Always a blast! Great park rangers, clean park and cool history at every turn. Check out the Custer…read morehouse tour if you like old timey history things you will get a kick out of the live tour!

This place is gorgeous! Getting in and around is super easy, staff is friendly, and you can't beat…read morethe views. (photos by www.locaruthers.com)

Nice state park. We took the guided tour. Lots of history there! I love places where you get to…read morelearn more about our wonderful country!

Wow! I learned so much here. It is super educational and free, so I'd suggest everyone go here! 1)…read moreDid you know this is the oldest North Dakota village site?! 2) This place is was occupied by late plains woodland people around 1200 A.D.; (which is absolutely way older than any other Indigenous Village site in the State); 3) Another unique thing about this site is that it was established by the water source, Apple Creek and not a huge water source, like the Missouri River (most Indigenous villages were along the Missouri River); 4) Menoken Village was a small community with about 30 oval-shaped earth-covered homes! This place is open all year round, however I'd suggest going in the non-snow covered months. While walking around, be careful of all the prairie cactus (see pictures), it is everywhere at this location and blends right in with the grass! There's lots of interpretive signs throughout the site and it is safe to walk around. This is a wonderfully kept up North Dakota Historic Site, kind of off the beaten path, but it was by far one of my favorites of the historic sites thus far! P.S. There's no bathroom around, so go before you come here.

The North Dakota Capitol was a bit more minimalistic than most. Not much to see, but a good…read morereminder that every state has its own style.

Interestingly enough, my boyfriend and I swung by to see the state capitol. Honestly though, I was…read moremore impressed about how they kept their grass to be so green and vibrant. Cool site to check out for max 3 hours.

Camp Hancock is located in downtown Bismarck right by the train tracks. It is a very cute,…read morewell-kept area with some pretty interesting history. Overall, it is very centered around the Episcopal Church that still sits there. This is not the most exciting historic site in the area, however it is still a good place to check out. The inside of the main building is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

**June 2025: Weekday Late Morning Visit**…read more My friend and I were visiting the The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum and saw this exhibit behind the building. It's called "The French Gratitude Train" or also known as the Merci Train - which was a gift from the people of France following World War II. This boxcar was originally filled with gifts and symbolic objects donated by regular French citizens and is a permanent exhibit commemorating the French/American friendship. As a visitor, I thought seeing and reading about this was really inspiring and l gave me hope in the goodwill between nations. It's open to the public so if you're visiting the Museum come check this out.

This is a wonderful place to visit some history! It is totally free to view everything; donations…read moreare welcome! The mansion was constructed in 1884 and was not originally built for the governors of North Dakota, but rather as a private resident. The mansion was the North Dakota governors' residence from 1893 to 1960, which is pretty sweet! They are very open to photography, so snap away! The mansion gets decorated for different seasons and holidays, which I can't wait to come back for the holiday season! Lastly, there is a lot for children to do here, they have historic games that you can do with your children on the lawn and a scavenger hunt! It is 100% a self-guided tour, however a site supervisor is always around and is happy to answer questions! I asked her about any paranormal activity that the mansion has had and she did have a few stories for me; pretty cool, a haunting presence somewhere in the heart of Bismarck, North Dakota! I was treated so well and the site supervisor was super welcoming! There is two floors, both open to the public (every bedroom and room is open). The upstairs is not handicap accessible, because you have to climb stairs. Additionally, there is a "Carriage House" which is basically the garage that has been converted into a museum full of historical artifacts! You could spend approximately 1-2 hours here and get the feel of the whole place. The North Dakota State Historical Society clearly did a lot of research and beautiful restoration to this place. I will no doubt be back and I am so thankful that I stopped on by on a beautiful August day! I hope you enjoy the pictures I captured!

In the area that I come from, the sandhill crane is quite important, so I wanted to make a little…read moredetour to be sure to stop and see the world's largest sandhill crane. The crane is located in a field that is kind of next to an empty gravel lot. We spent less than 5 minutes here and the sculpture is fine and there is some information about it, including a selfie spot. We had our dog with us however and there is a lot of unkept long grass in the area and we found some ticks on our dog after stopping here, so be careful.

Sandy the crane is the largest indeed. Not quite as polished as the other larger than life statues…read morethat I have seen. Still cool though. On to the next one!

It's a good place to stop because your not going to see anything for a long time I stop at every…read morereststop just to stretch my legs and use the restroom there easy on and off. The restrooms were clean and enough space to stretch your legs

90 miles. This is roughly the distance between this rest…read morearea and the closest interchange with services to the east. So, let's say you're heading west from Fargo. Some time after passing Jamestown, it becomes clear that you need to unload some of the baggage you're carrying, so to speak. Well... Too bad. 100 miles between Jamestown and Bismarck, and this is the first off-ramp you'll find with public facilities (with the possible exception of perhaps one truck stop a couple of miles away)... and it's five minutes from Bismarck. Hey, DOT... Fantastic job there. Was wondering if you could provide some data regarding the number of urine-filled bottles found by road crews beside I-94 each year. Thanks!

As an Indigenous person to this area, I have to give this place 5 stars! First, Jeff the State…read moreRanger, was amazing! He was so culturally appropriate, correct, and sensitive (when need be) so HUGE kudos goes to him making this tour excellent! Second, Fort Mandan is super child friendly; they have a loads of interactive/hands on items to learn from. Third, Fort Mandan have super clean, nice smelling restrooms. Fourth, Fort Mandan has a quaint gift shop with some nice/educational items. Lastly, the replica Fort Mandan is amazing, so historically accurate and beautifully built. I am so impressed with the State of North Dakota for investing in something so educational and Native friendly as this! This place, no doubt, as my Indigenous blessing. You will learn so much about Lewis and Clark as well as the rest of the members of the expedition. I was particularly impressed with the representation of Sakakawea as not a guide, but as an interpreter (and as Native people see her, truly as an ambassador and helper). This place is not open year round, only from like March to October so make sure you make time to see this site!

Great replica of Louis and Clark's winter quarters. There was also a smaller interpretative center…read morebefore you got to the fort which was interesting and had a whole special section for kids. If you are a fan of history in general or Lewis and Clark in particular, this fort will be of special interest to you.

This is a spectacular archaeological site! The Double Ditch Mandan Village is very close to…read moreBismarck (7 miles) and sits high on a terrace overlooking the mighty Missouri River! It is roughly 22 acres, so there is a lot of walking to be done; lots of "interpretive signs" to read about the Mandan people (about 2,000 people once lived here). This site was occupied continuously for nearly 300 years, that is until smallpox was introduced to the Mandan. It is called double-ditch, because of the many ditches (specifically two large ones) that surround the inside and outside of where the earth lodges were located. Amazing to walk on the grounds of so much history! This site is open to the public all year round. Please don't bring your dogs, this is just common respect, I'm Indigenous (Lakota), trust me. This site is considered sacred and memorable to Indigenous people, specifically the Mandan. Lastly, there is a kayak launch area and bike path! This is a great place to bring your children or schools to learn more about the Mandan.