1. This White Buffalo Ain’t No Bull
Not only is Jamestown home to the world’s largest buffalo statue, the town is also home to a rare albino bison named White Cloud.
This extremely rare female albino buffalo produced a white calf of her own in 2007 and these unique animals can be found freely roaming the 200 acres of pasture that lines Interstate 94 to the north and south. They aren’t easy to find, but well worth the search!
2. The True Middle America Is In North Dakota
Rugby, ND is the center of North America. A 15-foot obelisk stands in the town to represent this landmark. So if you want, you can stand in the middle of it all!
You can find this hallowed ground 15 miles northeast near the intersection of two highways, U.S. Highway 2 and North Dakota Highway 3. There’s no better place to find your true north—or south, east, or west!
3. This Stretch Of Road Is One Wild Ride
In 1989, Farmer Gary Greff decided to make the highway near his hometown of Regent, ND more “enchanting” to draw tourists to the area. With no artistic experience, he began building the world’s largest metal sculptures and placing them along the “Enchanted Highway,” aka Highway 21.
Now, this 32 mile stretch of road is covered with sculptures of Teddy Roosevelt, grasshoppers the size of cars, or large scrap metal geese in flight. And, it’s officially one of the most unique, and fun, highways to drive in the country.
4. North Dakota Has Pyramids Too
In the 1960s, during the Cold War, the U.S. Government started the Safeguard Program to shoot down potential Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles. They built a $6 billion massive complex of missile silos and a gigantic pyramid-shaped radar system that resembles the Egyptian pyramids.
Though the program has since been shut down, and was only operational for a few days, you can still go see the pyramid in the middle of nowhere. One famous writer called it, “a monument to men’s fear and ignorance.” Yeah. That’s pretty accurate.
5. Hollywood Has Left Its Mark On This State—Literally
The Fargo Walk of Fame was started by local businessman, Mike Stevens. After visiting Los Angeles, Mike began to approach celebrities who visited Fargo, bringing with him a slab of wet cement which these celebrities would then put their hand and footprints in.
When the movie, “Fargo,” came out, it attracted even more attention and publicity to the small town of Fargo. Since then, more than 100 of the known and lesser-known celebrities have their hand and footprints preserved in Fargo’s cement. You can see the handprints of everyone from Bill Gates, to Def Leppard, to Metallica.
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6. Wood You Believe They Saved This Infamous Chipper?
Anyone who has seen the Coen Brother’s hit movie, “Fargo,” is familiar with its infamous wood chipper—a Yard Shark with an 8-Horse Power Brigg and Stratton Engine.
Today this piece of cinematic history is displayed in the Fargo Visitor’s Center with the infamous leg sticking out of the top of it. Be sure to take a grisly selfie, if you stumble across this hidden gem.
7. You Won’t Need Your GPS On This Stretch Of North Dakota Highway
In North Dakota, there’s a road where cruise control is pretty much a must.
North Dakota Highway 46, is the longest, straightest road in the U.S. It stretches across 123 miles of North Dakota prairies. And trust us, there is not a curve or bend in this road. You can practically drive the car from the backseat if you want to.
8. North Dakota Is Home To The Ultimate Keg Stand
The Fabulous Kegs Drive-In, located in Grand Forks, is a great place to grab some lunch and a beer—especially if you’ve ever dreamt about sharing a drink with a friend while staring at kegs that stand 20 feet high.
So, grab your camera for a photo-op with your beer, lunch, and two giant kegs.
9. You Can’t Help But Be Drawn To The Village Of Murals
Jud, a tiny North Dakota town with a population of 76, decided they wanted their village to be known for something special. They wanted to make their town beautiful and attract visitors. So these 76 people grabbed some paint cans and brushes and set out to make their town, “The Village of Murals.”
Citizens painted on every building, every home. There are murals of landscapes on the sides of buildings, or sheds painted as cottages. There’s even a giant painted postage stamp on the side of the post office. Everywhere you look, this small town is literally built out of art and creativity.
10. Get Your Fill Of Peace And Silence In This Secret Garden
The International Peace Garden was intentionally grown where Manitoba Highway 10 becomes North Dakota Highway 3, because, “it’s the longest north/south road in the world,” symbolizing the connection between the United States and Canada.
The Garden itself is dedicated to the harmony between the two nations. The garden spans 2,339 acres and can take up to two hours to drive through.
Inside Tip: there’s a 1.5 mile hike around the gorgeous Lake Stormon. This peaceful oasis is worth the search.
11. These Wheat Stalks Are A Gargantuan Source Of Iron
North Dakota is proud of its wheat industry, which is probably why they built 35-foot-tall iron wheat stalks in Williston, ND dedicated to the farmers.
The monument celebrates the hard work of local wheat farmers and even displays a blessing of the farmers that states, “This monument is dedicated to the wheat farmers—the men and women who broke the sod, planted the wheat and prayed that the rains would come, the grasshoppers would go, the prairie fires would die and the wind would calm.”
Talk about separating the wheat from the chaff!
12. Visit The Home Of The 3500 Pounder With Cheese
If you’re ever lost in Rutland, ND, make sure to see the “Pride of the Prairie,” where you can visit the grill that cooked the world’s largest hamburger.
The grill was capable of cooking over 3000 pounds of beef in hamburger form and is on display for a passersby to see. The small town was even able to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records for their 3,591 lb. hamburger.
13. Blow Your Mind With This Behemoth Bovine
Salem Sue is the World’s Largest Holstien Cow and she’s located in New Salem, ND.
While it’s true that ND has a lot of “the world’s largest animal statues,” Salem Sue takes the cake: at 38 feet tall, 50 feet long, she’s bigger than the bull in Pettibone, the buffalo in Jamestown, the turtle in Bottineau, the other turtle in Dunseith, the walleye in Garrison.
Basically, if you’re going to visit large animal statues in ND, Salem Sew is a must see. You have to pull of the highway and drive down a sketchy, windy, steep, narrow twisting road, but its totally worth it. I mean, where else are you going to see a 38 feet tall, 50 feet long, fiberglass cow?
