If you're traveling to the second oldest town in North Dakota to enjoy some outdoor winter fun this season, you'll want to make a stop to another place just outside of town. Being as Walhalla is that old, it is no surprise that it also holds the very first trading post in the Peace Garden State that helped put it on the map for settlers over a century and a half ago. It is entirely free to visit for all ages and well worth the time. Check it out:
Trading was a big deal back in the mid-1800s in North Dakota, long before it was even considered the northern half of the Dakota Territory. The Gingras Trading Post is one of the last remaining original structures from this time in the state.
It was built in the 1840s by Antoine Blanc Gingras, giving it the name of the Gingras Trading Post - now a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located just outside of Walhalla, ND. At one point it was becoming heavily worn with time but has since been restored and continues to be preserved.
The site is open year round and is entirely free to visit. There are special days where performers will take you through the fascinating history of this place.
The site includes the log structure that is the actual trading post as well as Antoine Blanc Gingras's original home, which has exhibits inside. Both of which are full of history - history that is so important to North Dakota's story - and there is no original structure older than this in the state.
The Gingras Trading Post is open year round and you will be able to take yourself on a self-guided tour through the site. There is no admission cost whatsoever, so it won't cost you a dime to visit it and take in some history. For more information, click here.
The site is located just 1.5 miles northeast of Walhalla, North Dakota.
North Dakota is an awe-inspiring state for, well, just about everything; from incredible landscapes to jaw-dropping natural wonders, once you know what to look for, you'll never get bored. A popular pastime up here in the Peace Garden State includes something called urbex - or urban exploration. This is the casual art of finding - and photographing - all sorts of abandoned places and locales. Well, lucky us - there are hundreds of abandoned homes in North Dakota (as well as businesses, churches, schools, and more!). Urbex comes easy here; if you're looking for the most beautiful, haunting abandoned places in North Dakota, just take a drive out to the country: You'll find plenty.
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As of the time of this writing, there are approximately 43 ghost towns left in North Dakota... and these don't even begin scratching the surface.
There are many, many other places - usually homes and homesteads - scattered all over this beautiful state, like this gorgeous old barn located somewhere deep within Stutsman County.
There are so many abandoned homes in North Dakota that you could turn looking for them into a whole trip.
Imagine all the things this little house in Lefor has seen; how many memories were made here? How many birthdays, anniversaries, and other happy events occurred within these walls? We'll never know... but that adds to the mystique, in my opinion.
This beautiful farmhouse near Williston undoubtedly has stories to tell.
Perhaps if you hold your ear to the walls, you might just hear the whispered secrets of all the folks who have ever called it home. Why did they leave? Where did they go?
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Urban exploration can be risky, if not dangerous - so I strongly recommend you remain outside these old buildings; you never know how the structural integrity is.
This house near Hague, North Dakota, looks to be in pretty good shape. Despite this appearance, though, it's unwise to go inside; I suggest walking around the property to get a nice feel for the overall 'vibe' of the place. It makes for excellent photography, too.
So, truly - if your heart craves adventure (and your camera craves subject matter), take a nice, long drive through North Dakota.
There are hundreds of incredible decaying places to admire along the way - no matter which turns you take or what roads you end up on.
Planning to make this into a road trip? Don't miss a thing while using our handy-dandy ultimate road trip packing list! Need a place to sleep along the way? No worries - check out all the awesome options from our friends at VRBO.
Do you have any specific favorites when it comes to abandoned homes in North Dakota? Tell me about them - I'd love to hear about your favorite spots. Explore and enjoy, friends!
The Peace Garden State has a wide variety of places to see. You'll also find plenty of unique things to do in North Dakota. Beautiful nature, impressive architectural structures, and historic small towns are all examples of some of the best places that North Dakota has to visit. But what about the more unusual side of things? The following is an array of weird places in North Dakota, and you'll certainly want check each one of them out.
