden Legs Brewing Company
Jack Richards, Rachel Schmitz, Regan Yseth

Chamberlain – Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

Wanda Bunker and Linnea Wright

Crazy Horse Memorial

Rebekah Bone, Skyller Coughlin, Bill Daybrest, Jim DeHaven, Joe DeRouchey, Judith Evanoff, John Hanson, Robert Knudsen, Mike Reznik, Kevin Showers, Betty Sowder, Tom Wilson

Keystone – Rush Mountain Adventure Park

Megan Jones, MiBella Ochoa, Jeremiah Shepperd

Keystone – Sprockets Fun Foundry

Tyler Cooper, Spencer Hagen, Loki Joeckel

Mitchell - My Place Hotels

Brenda Nelson

Rapid City – Black Hills Adventure Tours

Mark Barker, Mike Faust, Lisa Ficek, Carrie Gerlach, Denny Gienger, Mickey Higgins, Al Maas, Jamie McSherry, Aura Plooster, Jacki Welbig-Stenson

Rapid City – Black Hills Caverns

Isaac Cristol

Rapid City – Black Hills Visitor Information Center

Kelly Braun, Twila Ferguson, Katie Hoeke, Skip Stanec, Ed Toms, Jessica Underwood

Sioux Falls – Experience Sioux Falls

Jessica Pappas and Kristi Desaulniers

Watertown – My Place Hotels

Mamie Blanas and Dennille Goette

Watertown – Quality Inn & Suites

Traci Hanchett