State Historical Society of North Dakota
08/07/2025 | Press release | Archived content
Military Gallery construction begins at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum
August 7, 2025
BISMARCK, N.D. - The State Historical Society of North Dakota, the North Dakota National Guard, and their respective foundations announce the start of construction on the Military Gallery expansion at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. This 70,000-square-foot addition will include a new Military Gallery, amphitheater, and infrastructure enhancements.
"We are grateful for the public's patience and support during this transformative time," said Bill Peterson, State Historical Society director. "This will help fulfill the Military Gallery's mission to honor, educate and inspire the public."
Kraus-Anderson Construction is now installing safety fencing prohibiting public access to much of the southeast quadrant of the Capitol grounds. This will impact use of the Capitol trail system. The Capitol Mall and west segment of the arboretum trail continue to be open as walking routes. Wayfinding information will be installed on the fences soon. The southeast parking lots will be closed to the public and will serve as the headquarters and staging areas during construction.
The ND Heritage Center parking lot, Capitol Mall, and Capitol visitor parking lot will remain open to the public.
Tree removal will begin soon to accommodate site work. Trees being removed include aging aspens and American elms showing signs of disease. Disease resistant trees will be planted to replace the trees removed, supporting continued preservation on the grounds.
The first impact inside the State Museum is the narrowing of the corridor leading to the James River Café. Public access will be maintained throughout.
More information about the Military Gallery, including maps and visitor guidance, is available on the State Historical Society website, bit.ly/NDMilitaryGallery. The ND Heritage Center & State Museum is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
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This map represents the southeast quadrant of the Capitol grounds. The orange lines represent safety fencing. Click image to open as a PDF.
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CONTACT
Kara Haff, Public Information Officer
701.328.3547
State Historical Society of North Dakota published this content on August 07, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 11, 2025 at 22:26 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]