Do you want to get your picture shoving a leg into the real movie prop from Fargo? I mean, who wouldn't, right? Although the wood chipping scene in the movie was in Minnesota and not North Dakota, the actual authentic wood chipper prop from the movie has found its way to the visitor's center in Fargo where you can pose for pictures while wearing a cool hat. It may be a little strange to greet visitors to the city with, but hey, it's famous. I'll admit it, I think it may be one of the weirdest places in North Dakota - the chipper has its own Facebook page! - but kind of neat at the same time.
This museum is exactly as it sounds, no surprises here. It's dedicated to rocks, specifically one man's collection of rocks, most of which were cut and polished into spheres. From the rarest samples to the local granite the actual museum was built out of, this place is full of samples and is actually quite a sight to behold. And it definitely takes the cake as the most unusual museum in North Dakota. It's fascinating, but it's also definitely a bit different, earning its reputation as one of the most unique places in North Dakota.
I guess having a castle-like design seems most fitting for an armory, especially one known as the Old Armory. This place in Williston may cause some double takes when you first see it. It was built in 1915, which was way after the time of castles, but this design was actually kind of popular for armories during that time. Regardless, it definitely stands out but is still in use for various things today. It's a pretty cool piece of history, even if it's not your average type of architecture.
This place is definitely a unique hidden gem in North Dakota that is often forgotten. Even its construction was puzzling to people at first. Though they knew the railroad would reach the end of the line in McHenry, instead of going for the cheap option of putting in a railroad turntable, they made a huge loop for the trains to turn around with. Believe it or not, the town was named after the man who designed this loop - E.H. McHenry. This also ended up being the town's biggest attraction for many years after the railroad left the town, loop and all, and they decided to open it for rides. Unfortunately, the upkeep of the loop proved to outweigh the profits resulting in the loop and the station at the beginning being auctioned off some years ago. Today, it is slowly decaying but is still visible via satellite imagery. In the spring, it is usually partially covered by the lake next to it. There is no other place like it pretty much anywhere else.
This is actually a new drone park. It's also the first commercial drone park to exist anywhere and is located right in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It is used for testing all kinds of drones, both official and privately owned, large and small, and many businesses interested in drones can use it. There isn't any other place like it, but not many other places have big and beautiful - grand, you might say - skies like North Dakota does.
A vinyl taco in and of itself does not sound very tasty, and the concept of this restaurant in general might confuse a passerby, but this place is actually super awesome! The interior is full of both retro and modern flair, plus neons, and it does serve both tacos and vinyl; that is, you get to listen to some great music played on vinyl while eating your tasty tacos. This place is definitely quite unique and a bit unusual, but all kinds of great at the same time. Its food is top notch and well worth a trip, even if this oddity might put you off at first glance. Don't judge a book, or should we say record (or a taqueria), by its cover!
This place is borderline creepy in some respects. This huge pyramid on the prairie is certainly one of the most bizarre spots in North Dakota, and its history and interior doesn't change that. It's actually a giant radar system surrounded by (now empty) missile silos in the ground, at one point ready to fend off any incoming nuclear attacks back in the Cold War. But even then it wasn't really used. It closed after just a few days of operation, and after months of construction along with millions of dollars put into its creation. This place is all kinds of crazy no matter which way you look at it.Learn more about this eerie site in this YouTube video from Ghosts of North Dakota:
No house beats this one when it comes to out-of-the-ordinary architecture in North Dakota. It follows the art moderne style, which obviously hasn't ever been a popular choice in North Dakota, or much of anywhere else. Nonetheless, it is truly unique and adds a bit of flair to the neighborhood.
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I didn't know some of these weird places in North Dakota even existed. I might have to take a road trip and try visiting them all some day. There are some other unique places in North Dakota that are a bit more on the creepy side that I wouldn't probably visit by myself, like these spooky ghost towns. You never know what a place may be hiding.
Have you been to any of these spots? Let us know in the comments!
