Cindy Kaelberer - Aflac

Learn about how the development of the American railroad system affected the history and progress of Bismarck and its surrounding areas when you experience the North Dakota State Railroad Museum. See various exhibits and attractions that tell the dramatic story of how this then-new method of transportation transformed the way people lived, communicated and did business. The story is vividly accentuated by an impressive collection of artifacts, machinery, pictures, and documents.

One of Bismarck's most distinctive attractions is the North Dakota State Capitol Building. Known by the locals as the “Skyscraper on the Prairie,” the facility is well worth visiting for its fascinating historical significance. This Art-Deco style building was completed in 1933 and stands at an impressive 19 stories. The state's past, present and future all reside within the walls of this structure that also features an arboretum garden that includes a bronze Sakakawea and a rendering of a pioneer family.

If you think that the concept of the cowboy was invented by John Wayne-types, Bismarck's North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame will challenge everything you think you know about cattle rustlers from the past. This attraction is an interpretive center for the history of Native Americans, and you will see the dramatic link between their culture to various “western” traditions like the rodeo, ranching, and the rustic “cowboy” lifestyle that owes much to the tribes that first inhabited the land.