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.

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.

This place looks pretty unprepossessing as it is an old storefront. We ventured in mostly because…read morewe just had a nice meal at Cafe 77 and this was right across the street. Plus it was FREE (donations of course accepted). There is a lot of stuff inside! From large rocks full of marine fossils to original Sears catalogs from 1908 & circa, there was quite a lot of stuff in here from all different time periods. This is not the fanciest museum in the world but we enjoyed it a lot, it was a very pleasant surprise. You could duck in quickly, or be here for a few hours.

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.

This is a stop in the Passport book of National Parks. You learn how the Native Americans lived on…read morethe river through the eyes of a woman of the village. Cool earth lodge. Nice. But don't go out of your way to stop

Glad this site is preserved. Story worth telling. Well informed, energetic rangers. Good Junior…read moreRanger program. Decent visitor center. Not a ton to see but could kill an hour. Wouldn't go out of my way to visit but worth a stop if in area.

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.

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)

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!