The Peace Garden State has a wide variety of places to see. You’ll also find plenty of unique things to do in North Dakota. Beautiful nature, impressive architectural structures, and historic small towns are all examples of some of the best places that North Dakota has to visit. But what about the more unusual side of things? The following is an array of weird places in North Dakota, and you’ll certainly want check each one of them out.

1.'Fargo' Wood Chipper - Fargo

Wood Chipper from "Fargo", 2001 44th St S, Fargo, ND 58103, USA
Fargo-Moorehead CVB/Flickr
Do you want to get your picture shoving a leg into the real movie prop from Fargo? I mean, who wouldn't, right? Although the wood chipping scene in the movie was in Minnesota and not North Dakota, the actual authentic wood chipper prop from the movie has found its way to the visitor's center in Fargo where you can pose for pictures while wearing a cool hat. It may be a little strange to greet visitors to the city with, but hey, it's famous. I'll admit it, I think it may be one of the weirdest places in North Dakota - the chipper has its own Facebook page! - but kind of neat at the same time.

2. Paul Broste Rock Museum - Parshall

Paul Broste Rock Museum, 508 Main St, Parshall, ND 58770, USA
PhotoCrawler/Tripadvisor
This museum is exactly as it sounds, no surprises here. It's dedicated to rocks, specifically one man's collection of rocks, most of which were cut and polished into spheres. From the rarest samples to the local granite the actual museum was built out of, this place is full of samples and is actually quite a sight to behold. And it definitely takes the cake as the most unusual museum in North Dakota. It's fascinating, but it's also definitely a bit different, earning its reputation as one of the most unique places in North Dakota.

3. Old Armory - Williston

Old Armory, 320 1st Ave E, Williston, ND 58801, USA
Jerrye & Roy Klotz/Wikimedia
I guess having a castle-like design seems most fitting for an armory, especially one known as the Old Armory. This place in Williston may cause some double takes when you first see it. It was built in 1915, which was way after the time of castles, but this design was actually kind of popular for armories during that time. Regardless, it definitely stands out but is still in use for various things today. It's a pretty cool piece of history, even if it's not your average type of architecture.

4. McHenry Railroad Loop - McHenry

McHenry, ND 58464
Google maps
This place is definitely a unique hidden gem in North Dakota that is often forgotten. Even its construction was puzzling to people at first. Though they knew the railroad would reach the end of the line in McHenry, instead of going for the cheap option of putting in a railroad turntable, they made a huge loop for the trains to turn around with. Believe it or not, the town was named after the man who designed this loop - E.H. McHenry. This also ended up being the town's biggest attraction for many years after the railroad left the town, loop and all, and they decided to open it for rides. Unfortunately, the upkeep of the loop proved to outweigh the profits resulting in the loop and the station at the beginning being auctioned off some years ago. Today, it is slowly decaying but is still visible via satellite imagery. In the spring, it is usually partially covered by the lake next to it. There is no other place like it pretty much anywhere else.

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5. Grand Sky Drone Park - Grand Forks

Emerado, ND 58228, USA
Google maps
This is actually a new drone park. It's also the first commercial drone park to exist anywhere and is located right in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It is used for testing all kinds of drones, both official and privately owned, large and small, and many businesses interested in drones can use it. There isn't any other place like it, but not many other places have big and beautiful - grand, you might say - skies like North Dakota does.

6. Vinyl Taco - Fargo

Vinyl Taco, 520 1st Ave N, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
Jesse White/Tripadvisor
A vinyl taco in and of itself does not sound very tasty, and the concept of this restaurant in general might confuse a passerby, but this place is actually super awesome! The interior is full of both retro and modern flair, plus neons, and it does serve both tacos and vinyl; that is, you get to listen to some great music played on vinyl while eating your tasty tacos. This place is definitely quite unique and a bit unusual, but all kinds of great at the same time. Its food is top notch and well worth a trip, even if this oddity might put you off at first glance. Don't judge a book, or should we say record (or a taqueria), by its cover!

7. Safeguard Missile Complex - Nekoma

Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, 81st St NE, Nekoma, ND 58355, USA
Craftsman2001/Wikimedia
This place is borderline creepy in some respects. This huge pyramid on the prairie is certainly one of the most bizarre spots in North Dakota, and its history and interior doesn't change that. It's actually a giant radar system surrounded by (now empty) missile silos in the ground, at one point ready to fend off any incoming nuclear attacks back in the Cold War. But even then it wasn't really used. It closed after just a few days of operation, and after months of construction along with millions of dollars put into its creation. This place is all kinds of crazy no matter which way you look at it.

Learn more about this eerie site in this YouTube video from Ghosts of North Dakota:

8. Art Moderne House - Grand Forks

Grand Forks, ND, USA
Ross Griff/Flickr
No house beats this one when it comes to out-of-the-ordinary architecture in North Dakota. It follows the art moderne style, which obviously hasn't ever been a popular choice in North Dakota, or much of anywhere else. Nonetheless, it is truly unique and adds a bit of flair to the neighborhood.

I didn’t know some of these weird places in North Dakota even existed. I might have to take a road trip and try visiting them all some day. There are some other unique places in North Dakota that are a bit more on the creepy side that I wouldn’t probably visit by myself, like these spooky ghost towns. You never know what a place may be hiding.

Have you been to any of these spots? Let us know in the comments!

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More to Explore

Weird Things To Do In North Dakota

Jennifer Young | June 03, 2022

What are three weird things to do in North Dakota?

There are many weird, yet unique things to do in North Dakota. From visiting quirky museums to having your photo taken alongside a woodchipper, the list is endless. Listed below are two of our favorite weird things to do in North Dakota. Don't forget to add them to your to-do list.

1. In Fargo, you can pose alongside the actual woodchipper used in the movie Fargo. You can even wear a cool hat while shoving a leg into the movie prop. This woodchipper prop is located at the visitor's center in Fargo.

2. In Jamestown, you can visit the "World's Largest Buffalo." This statue, which was built in 1959, is 26 feet tall and comprised of 60 tons of steel and concrete. People have been known to travel many miles to see this buffalo up close and to capture a picture alongside it.

3. In New Salem, you can visit the "World's Largest Holstein Cow." Salem Sue is the name of this Holstein cow statue, which overlooks I-94. Built in 1974, this fiberglass statue, which weighs 12,000 pounds and is 38 feet long and 50 feet tall, receives visitors from all over the world.

What's one of the weirdest places to visit in North Dakota?

A variety of weird places in North Dakota are just waiting to be visited. One of these places is the Paul Broste Rock Museum in Parshall. Of course, this museum is much more unique than it is weird. Paul Broste established this museum to showcase his many rocks and fossils. While at the museum, you'll get to view items from all over the world. From sparkling diamonds to shimmering opals, you'll see all kinds of beautiful rocks in this collection. There's also a dinosaur egg on display at the museum. The outside of the museum's building, which is covered in rocks, is just as impressive as Mr. Broste's collection inside. This quirky museum is a must-visit for geology enthusiasts of all ages. Children especially love it!

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