Joe's Home Improvement

Hark back to a time when steamboats ruled the country's waterways as the chief means of transportation. Those mighty vessels had to be constructed, and it was no easy task! Learn about the fascinating and sometimes complicated story of how steamboats were built when you take a tour of the Steamboat Warehouse. This State Historical Marker is located on the east bank of the Missouri River in Bismarck across the road from the water treatment plant and it stands to commemorate the Northern Pacific Railroad warehouse where the steamboats were originally constructed.

Great performances don't just happen. Lots of intense practice, planning, rehearsal, and effort have to be put forth in order to ensure that the absolute best entertainment makes it to the stage for audiences to enjoy. That is the philosophy of the staff at the Belle Mehus Auditorium. Whether it is a sweeping classical performance, an engaging dramatic comedy or one of today's latest musical acts, they can all rest assured that the show will go on in the best possible way when it takes place on Bismarck's Belle Mehus Auditorium stage.

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.

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.