Day 24 – Pierre, South Dakota
117 miles
Fun Facts about Pierre:
Pierre is South Dakota’s state capital. This is the third capital city on Dan’s adventure.
First, Dan left from Ohio’s capital, Columbus, (transporting his bike by plane). Then, on
days eight and nine, Dan was in Boise, the capital of Idaho and now Pierre.
Pierre is the second least populous state capital and Columbus is the third most
populous state capital. The City of Columbus has 733,203 people and Pierre has
13,876. Boise is in the middle with 190,000 people.
Pierre became the capital of South Dakota in 1889. Columbus became the capital of
Ohio in 1816. Which city became the capital first?
The South Dakota Capitol building is located near the Missouri River in downtown Pierre.
Children’s Activities:
Help your child understand about populations or the number of people living in a
particular area. How many people live in your house? Talk about your block. How many
houses are on your street? How many people do you think live on your block?
Take a walk in your neighborhood. Count the number of people that you see outside.
This is the population outside. It will change every day. You can talk about the
population on the playground, in the classroom, etc.
Talk to your child about where the Ohio Capitol building is located. It is downtown near
the Scioto River. Point out the building on a city map.
Take your child on a visit to the Capitol building. It is a beautiful building to look at both
inside and outside. Look at it from the outside. If you visit during the week, take your
child inside. Remind your children that this is the place where laws are made and
upheld.