August 11, 2021

NORTH DAKOTA HERITAGE CENTER & STATE MUSEUM

612 E Boulevard Ave, Bismarck, ND 58505

“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.” Wikipedia

To this point in my journies I haven’t been attracted to state historical museums, but after visiting this one in Bismarck I may have to reconsider in the future.

The museum, in a beautiful new building, houses four galleries:

Governors Gallery - houses temporary exhibits. Currently on display is an exhibit titled “Fashion & Function, North Dakota Style” which explores role clothing has played in North Dakota. I thought it was a wonderful exhibit that, in my opinion, could possibly become a permanent exhibit.

Adaptation Gallery: Geologic Time - displays skeletons of creatures that roamed the area up to 600 million years ago.

Innovation Gallery: Early Peoples - tells the story of the Native Americans who inhabit North Dakota.

Inspiration Gallery: Yesterday and Today - a collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the mid-1800s until today, telling the stories of the shaping of North Dakota.

All four galleries were well currated and contained many, many interesting displays. I would highly recommend this museum to anyone visiting the Bismarck area.