The One North Dakota Town Everyone Should Visit At Least Once
Medora, North Dakota, sits at the entrance to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, surrounded by badlands, wildlife, and some of the state’s most recognizable landmarks. The town has long served as a focal point for regional history, outdoor access, and Western-themed entertainment.
Monuments honoring its founder, trails that wind through rugged terrain, and a musical rooted in frontier history all reflect Medora's role in North Dakota. Together, these elements define a town whose identity is closely tied to both its landscape and its past.
History & Culture
Begin your time in Medora with an understanding of its history and culture. One of the most significant spots in town dedicated to its founder is the Chateau de Mores State Historic Site. Memorializing Marquis de Mores, who settled in 1883 and established a beef packing plant, a stagecoach line, a freighting company, refrigerated railway cars, cattle and sheep raising, land ownership, and eventually the town itself, the site features the Chateau de Mores. The 26-room building served as the family’s summer residence.
The house has been converted into a historic museum, displaying original furnishings and personal items from the de Mores family. Another structure devoted to the founder is De Mores Memorial Park, which includes a bronze statue of Marquis de Mores in the middle of a flagstone courtyard. Since de Mores established Medora as a town, a major part of its history has been tied to the Wild West. Get more insight into those days at the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame.
The interpretive cultural center is dedicated to the history of the northern plains and the state’s western lifestyle. Learn about plains horse culture, Native Americans of North Dakota, homesteaders, ranchers, and renowned rodeo cowboys. The North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame features a theater, galleries, interpretive areas, and mementos related to the preservation of culture and heritage.
Harold Schafer was a businessman and entrepreneur who is considered responsible for Medora’s success and growth. He saw the town’s potential and invested money from previous ventures in promoting and preserving Medora’s Western culture. Medora honors him with the Harold Schafer Heritage Center & Museum. Learn about his career, from the creation of Mr. Bubble to the development of the Medora Musical.
Arts & Entertainment
Medora offers options for dinner and a show, or dinner or a show, with authentic western dining and themed musical entertainment. One of the most renowned attractions not only in Medora, but the entire state of North Dakota is the Medora Musical. Every summer, the open-air venue of the Burning Hills Amphitheatre puts on a show about the Wild West days of the region and references monumental figures and places in the town’s success, specifically Theodore Roosevelt. The greatest show in the west features history, humor, and Western spirit. Keeping guests entertained year after year with new twists each summer, variety acts, live horses, and fireworks, the Medora Musical is sure to delight the entire crowd. For more live performance, immerse yourself in the Teddy Roosevelt Show at the Old Town Hall Theater, a one-man theatrical portrayal of the 26th president that runs in the intimate 220-seat venue.
What pairs better with a show than dinner? Enjoy a juicy steak or scrumptious burger at the Little Missouri Saloon & Dining Room. Pair your meal with a drink from the largest variety of tap beer in town and appreciate the Western welcome that all guests receive. The rustic atmosphere overlooking the Badlands is the perfect setting to listen to live music while savoring dinner and a drink. Partake in another fine dining experience at Theodore’s Dining Room. Located inside the historic Rough Riders Hotel, originally built in the 1880s and later renamed in honor of Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, the dining room features a fireplace and elaborate stained-glass windows salvaged from a church in Wisconsin.
Outdoor Excitement
Arguably, one of the most desired attractions within Medora is Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is complete with three visitor centers, a 36-mile scenic drive through the Little Missouri Badlands in the South Unit, ample wildlife, miles of hiking trails, and multiple campgrounds. Notorious for roaming bison, the park is also home to mule deer, prairie dogs, and wild horses for any parkgoer to enjoy from a distance. Hike the Wind Canyon Trail for views of the Little Missouri River and the badlands, or hop on the Painted Canyon Nature Trail and make your way deep into the canyon past rock layers, junipers, and local wildlife. No matter the path chosen, all hikes lead to dazzling views and majestic landmarks.
Nearby Towns
Outside the magical town of Medora lies even more excitement and adventure. Head out and see what Bowman has to offer. The Logging Camp Ranch, established in the Badlands of North Dakota, is a working cattle ranch that welcomes visitors to partake in enriching experiences rooted in ranch life. Horseback ride, hike, practice branding, camp, bird watch, and, for the truly adventurous, artificially inseminate a beef cow. Step off the ranch and step back in time at the Pioneer Trails Regional Museum. Showcasing local art, traveling exhibits, and guest speakers, the museum features exhibits related to anthropology, archeology, and genealogy.
More nature and more local history can be found in Dickinson, just a half-hour drive outside of Medora. The Dickinson Museum Center is a 12-acre campus with multiple buildings, each dedicated to a geographical or historical area of the state. The Badlands Dinosaur Museum, Prairie Outpost Park, Joachim Regional Museum, and Pioneer Machinery Hall are all on campus. Immerse yourself in local knowledge before hiking through Rocky Butte Park. A short trail will guide you through the park past native trees and rolling hills. With ample wooded areas and open spaces, the park offers plenty of land for outdoor activities, solitude, and relaxation.
Drive over the state border to Baker, Montana, and increase your knowledge of the dedication and preservation of the history, culture, and stories of Baker, Fallon County, and the surrounding areas at the O’Fallon Historical Museum. The museum is scattered through six buildings, with its main building being the original Fallon County Jail, established in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Make sure to visit Steer Montana while there, the preserved 3,980-pound steer whose record-setting size once earned him recognition as the world’s largest steer. Unwind at the end of the day at The Baker Club, a hometown bar and casino known for its legendary pizza.
Medora at the Crossroads of History and Landscape
Medora is a small town that embraces its big achievements. Honoring those who paved the way for the town, whether in its creation, success, or naming rights, Medora credits its historical figures through monuments, museums, and mountains. Enjoy a weekend in a true Wild West town, and partake in the culture and heritage of a small town in this frontier village of roughly 160 residents. Hike the Badlands, brand cattle, or learn all about the creator of a famed bubble bath in this one North Dakota town everyone should visit at least once.
