What to Do in Fargo

When people think of great vacation destinations, Fargo, North Dakota, is probably not one of the first places to come to mind. Rather than thinking about fun, people think of cold weather, few people and wide open spaces when it comes to Fargo and the rest of North Dakota.

Those looking for a family-friendly trip to the American West can have tons of fun in Fargo. The city is home to some of the best historical and cultural attractions in the area. As the largest city in North Dakota, Fargo has lots of lodging and food options, as well.

One of the more popular attractions in the Fargo area is Bonanzaville, USA. This site is a massive museum that is operated by the Cass County Historical society. Bonanzaville is set on 12 acres and has 43 buildings and over 400,000 artifacts related to the early days on the Northern Great Plains.

Some of the more popular buildings at Bonanzaville, USA include the Embden Depot and Train Shed, which is a 1900 Northern Pacific Depot that houses a 1883 locomotive, caboose, and a 1930 passenger car that held 80 people.

The first house in Fargo, erected in 1869, is one of the more popular exhibits. Also, additional houses built by early immigrants can give visitors a wonderful insight into the way the first settlers in the area lived nearly 150 years ago.

Bonanzaville also has some on-site specialty museums. Included are collections that emphasize vintage cars, old airplanes and tractors.

Many people are in love with airplanes. Kids love to watch them land and take off from airports. People of all ages enjoy flying at 35,000 feet and getting across the country within a matter of a few hours.

The Fargo Air Museum is dedicated to bringing the history of flight to life. A number of planes that still fly are a part of the museum. Included in this number are planes like the Douglas DC-3 and the Chance-Vought F4U Coursair, among others.

Additionally, a collection of static planes goes onto display in rotation. Included in this collection are a classic B-25 Mitchell Bomber, a Stinson and a replica of the original plane, the Wright Flyer.

The Fargo Air Museum is currently undergoing a major expansion.

Located just across the river from Fargo in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota, is the Hjemkomst Center. This attraction is part museum and part community center.

One of the main attractions at the Hjemkomst Center is a replica Viking ship built by Robert Asp and then sailed to Norway in the 1980s. There are also NASA and Dinosaur exhibits at the center.

The Hjemkomst Center is also the home of the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. The society holds the Clay County Archives and a variety of artifacts and documents related to the history of Clay County, Minnesota.

Those coming to Fargo have lots of shops that they can visit to ensure that they get what they want. A number of national shopping brands are located within the city limits.

In addition to the downtown shopping district that is familiar to most cities, those visiting Fargo will find the West Acres Mall a great place to shop indoors. This is pretty important when the cold North Dakota winters begin around November.

The West Acres mall is home to nearly 120 shops that include several major national brands, as well as a few local businesses that sell their wares to the general public.

There are no major amusement parks in the Fargo area, but that does not mean that families cannot find some of the same attractions that are available in Fargo.

Thunder Road is a great place for families to take a day and have a wide variety of fun during the summer. The action at Thunder Road is available from May through September (outdoor attractions are not exactly widespread during North Dakota winters).

Among the options at Thunder Road are batting cages, go-karts, miniature golf and bumper cars. Recently, the establishment added Laser Tag. Kids of all ages (between 8 and 80) can find something fun to do here.

This list was just a start when it comes to what there is to do in the Fargo area. The city has several golf courses and the Red River Zoo. The Northern Plains also have many hotels that have indoor water parks for guests. A couple of these are found in Fargo. Those looking for things to do in Fargo should check out the hub for everything Fargo-Moorhead.