North Dakota’s nickname is the “The Peace Garden State”. The word “Dakota” is a Sioux word meaning “friend”. Friendliness, peacefulness, and history are the focus of the majority of attractions in this state of over 600,000 residents.
One such attraction is the Lewis and Clark exploration trail. Lewis and Clark traveled through the state of North Dakota and in 1804 established their winter quarters at Fort Mandan which was located at the Knife River Indian Villages. It was in North Dakota that these two explorers met the very young and pregnant woman, Sakakawea, and her husband, Touissannt Charbonneau. Charbonneau and Sakakawea traveled with Lewis and Clark across the uncharted country of the United States and were invaluable to the group as guide and interpreter. The North Dakota trail of Lewis and Clark is mapped out from Fort Yates to Williston. All along the trail are museums, interpretive centers, gardens, and Indian village replicas which provide a realistic experience of this major event in the history of the United States.
Another very popular place to visit in North Dakota is the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which contains a portion of the North Dakota Badlands. The Badlands are beautiful gorges and buttes that are the result of millions of years of fires burning deep within the ground, and wind, rain, and erosion. The colors are spectacular and the landscape is ever-changing. Within the park there are scenic areas and lookouts. It is not unusual to have a herd of buffalo or mountain goats pass in front of your vehicle, see wild horses gallop in the distance, or watch prairie dogs playing along the side of the road. Also located in the park is Theodore Roosevelt’s hunting lodge, the Maltese Cross ranch cabin. The cabin is pretty much the same as it was when Roosevelt built it when he first visited Dakota Territory for hunting.
Within the Badlands is the quaint tourist town of Medora. Medora captures an old west flavor and serves as a historian for the region. Located in Medora is the Chateau De Mores State Historic Site which includes a 26 room house built in 1883 by the Marquis de Mores, Antoine de Vallombrosa who came to the region to build a cattle industry. Also located on the outskirts of Medora, is the Burning Hills Amphitheater where broad-way type musicals are held every summer. Included within the village are many museums, plays, stores, and a western-era hotel. Medora is also the site of the Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering every May.
Another interesting place to visit in North Dakota is the International Peace Garden. It is located in the Turtle Mountains and borders Canada. The Peace Gardens have been in existence for 73 years and serve as a tribute to the peace and friendship between the United States and Canada. Every summer the 2,339 acre park has over 150,000 flowers in its Formal Garden. There are also several water ponds and fountains interspersed amongst the flowers and trees. Two girders, rescued from the New York City’s World Trade Center, are woven into the landscape as a memorial to peace. There is also a Carillon Bell Tower with 14 chimes which ring every 15 minutes as well as a Peace Chapel and Peace Towers which stand 120 feet tall and which symbolize peace amongst the people from the four corners of the world. Picnic sites and campgrounds are available in the park, along with an interpretive center. Throughout the summer, various programs and performances are held in the park.
Other places of interest in the state include Dickinson, the home of the Dakota Dinosaur Museum. The museum contains 11 full- scale dinosaurs and other archeological finds from the state. Also in Dickinson is the Joachim Regional Museum which contains artifacts and exhibits of the state’s early heritage. Other local places of interest include the Pioneer Machinery Museum, and a Ukranian Cultural Institute.
Bismarck, North Dakota, is the location of the state’s capitol. In Bismarck you can find the North Dakota Heritage Center which is the state’s largest museum. It includes many artifacts of the Plains Indians as well as military and agricultural exhibitions. Also in Bismarck is a respectable-sized zoo, the UTTC Cultural Arts Interpretive Center which displays American Indian artwork and sells craft supplies, and of course, the State Capitol which is a 19 story, Art Deco building which was constructed in 1933 and has tours available.
Mandan is a city immediately next to Bismarck. It is the home of the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park which was the last place that General George Custer resided before his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. His home has been reconstructed on the site at Fort Lincoln, as have many of the fort’s buildings. Not far from Fort Lincoln is the four hundred year old On-A-Slant Mandan Indian Village. It contains four earth lodges of the Mandan Indians. The Mandans were hunters and gardeners and they lived in permanent communities on this site.
