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All the United States North Dakota

The Atlas Obscura Guide To North Dakota

37 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in North Dakota

Updated September 28, 2026
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Stones from the foundation of Roosevelt’s house on the site.
Medora
Complete with a plastic Steve Buscemi leg
Fargo
Jamestown
Bismarck
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Unusual Attractions in North Dakota

Giant Pyramid near Nekoma, North Dakota

Nekoma, North Dakota

The Pyramid of North Dakota

The remnants of an early American attempt at missile defense.
“Grasshopper’s Delight” sculpture along the Enchanted Highway, approximately half-way to Regent, North Dakota.  Car included for scale.

Regent, North Dakota

Enchanted Highway Sculptures

One man's quest to save his town with a trail of record-breaking sculptures.
The rock obelisk at Rugby, North Dakota.

Rugby, North Dakota

The Geographical Center of North America

A monument to the center of the North American continent may be off by a few miles.
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Jamestown, North Dakota

World's Largest Buffalo

A true roadside icon standing on the same plains that the herds once roamed.
White Cloud, as photographed by Carroll Wentland.

Jamestown, North Dakota

Legendary Albino Buffalo

Three legendary, living albino buffalo roaming their pastures for all to see.
Looking up from the bottom of the hill.

Minot, North Dakota

Gol Stave Church Museum

This museum is a full-size replica of an original church constructed during the 13th-century.

New Salem, North Dakota

Salem Sue

The world's largest Holstein cow.
See All 37 Things To Do in North Dakota

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in North Dakota

A Whirla-Whip creation, flavored with with Nutella.

Stanley, North Dakota

Whirla-Whip Ice Cream

The pharmacy's retro ice cream mixer is one of the last of its kind.
In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

7 Very Tall Things in Very Flat North Dakota

North Dakota is not quite the flattest state in the U.S., but it's pretty close. (In one analysis, it placed third, after Illinois and Florida.) During the last Ice Age, glaciers moving across the terrain had a planing effect on the land, dropping sediment that filled in any valleys, creating sprawling prairies and open, big skies. These large expanses are home to more than a few sky-high structures, both natural and human-made. From rocky peaks and multi-ton animal statues to one of the tallest buildings in the world, these are some of the most impressive structures that North Dakota has to offer.

View Itinerary
Flat ground, big skies, huge cows.

Explore North Dakota

Roadside Attractions 4
Military 4
History & Culture 3
Museums 3
Statues 3
Military History 3
Animals 3
Cold War 3
Sacred Spaces 3
Parks 2
Giant Animals 2
Monuments 2
Ruins 2
Inventions 2
Memorials 2
Geographic Markers 2
Outsider Art 2
Missiles 2
World's Tallest 2
Architecture 2

North Dakota Leaderboard

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Recent North Dakota Activity

  • U ursa major profile photo

    ursa major

    wants to go to The Pyramid of North Dakota

  • callenrecban profile photo

    callenrecban

    wants to go to Remote Sprint Launcher #3 Missile Site

  • C CaveVex profile photo

    CaveVex

    wants to go to Legendary Albino Buffalo

  • D danteasandberg profile photo

    danteasandberg

    has been to 'Fargo Mario Wall'

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    danteasandberg

    has been to Tiny Things

Stories About North Dakota

“Geese in Flight”

The World's Largest Scrap Metal Sculptures...are in North Dakota?

The Whimsical Enchanted Highway
by Matt Thomas, Community Contributor
June 12, 2026
You can use any type of onion to make a calendar, but the Eszlingers prefer yellow.

How to Consult an Onion Oracle

From the Midwest to a tiny town in Italy, the tradition of weather-predicting onions lives on.
by Roxanne Hoorn, Atlas Obscura
May 3, 2024
Miniwashitu is described as a frightening-looking creature with an important job: breaking up the ice on the Missouri River with its saw-like backbone.

In North Dakota, the Hideous Miniwashitu Ushers in Spring

The Madan people knew the Missouri River could bring both salvation and destruction.
by April White, Atlas Obscura
May 5, 2023
Despite a wingspan of up to 70 feet and legends about them from coast to coast, thunderbirds are a particularly elusive cryptid in North America.

Beware the Thunderbird, Badass Cryptid of the Skies

The source of storms and an (occasional) kidnapper, the massive ancient beast has inspired muscle cars and jet fighters.
by J.W. Ocker, Atlas Obscura
October 26, 2022
Using a surprise source of evidence, researchers believe an infamous dinosaur-killing asteroid slammed into Earth in the Northern Hemisphere spring.

Did the Dinosaurs Die on a Pleasant North Dakota Spring Day?

Fish fossils may put "the single worst day for multicellular life on Earth" on the calendar.
by Gemma Tarlach, Atlas Obscura
February 23, 2022
The patchwork shows expanses of snow, interspersed with fields of corn that are toughing out the winter weather.

Endless Fields of Unharvested Corn, As Seen From Space

North Dakota's corn fields will spend the winter under a snowy blanket.
by Jessica Leigh Hester, Atlas Obscura
December 11, 2019
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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