![Mastodon-nd-heritage-center](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Mastodon-nd-heritage-center.jpg)
The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, located on the
North Dakota State Capitol
The North Dakota State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of North Dakota. The capitol, a 21-story Art Deco tower, is located in Bismarck at 600 East Boulevard Avenue, and is the tallest habitable building in the state. On  ...
grounds in
Bismarck, is the state of
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
's official history museum. The original building, which was opened in 1981,
is operated by the
State Historical Society of North Dakota and features permanent and temporary exhibits. In June 2008, the museum, which has been called a "Smithsonian on the plains",
became home to a rare
mummified
A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furt ...
Edmontosaurus with fossilized skin.
Expansion of the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum finished with a grand opening on November 2, 2014, coinciding with the 125th anniversary of statehood. The expansion added 127,000 square feet of collections storage, labs, and office space, doubling the total size of the museum.
Overview
The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum is the federal repository for the state in all collection areas. It is home to the State Archives which is the official repository of state and local government records. It also houses the Johnsrud Paleontology Laboratory and the State Fossil Collection.
The museum features four galleries, two theaters, an outdoor amphitheater, cafe, a children's play area, and museum store. The museum hosts year-round events, programming, and conferences. It also publishes the North Dakota History Journal and several other publications.
Collections
State Archives
![Trex-triceratops-skeletons-nd-heritage-center](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Trex-triceratops-skeletons-nd-heritage-center.jpg)
The State Archives manages storage and preservation for books, periodicals, maps, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, oral histories and film.
Archaeology and historic preservation
Collections include millions of artifacts representing more than 12,000 years of human history from across North Dakota. There are also resources files critical to oil, coal, wind, road, and bridge contractors. A statewide network of 56 state historic sites is administered from the North Dakota Heritage Center.
Paleontology
Specimens include a gem, mineral, and rock collection and the state fossil collection containing millions of specimens ranging in scale from microscopic shells to huge dinosaur bones.
References
External links
North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum official website
History of North Dakota
History museums in North Dakota
Museums established in 1967
Native American museums in North Dakota
Museums in Bismarck, North Dakota
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Natural history museums in North Dakota