The drive to Aberdeen, SD is beautiful. It took us about 5 hours (including 2 stops) from Central Minnesota to get there. We packed the car with lots of activities to keep the kids busy. Including movies, barbies, pens, papers, activity books, car bingo and pipe cleaners.
We arrived at Wylie Park in the afternoon and our first stop was Storybook Land. As we enter Storybook Land the magic comes to life as we walked around the visitor center and we are greeted with the familiar nursery rhymes, including a pumpkin from Peter Peter Pumpkin eater. We were greeted by other characters including, Jack and Jill, Pinocchio, Humpty Dumpty and The Three Little Pigs. My girls enjoyed reciting each nursery rhyme or story as we played at each area. In the center of the park is a huge castle surrounded by a moat, with many princesses depending on which door you go in including Snow White and Rapunzel.
The Land of Oz
We continued on and found Dorothy's house went through the tornado and landed in Oz. We stopped by Munchkin Land before following the yellow brick road. We saw the Scarecrow, Tin Man and even the Lion.
We enjoyed the rides including the hot air balloon, carousel ride, and Humpty Dumpty Roller Coaster. They also added teacups and a small train this year. Which we bought tickets to ride. We then continued to the beginning of the park and went on the train. On the train, we saw the whole park including their wildlife exhibit which included yaks, geese, and buffalo.
Inside of Storybook Land Visitor Center is a concession stand, gift shop, restrooms and informational center. There is another concession stand with bathrooms available near the carousel. Also, there are several playgrounds throughout Storybook Land. Storybook Land has free admission.
We were lucky enough to see the Storybook Land Theatre Company. They have 3 weekly performances. The day we were there they sang some songs and local kids did a skit. We also got to do a craft in the park one day we were there as well.
Wylie Park Campground is beautiful. The staff is very friendly and helpful with questions and knowledge of the area. Our large cabin had a cool loft which my youngest called her room, and two bedrooms, one with a bunk bed and the other had a queen sized bed. It also included a kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, and a stovetop burner. We also had our own bathroom with a shower. Outside was a large deck and an area to have a fire. We got to have a campfire outside where we roasted marshmallows and had s’mores.
Modern Campground includes laundry facilities and free Wi-fi.
More info about Wylie Campground:
Wylie Park South Campground Map
- 82 RV sites, 44 full hookup sites including 1 handicap site, 38 water/electricity sites
- 5 Tent sites, water/electricity sites, 8 tent sites, no hookups
- 7 Small Sleeping cabins, sleeps 4 with heat/AC
- 4 Medium Sleeping cabins, sleeps 5-6 with heat/AC (west side of campground)
- 1 Deluxe cabin, sleeps 12, 3 bedroom with kitchen and 2 restroom facilities
Wylie Park North Campground Map(new expansion area)
- 23 Full Hookup RV sites including 1 handicap site
- 4 Large cabins, sleeps 6, 1 bedroom with kitchen and restroom facilities
- 1 Platform Tent, no hookups
- 14 Tent sites, no hookup
Bumper boats/Go Karts
Bumper boats was a blast. Unfortunately, my kids were all too little for the go-karts, but they loved the Euro Bungee.
Beach Area
We walked over to the beach. It was too cold that day to swim and everything was still closed. They do have paddle boats and canoe rentals. They also have a snack stand with mini donuts. Close by is a place to rent bikes. There are awesome biking/walking trails throughout the park.
Playgrounds
There are multiple playgrounds throughout Wylie Park.
Last year we discovered Dacotah Prairie Museum by accident and this year it was on our list as a must see. They have great interactive exhibits. The kids climbed on a covered wagon, played in a prairie house, planted a garden and even washed clothes. We found the history of area football teams. They had an interactive area to do football drills and a microphone to call the game.
Downstairs we met #bustersuperstar (Buffalo) and took a photo. We also showed the kids what an old phone and an old computer (typewriter) looked like. Of course, they looked at Grandma and I like we were crazy. They had an exhibit of many wild animals from North America, Africa and India that were mounted, it looked amazing. They also had a gift shop.
Aberdeen Aquatic Center
The Aquatic Center was awesome. The waterpark includes waterslides, raft slide, body flume slide, a leisure pool with zero depth entry and multi-level play structure waterslides, interactive features that dump, spill and squirt water. There is a lazy river and a large lap pool which includes one and three-meter diving board, drop slide, a variety of floatable play features.
I would recommend visiting Aberdeen with families of all ages. In Aberdeen, all the facilities are clean and well maintained. The city has a small town feel and I felt very safe the time I was there. There are many choices of places to eat.
*All Views expressed are my own. I received compensation for my review.
