You’ll Love This Awesome Activity In North Dakota And It Won’t Cost You A Cent
If you’re traveling to the second oldest town in North Dakota to enjoy some outdoor winter fun this season, you’ll want to make a stop to another place just outside of town. Being as Walhalla is that old, it is no surprise that it also holds the very first trading post in the Peace Garden State that helped put it on the map for settlers over a century and a half ago. It is entirely free to visit for all ages and well worth the time. Check it out:
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
Trading was a big deal back in the mid-1800s in North Dakota, long before it was even considered the northern half of the Dakota Territory. The Gingras Trading Post is one of the last remaining original structures from this time in the state.
It was built in the 1840s by Antoine Blanc Gingras, giving it the name of the Gingras Trading Post - now a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located just outside of Walhalla, ND. At one point it was becoming heavily worn with time but has since been restored and continues to be preserved.
The site is open year round and is entirely free to visit. There are special days where performers will take you through the fascinating history of this place.
The site includes the log structure that is the actual trading post as well as Antoine Blanc Gingras's original home, which has exhibits inside. Both of which are full of history - history that is so important to North Dakota's story - and there is no original structure older than this in the state.
The Gingras Trading Post is open year round and you will be able to take yourself on a self-guided tour through the site. There is no admission cost whatsoever, so it won’t cost you a dime to visit it and take in some history. For more information, click here.
The site is located just 1.5 miles northeast of Walhalla, North Dakota.
Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
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