The Hidden Gem Capital!
Smallest Capital with Big Secrets
It's Pronounced "PEER"!
Here's a fun fact: Pierre is pronounced "PEER" - not like a French name! With only about 14,000 people, Pierre is the SECOND SMALLEST state capital in the entire United States! Only Montpelier, Vermont is smaller. But don't let its size fool you - this tiny capital has some AMAZING secrets!
🎯 Pierre's Small Town Charm!
14,000
People in town!
2nd Smallest
State capital!
Dead Center
Of South Dakota!
The $15 Capitol Building!
Get this - South Dakota's beautiful Capitol building was built using blueprints they bought from Montana for just $15! Yep, they copied Montana's homework for fifteen bucks! The stunning Colonial Revival building looks almost exactly like Montana's capitol because they used the same plans. Talk about a budget-friendly government building!
🏛️ Capitol Building Secrets!
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🔄
The Upside-Down Pillar!
One pillar in the rotunda was installed UPSIDE DOWN by mistake - and it's still there! It's the third pillar from the top on the right side. Can you find it when you visit?
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💎
The Missing Blue Stones!
66 Italian artists laid the beautiful floor, and each was given a blue stone to hide in the design. But only 55 have been found - where are the other 11?!
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💰
$15 Blueprints!
South Dakota bought Montana's capitol building plans for just fifteen dollars - the best deal in government history!
The Missouri River Connection!
Pierre sits right on the banks of the mighty Missouri River, which is over 2,300 miles long! Just a few miles away is Lake Oahe, one of the LARGEST man-made lakes in the world! It's a fishing paradise where people catch walleye, northern pike, and catfish. The lake is so big it stretches for 231 miles - that's like driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco!
The Capital Without a Highway!
Here's something unique - Pierre is one of only FOUR state capitals in America that isn't connected to the Interstate Highway System! To get there, you have to use regular highways. This makes Pierre feel like a hidden treasure - a capital city that's off the beaten path, right in the center of South Dakota!
🎪 Pierre's Amazing History!
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🦬
Ancient Capital!
Before 1800, the Arikara Indians had THEIR capital in the Pierre area. The land has been important for hundreds of years!
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🎯
Founded in 1880!
The city was named after Pierre Chouteau Jr., a French fur trader who did business in the area.
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Instant Capital!
When South Dakota became a state in 1889, Pierre was chosen as the capital because it's in the CENTER of the state!
Lake Oahe Adventure!
Lake Oahe is a fishing paradise! This massive reservoir was created by damming the Missouri River, and it's become one of the best fishing spots in the Midwest. People come from all over to catch trophy walleye, chinook salmon, and northern pike. The lake is so long that if you drove alongside it, you'd travel 231 miles - that's like driving from Washington DC to New York City!
⭐ Cool Pierre Facts!
- ✨ One of the smallest state capitals in America
- 🏛️ Capitol building designed from $15 Montana blueprints
- 🔄 Has an upside-down pillar in the rotunda
- 💎 Missing 11 blue stones hidden in the floor
- 🛣️ No Interstate Highway connection
- 🎣 Near one of the world's largest man-made lakes
- 📍 Located in the geographic center of South Dakota
- 🦬 Built on ancient Arikara Indian capital grounds
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