10 Places to Experience Cowboy Culture in North Dakota

Take in a Broadway-style variety show, with western entertainment, Badlands legend and lore and a patriotic salute at the outdoor Burning Hills Amphitheatre in Medora.

Rustle up some of North Dakota’s rich western heritage at this 15,000-square-foot interpretive center. Browse permanent and traveling western culture exhibits, a Hall of Honorees, gift shop and archives and learn about homesteaders and the sport of rodeo. Or just walk the streets of the cow-town Medora.

This 26-room, two-story historic house museum was built in 1883 as the summer home of the Marquis de Mores, the French nobleman who founded Medora, and his family.

Refuel North Dakota-style with thick, juicy steaks cooked in an old-fashioned iron kettle and served with baked potato, salad and roll. This unique western meal experience is served at the Tjaden Center on the scenic bluffs overlooking Medora.

The collection of Plains Indians artifacts found here is second only to the Smithsonian's. You can also see displays on the state's rich military and agricultural history and shop for local arts and crafts in the museum gift shop.

Visit an authentic pioneer town next to the National Buffalo Museum and live buffalo herd. Snap a family photo next to the World’s Largest Buffalo and visit an exhibit to Jamestown's famous cowboy and western novelist Louis L'Amour.

Admire the 26th president's contribution to conservation at this national park. The North Dakota Badlands provide a scenic backdrop, and you may spot buffalo, deer, elk, bighorn sheep, wild horses, mule deer and prairie dogs on the loop drive. Want more action? Options include hiking trails through the Badlands, trail rides on horseback and canoeing the Little Missouri River.

Rodeos and powwows were important functions to people on the Northern Plains. Cowboys tested themselves against one another in events that were part of their everyday life. Native American powwows celebrated events and activities important to their cultures.

Get spectacular views along the 14-mile scenic drive, which features turnouts with interpretive signs. Self-guided nature trails take you through coulees and breaks. Visit the prairie dog town, Oxbow Overlook and the Edge of Glacier Pullout.

An original trapper's log cabin, homestead shack, one-room schoolhouse and the original 1915 Schafer Law Office are on the site of the heritage park. You can even see mammoth fossil bones discovered in the area. The pioneer museum features a replica pioneer home.