Mandan Steel Fargo Tank

The wide prairies, the rustic landscape and even the lives and culture of the Native Americans are all essential parts of North Dakota's vast history. Learn about it all when you plan a visit to the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck. This impressive venue has the distinction of being the largest museum in the state. The wide variety of exhibits examines what life was like on the northern plains from prehistory all the way to the present day. It is a truly fascinating historical journey!

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.

The Mandan Rodeo Days Celebration has been proudly named one of the “Top 100 Events in America” by the North American Bus Tours Association. If it's excitement you're after this is the event to see, as this three-day PRCA rodeo is packed with three fast-paced rodeo performances. The festival also extends beyond the rodeo to offer visitors Art in the Park, live music, a carnival, dancing, baseball, pitchfork fondue, a golf tournament, and, as the event is held every July, an Independence Day Parade.