Bismarck Landmarks and Monuments

(Bismarck, North Dakota - ND, USA)

A real centerpiece for the cityscape of Bismarck, the North Dakota State Capitol is actually the state's second landmark of this kind, since the first Capitol was built in 1884 and succumbed to fire in 1930. A replacement was commissioned during the nation's period of Great Depression and was partially funded by selling off some 65 hectares / 160 acres of surrounding grounds.

The North Dakota State Capitol Grounds comprise a number of additional buildings and significant landmarks, including the Liberty Memorial Building, the North Dakota Heritage Center and the North Dakota Governor's Residence. Heading through the middle is the Capitol Mall, which provides an expanse of grass and tree-lined pathways.

Further sights worth looking out for in Bismarck include the Old Governor's Mansion, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and Camp Hancock, where much militaria resides.

North Dakota State Capitol Building

Address: 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota (ND), 58505, USA
Tel: +1 701 328 2471
Built between the years 1931 and 1934 in downtown Bismarck, the North Dakota State Capitol Building is unusual in its appearance, since it is not the typical palace-like structure with dome, but a modern Art Deco skyscraper. It measures in at almost 74 metres / 243 feet in height, which actually makes it the tallest landmark in the whole of North Dakota. The complex itself is made up of several different wings and government buildings, such as the Department of Transportation Building, the Judicial Wing, the Liberty Memorial Building, the North Dakota Heritage Center and the State Office Building, while the grounds are home to both the Capitol Park and the Myron Atkinson Park.
Open hours: guided tours, September to April, Monday to Friday - 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00; May to August, Monday to Friday - 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00; Saturday - 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00; Sunday - 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
Admission: free

Camp Hancock

Address: 101 East Main Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota (ND), 58501, USA
Tel: +1 701 328 2666
Camp Hancock is located within the city center, where it dates back to the early 1870s and opens during the summer months. This site is of great historical significance in Bismarck, since it was built for the military, in order to protect those workers constructing the important Northern Pacific Railroad. For the first year of its life it was known as Camp Greely, being renamed as Camp Hancock the following year. Today, the building functions as a museum-type attraction, with informative displays and lots of interesting artifacts on display.
Open hours: mid-May to mid-September, Friday to Sunday - 13:00 to 17:00, or by appointment
Admission: free, donations suggested

Liberty Memorial Building

Address: 604 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota (ND), 58505, USA
Tel: +1 701 328 4622
The Liberty Memorial Building stands within the North Dakota State Capitol Grounds, close to the State Archives and the North Dakota Heritage Center. Interestingly, this is the most historic of all the buildings in the capitol grounds and it dates back to 1924, the year of its completion. It is dedicated to those members of the state's military who served during the First World War. Originally, the building was used to house various state offices, although in 1936 the North Dakota State Library was also accommodated here until 1970, when it moved to the Randal Building, before coming back in 1982.
Open hours: library, Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Old Governor's Mansion

Address: 320 East Avenue B, Bismarck, North Dakota (ND), 58505, USA
Tel: +1 701 328 2666
Traditionally American in its appearance, with a wooden facade painted light and dark green, the Old Governor's Mansion stands on the corner of North 4th Street and East Avenue B. It is situated just across from St. George's Episcopal Church. This landmark is also often referred to as both the Asa Fisher House and the Former North Dakota Executive Mansion, and dates back to the early part of the 1880s. It was then purchased by the state in 1893 and subsequently used as the residence for the governor of North Dakota until 1960. Now owned and managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the structure joined the National Register of Historic Places in the year 1975, being opened to the general public in 1983. Visitors will be able to learn all about the history of the mansion, its former residents and restoration process, whilst also admiring the portraits, paintings, antiquities and period furnishings.
Open hours: mid-May to September, Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday - 12:00 to 16:00; October to early May, second Friday and Saturday - 13:00 to 17:00, or by appointment
Admission: free, donations suggested

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

Address: 520 Raymond Street, Bismarck, North Dakota (ND), 58501, USA
Tel: +1 701 223 1033
Located on the western side of downtown Bismarck and within the historic Cathedral District, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit dominates Raymond Street with its dramatic Art Deco architecture and tall tower. This imposing white Roman Catholic edifice was built between 1941 and 1945, at the end of the Second World War, and later renovated in the early 1990s. Of note, the oldest homes within this neighborhood have their origins in the latter decades of the 19th century, although most were built during the early part of the 20th century.
Open hours: masses, Monday - 08:00, Tuesday to Thursday - 06:45 and 08:00, Friday - 06:45, 08:00 and 09:00, Saturday - 08:00 and 17:00, Sunday - 08:30, 10:00 and 11:30
Admission: free, donations accepted