United Methodist District

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.

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.

The stories, traditions and culture of the area's Native Americans are treasures too precious and rare to lose. That is why there are places like Bismarck's Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site. In the wake of Louis and Clark's expedition and the eventual takeover of the land by settlers, groups like the Sioux Indians held on to their claims as much as they could, and this site stands as a reminder of their 3,000-year old Mandan Indian Village that remains a significant part of their history. Take a self-guided tour with the help of information provided by the Bismarck Convention and Visitors Bureau to get the whole story of this fascinating area.