Fargo, North Dakota is the largest city in the state and is located on the eastern edge. It has two other cities on either side of it, Moorhead, Minnesota, and West Fargo, North Dakota. There are many tourist attractions available in Fargo. It has a professional minor league baseball team called the Red Hawks. The Fargo Air Museum is located there, which has 20 civilian and military aircraft and artifacts. Fargo is the home of the baseball great, Roger Maris, and has a museum which contains memorabilia from the life and times of this legendary athlete. Also in Fargo is the Plains Art Museum which contains fine art, both contemporary and historical. The Red River Zoo is located in this city, and so is a children’s museum called Yunker Farm which is a restored farmstead with hands-on exhibits and children’s programs. And in the sister city of Moorhead, the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center is located, which includes a Viking Ship and a Scandinavian Stave Church. Neighboring West Fargo has a fairgrounds and a pioneer village called Bonanzaville, USA, which contains 40 pioneer-era buildings.
Grand Forks, North Dakota, is 72 miles north of Fargo and is the third largest city in the state. It is the home of the Grand Forks Air Force Base. It has the Dakota Science Center, the Hughes Fine Arts Center which exhibits art by students and visiting artists. Grand Forks is also the home of the John D. Odegard School for Aerospace Sciences and the North Dakota Museum of Art.
Another city with interesting visitor sites is Jamestown. It is the home of the author Louis L’Amour and has a walking trail of the places L’Amour walked as a child. It has the National Buffalo Museum and a live Buffalo herd, as well as the world’s largest buffalo. The city has a frontier village near the site of the buffalo. It is also the location of the Fort Seward Military Post which was established to protect railroad workers in the late 1800’s. There is also an authentic week-long wagon train trek across North Dakota which originates from Jamestown.
Many small towns across the state have unique museums and specialties for visitors. For example, there is a farmer museum in LaMoure. The Icelandic State Park and museum is located at Cavalier. There is a winery in Casselton. A guided tour of fossil sites and paleontological activities is available in Bowman. Cando has the Pioneer Museum. Granville has a buffalo ranch which gives tours. There are casinos in several places, such as Belcourt, Hankinson, New Town, and Devil’s Lake. Carrington has the Camp Kimball State Historic Site and Hawks Nest Ridge which is a watchable wildlife area. In the Elgin area there is the Medicine Rock State Historic Site where ancient sacred Native American gatherings and dances took place. Valley City has an area that is called by the locals “Little Yellowstone” and several antique and specialty stores. Fort Yates has the Sitting Bull Burial State Historic Site. Minot has the Lillian and Coleman Taube Museum of Art, Dakota Territory Air Museum, the Minot Air Force Base, a Railroad Museum, a Park, and the Scandinavian Heritage Center and Park. New Salem has the world’s largest Holstein cow which is 38 feet high and 50 feet long and is visible for five miles.
Other small town areas of interest include the Enchanted Highway located near Regent. It has metal sculptures placed along the highway of such subjects as “Grasshoppers in the Field” and “Geese in Flight”. Rugby, North Dakota is the Geographical Center of North America and has a museum on that site. Strasburg is the birthplace of Lawrence Welk and there is a museum which includes his boyhood home. Tappen has the Big Mound Battlefield State Historic Site where the first major battle fought in Dakota Territory. Wahpeton has a bonanza farm. Washburn has the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Williston has the Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site.
Generally speaking, almost every town has a heritage museum of some type and a golf course or two. The state’s website of http://www.ndtourism.com is a great place to check for places to visit and the times and locations of places available for tourists. The state is known for its breathtaking vistas and sunsets, as well as its friendliness and safety. Nearly everywhere you visit will have an agricultural or historical significance. And if you find yourself in an area that doesn’t have an advertised tourist attraction, just ask the locals and you will probably find an interesting place to visit that won’t show up on any commercial map.
