Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck, which has a population of 55,532, is the capital of the state of North Dakota, and is the seat of Burleigh County. The city is located along the Missouri River in south central part of the state, 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Minot, 196 miles (316 kilometers) due west of Fargo, and 210 miles (338 kilometers) north of South Dakota's capital, Pierre.

Explorers Lewis & Clark spent the winter near the city's site in 1804, and the community itself was established in the late 1800s as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad's transcontinental line. Residents can explore area history at the North Dakota Heritage Center, or by visiting sites like Ward Indian Village Site, which was occupied between about 1500 CE and 1600 CE, at the Double Ditch Indian Village Site, which was occupied between about 1600 CE and 1781 CE, or at Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park, whose fort was once an important infantry and cavalry post.

Kids will enjoy trips to the Dakota Zoo, which is home to more than 500 animals, and to the Gateway to Science Center, the state's only hands-on science center. And when the weather's warm, they'll be asking to go to the Raging Rivers Waterpark and the Super Slide Amusement Park. Parents can also get their kids actively involved in the arts at the High Prairie Arts & Science Complex.

Speaking of arts, adults can enjoy musical performances by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, while those who enjoy visual arts can visit the exhibits at the Five Nations Art Depot (which is housed at the historic Burlington Northern Railroad Depot), and at the Bismarck Arts & Galleries Association.

There are several ways to enjoy Bismarck's four-season outdoors. The city's Parks & Recreation District manages 2,300 acres (931 hectares) of parkland and 30 miles (48 kilometers) of trails. And across the Missouri River in Mandan are an additional several hundred acres of parks and 11 miles (18 kilometers) of trails. Residents can play all the 20 courses of the Lewis & Clark Golf Trail, of which seven are in Bismarck and Mandan's immediate area. Further afield – approximately 144 miles (232 kilometers) west – are Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Little Missouri National Grasslands, which offer opportunities for camping, hiking, canoeing, wildlife-watching, and more.

Those who enjoy spectator sports can take in home games of the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League or Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League. And those whose sport is shopping will also be able to occupy themselves in Bismarck!

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