Highest-rated free things to do in North Dakota by visitors

Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in North Dakota.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in North Dakota using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

Tripadvisor

1 / 29

#29. Japanese Gardens

- Rating: 3.6/5 (61 reviews)
- City: Grand Forks North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

2 / 29

#28. Dakota Square Mall

- Rating: 3.8/5 (70 reviews)
- City: Minot North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

3 / 29

#27. Little Missouri National Grassland

- Rating: 4.3/5 (32 reviews)
- City: Watford City North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

4 / 29

#26. Harold Schafer Heritage Center

- Rating: 4.6/5 (50 reviews)
- City: Medora North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

5 / 29

#25. Kirkwood Mall

- Rating: 4.2/5 (26 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

6 / 29

#24. McDowell Dam Nature Park

- Rating: 4.3/5 (40 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

7 / 29

#23. Maah Daah Hey Trail

- Rating: 4.4/5 (30 reviews)
- City: Medora North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

8 / 29

#22. Former Governors' Mansion State Historic Site

- Rating: 4.1/5 (44 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

9 / 29

#21. Flood Memorial Monument

- Rating: 4.3/5 (82 reviews)
- City: Grand Forks North
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Tripadvisor

10 / 29

#20. North Dakota State University

- Rating: 4.6/5 (69 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

11 / 29

#19. Knife River Indian Villages Historic Site

- Rating: 4.4/5 (99 reviews)
- City: North
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Tripadvisor

12 / 29

#18. Assumption Abbey

- Rating: 4.9/5 (36 reviews)
- City: Richardton North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

13 / 29

#17. Lindenwood Park

- Rating: 4.4/5 (47 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

14 / 29

#16. University of North Dakota

- Rating: 4.7/5 (97 reviews)
- City: Grand Forks North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

15 / 29

#15. Roger Maris Museum

- Rating: 4.1/5 (177 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

16 / 29

#14. Frontier Village

- Rating: 4.1/5 (240 reviews)
- City: Jamestown North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

17 / 29

#13. Salem Sue - World's Largest Fiberglass Cow

- Rating: 4.3/5 (111 reviews)
- City: New Salem North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

18 / 29

#12. West Acres Shopping Center

- Rating: 4.3/5 (124 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
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Tripadvisor

19 / 29

#11. Missouri River

- Rating: 4.4/5 (145 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
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Tripadvisor

20 / 29

#10. Laughing Sun Brewing Co.

- Rating: 4.6/5 (115 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

21 / 29

#9. Fort Union Trading Post

- Rating: 4.4/5 (166 reviews)
- City: Williston North
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Tripadvisor

22 / 29

#8. North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (660 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

23 / 29

#7. Drekker Brewing Company

- Rating: 4.6/5 (98 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

24 / 29

#6. North Dakota State Capitol Building

- Rating: 4.3/5 (323 reviews)
- City: Bismarck North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

25 / 29

#5. Red River Market

- Rating: 4.9/5 (146 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

26 / 29

#4. Scandinavian Heritage Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (378 reviews)
- City: Minot North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

27 / 29

#3. Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (464 reviews)
- City: Fargo North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

28 / 29

#2. Enchanted Highway

- Rating: 4.6/5 (314 reviews)
- City: Regent North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor

29 / 29

#1. Painted Canyon Overlook

- Rating: 4.7/5 (279 reviews)
- City: Theodore Roosevelt National Park North
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.