Highway 12 Tour

The Mystic Theatre is said to be the oldest movie theater in North Dakota. The showplace was a project of professional baseball player Guy Johnson. Opened on April 22, 1914, it was one of the first theaters built specifically to show motion pictures. The show house was restored as a part of America’s bi-centennial celebration with several renovations occurring over the years.  The theater still hosts occasional events and is open to tours by appointment.  

The VanHorn’s Western and Antique Auto Museum showcases roughly 50 refurbished antique vehicles, a miniature car collection, and a vast collection of license plates, the oldest of which dates back to 1916, and more! It also showcases arrowheads, baseball cards, and Buddy L toys and dolls. 

Fort Dilts State Historic Site marks the site of a dramatic episode in North Dakota history where in 1864 emigrants in an embattled wagon train with a small military escort circled their wagons and waited for rescue by the cavalry. Fort Dilts appears today much as it did more than one hundred years ago in its pristine setting eight miles northwest of Rhame. Many features of the site of the siege are still visible, including remnants of the sod wall, wagon ruts, graves, and an uncompleted well. Archaeological excavations confirm the site is essentially undisturbed. A walking trail and site markers help visitors experience the historical site.

White Butte is the highest point in North Dakota at an elevation of 3,506 feet above sea level. Located in the southwestern part of the state between the cities of Amidon and Bowman, the natural wonder is a popular hiking destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Improvements to the access road, parking areas, interpretive signage and hiking trail have made this a must-see site for families and adventure seekers alike.

The museum is a regional research and repository for history from within 100 miles of Bowman. Learn about the local area through story telling brought to life in educational exhibits. Send the kids through the museum with an interactive scavenger hunt to engage them while they are learning. If an even more hands-on approach is your idea of fun, sign up for a Dig-for-a-Day Tour to collect fossils and explore the local geology.

Bowman Haley Lake formed at the confluence of Spring Creek, Alkali Creek, and North Fork Grand River; has 17 miles of scenic shoreline. The 1,740-acre V-shaped lake offers year-round recreational opportunities including camping, boating, and fishing. Surrounding the lake are 6,720 acres of prairie creeks and rolling uplands, which provide a haven for a wide variety of wildlife and waterfowl.

The Dakota Buttes Museum is a must-see complex of four newly redesigned and refurbished buildings and outdoor exhibits displaying over a century of life and times in Adams County and southwestern North Dakota. The Dakota Buttes Museum houses a rare, horse-drawn fire truck and hose cart, as well as a memorable collection of early Twentieth Century farm machinery, railroad memorabilia, early and mid-century vehicles, and more.

At the center of the Northern Plains is a rugged section of Badlands, buttes, and fertile grasslands where cattle and sheep graze, and the deer and antelope still roam. This region is where Lakota and Dakota people conducted the last hunts of wild buffalo that once roamed the grasslands in great herds. Visit the Dakota Buttes Museum in Hettinger for more information on the Buffalo Trails Tour.