Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Bismarck (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: North Dakota State Capitol, Dakota Zoo, and Heritage Center. Also, be sure to include Double Ditch Indian Village in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Bismarck (North Dakota).
Table of Contents
North Dakota State Capitol
Building in Bismarck, North Dakota. The North Dakota State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The capitol, a 21-story Art Deco tower, is located in Bismarck at 600 East Boulevard Avenue, and is the tallest habitable building in the state. On a 160-acre campus that also houses many other government buildings, the capitol building and the surrounding office buildings house the state's legislative and judicial branches, as well as many government agencies.
The State Capitol is largely surrounded by state government buildings. The parks, walking trails, and monuments on the grounds provide a great deal of information about the state's history, making it one of the city's tourist attractions. Six buildings occupy the grounds; constructed as the government grew. Not all state agencies are housed on the grounds, however: a large number are spread throughout the city in other facilities. The state facility management division developed plans for a massive expansion and improvement of the grounds in 2000, but very little of the plan had been implemented by 2012.[1]
Address: 600 E Boulevard Ave, 58505-0601 Bismarck
Dakota Zoo
Zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Dakota Zoo is a zoo in Bismarck, North Dakota located on the banks of the Missouri River. It is the third zoo built in North Dakota.
The Dakota Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).[2]
Address: 602 Riverside Park Rd, 58504 Bismarck
Heritage Center
Museum in Bismarck, North Dakota. The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, located on the North Dakota State Capitol grounds in Bismarck, is the state of North Dakota's official history museum. The original building, which was opened in 1981, is operated by the State Historical Society of North Dakota and features permanent and temporary exhibits. In June 2008, the museum, which has been called a "Smithsonian on the plains", became home to a rare mummified Edmontosaurus with fossilized skin.
Expansion of the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum finished with a grand opening on November 2, 2014, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of statehood. The expansion added 127,000 square feet of collections storage, labs, and office space, doubling the total size of the museum.[3]
Address: 612 E Boulevard Ave, 58505-0612 Bismarck
Double Ditch Indian Village
Double Ditch, also known as the Double Ditch State Historic Site, Burgois Site, 32BL8, Bourgois Site, and Double Ditch Earth Lodge Village Site, is an archaeological site located on the east bank of the Missouri River north of Bismarck, North Dakota, United States. It is named for the two visible trenches that once served as fortifications for the village, but archaeologists found a further two ditches outside these indicating that the population was originally larger.
The site was the location of a Mandan Native American earth lodge village from approximately 1450A.D. to 1785 A.D. It was abandoned after the 1775–1782 North American smallpox epidemic. The site includes remains of earth lodges, midden mounds, and fortification ditches. It is managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
The site is the subject of two listings on National Register of Historic Places: one for its archaeological significance in 1979, the other for its Depression-era park structures in 2014.[4]
Address: Highway 1804, Bismarck
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
Cathedral in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is a cathedral and parish church of the Catholic Church located in Bismarck, North Dakota, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Bismarck. Since 1980 the cathedral and the nearby Bishop's Residence have been contributing properties in the Bismarck Cathedral Area Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]
Address: Ave C, 58501 Bismarck
Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel at Annunciation Priory
The Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel at Annunciation Priory in Bismarck, North Dakota, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. It is located at 7500 University Drive and is the chapel of University of Mary.
It is a work of world-class modernist architect Marcel Breuer. He termed this chapel his "jewel on the prairie."
It was built in 1963 and is Brutalist in style. It has a pipe organ of 1,641 pipes. The chapel can seat 500 persons.[6]
E. G. Patterson Building
Historical landmark in Bismarck, North Dakota. The E. G. Patterson Building at 412–414 Main St. in Bismarck, North Dakota, United States, was built in 1905. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The building was designed by Milton Earl Beebe and is an example of Early Commercial architecture. The theater is now the Dakota Stage Playhouse and was previously the Capitol Theatre and the Cinema Theatre. In the 1970s the theater showed adult films. The theater was next to the Patterson Hotel from 1911 to the 1970s, said to be the most prominent hotel in Bismarck.[7]
Address: 412 E Main Ave, 58501 Bismarck
Chief Looking's Village site
Historical place in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Chief Looking's Village site is a historic archeological site on the east side of Pioneer Park in Bismarck, North Dakota that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It has also been known as Ward Earth Lodge Village. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
It is a Mandan village site that, as of its NRHP listing, had never been severely vandalized or disrupted by archeological excavations, so it remained valuable for the information potential that it held.[8]
Address: Burnt Boat Drive NW, Bismarck
Camp Hancock
Historical place museum in Bismarck, North Dakota. Camp Hancock Site on Main Ave. in Bismarck, North Dakota was built in 1872. It has also been known as Camp Hancock Historic Site and as Camp Hancock. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
It served as a garrison for troops guarding the construction of railway through the area during 1872–1877.
One exhibit is the Bread of Life Church, (later St. George's Episcopal Church) which was completed in 1881 and moved here in 1965.[9]
Address: 101 E Main Ave, 58501 Bismarck
General Sibley Park
General Sibley Park is a park around 4 miles south of Bismarck, North Dakota. Opened in 1967, it stands on a piece of land closely associated with North Dakota's history and settlement and is named after General Henry Sibley. It covers an area of 138 acres, and the site is a popular recreation spot and campground.[10]
Bismarck Art and Galleries Association
Museum
Address: 422 E Front Ave, 58504-5641 Bismarck