The Bonanzaville open air museum in Fargo is one of North Dakota’s most important historical attractions. Even though I’ve visited a lot of prairie historical museums, there was still lots to see and learn.
Indeed, Bonanzaville has 43 historic buildings on site, and more than 400,000 artifacts displayed on the 12 acres that belong to the museum. Well organized into streets, the museum is easy to navigate. The buildings take visitors through the typical rural, agricultural exhibits with some extras thrown in.
What’s in the Bonanzaville Museum?
Bonanzaville Museum gets its name from the Bonana Farms of the mid-1800s. Thus, a lot of its focus is on the history of North Dakota agriculture.
According to the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the Great Dakota Boom of 1878-1887 was the busiest period of Euro-American settlement on the Northern Plains.
When I visit museums, I’m always looking for pieces a little out of the ordinary. In Bonanzaville, that turned out to be the commercial diary.
Fast Fact: Did you know that butter was originally packed into square wooden boxes, chilled, then sliced with thin wires (like a cheese cutter) into long thin chunks to sell? I hadn’t!
Linda’s Pick of the Displays at Bonanzaville
While I was less fascinated, David spent a lot of time going through the bobcat display (headquarters in West Fargo, ND) in the Melroe Tractor Building.
There were lots of machines and information about these skidsteers that didn’t start out quite as small and maneuverable as they are today.
Another favorite for both of us was the Moum Agricultural Building, where the world’s largest bulldozer, and the first Steiger tractor ever built, sat. The bulldozer fascinated David, as he’d already heard many stories about it working in the coal fields back in Saskatchewan, in Estevan.
And of course, for a boy who grew up on the farm, the Steiger (originally built in Minnesota, but headquarters moved to Fargo in 1969) was something he had to check out.
Eagles Air Museum
The Bonanzaville museum showcases more than agricultural and rural history. It also has 20+ planes in the Eagles Air Museum, dating from 1911 to 1975.
“The Governor’s Plane,” a C-47 that flew in the D-Day invasion, is its main attraction. Fargo has been home to an air force base, the 119th Wing (119 WG) squadron, for 60+ years.
How Did North Dakota Bonanza Farms Get Their Name?
Many of us think of gold when we hear the word Bonanza. In fact, the term came from the Spanish, and meant “a rich lode,” according to the online etymology dictionary. The first use of bonanza with this definition is documented as 1844, which coincidentally is the start of the gold rush fever that consumed North Americans until the end of the 1800s.
Fast Fact: The wealth on Bonanza farms, however, didn’t come from minerals, although it did come from the ground and was “gold.” Indeed, Bonanza farms were enormous dirt farms that grew golden fields of wheat.
Most were situated along the Red River, which flows for 550 miles through North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba. And yes, while Bonanza farms, like gold strikes, meant that someone hit it rich, there’s a lot more to the story.
Over the years, North Dakota has been home to 91 Bonanza farms, according to True West Magazine. While the farms were all supersized, some were much larger than others. In fact, they ranged from 3,000 to 200,000 acres each in an era when North American farms were around 160 to 320 acres.
[A version of this article was first published in the online publication, guide2travel.]
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
If you find the idea of Bonanza farms intriguing, you can visit one just 50 miles away from Fargo — the Bagg Bonanza Farm in Mooreton, ND. It’s right off I-29.
There’s also lots to do in the Fargo area. I enjoyed the Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County – Hjemkomst Center with its feature full-scale ship modeled after the Gokstad burial ship. And while it’s a model, the ship has sailed to Norway and back, so it’s no stranger to water.
We also really enjoyed the Fargo Air Museum, which is located near Hector International Airport.
How Do You Visit Bonanzaville?
Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota, and the adjacent cities of West Fargo, North Dakota, and Dilworth, Minnesota, form the core of the Fargo–Moorhead, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The MSA is at the junction of the two Interstate highways, I-29 and I-94.
Learn more about visiting Fargo / Moorhead.
Bonanzaville is located just outside West Fargo at 1351 Main Avenue W. Bonanzaville, USA is owned and operated by the Cass County Historical Society.
The museum typically opens in May (limited hours) and closes after the summer season (full hours) at the end of September (limited hours). For information on operating hours and admission fees, as well as upcoming events at Bonanzaville, see:
Bonanzaville
Bonanzaville Facebook Page
Discover More History Museums
- Compelling NC History at Museum of New South
The Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, North Carolina, focuses on changing exhibits that foster empathy, ignite dialog, and inspire action. It aims to create a stronger, more equitable community. - 1860s Dolls to Local Legends: Texas Museum
The Jefferson Historical Museum in Jefferson, Texas, preserves the town’s heritage as a bustling riverport town. It’s located in the town’s original 1888 Post Office and Federal Court House. - Eye-Opening Museum of the Fur Trade: NE
The Museum of the Fur Trade has a collection of over 6000 primary objects and a 10,000 volume library. Extensive amounts of information are provided with the objects. - Rich Lifestyles in 1880s Saskatchewan – Historic Site
Discover how young English squires lived, while pioneers were breaking the land, with a visit to Cannington Manor. There’s a small museum as well as restored site buildings. - Fascinating Mystic Seaport Museum: Connecticut
The Mystic Seaport is a maritime museum dedicated to the history of whaling. Its impressive ship collection includes the Charles W. Morgan last wooden whaleship in the world. - World’s Largest Bulldozer to a D-Day Plane in ND Museum
The open air museum, Bonanzaville, in Fargo, North Dakota, has 43 historic buildings. It contains typical rural & agricultural exhibits with some extras. - Old West Lives Again in a Montana Museum
Visit the Range Riders Museum in Miles City, Montana, for a real old west experience. Created by working cowboys, it tells the story of the West.
References
Bommersbach, J. (2014). The last Bonanza farm. TrueWest. Retrieved from https://truewestmagazine.com/the-last-bonanza-farm/
Farms in North Dakota: A historical context. (2014). Bismarck, ND: State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved from https://www.history.nd.gov/hp/PDFinfo/Farms-in-North-Dakota-Part1.pdf
Goerger, V. V. (2016). A century of life on the Bagg Farm and Red River Valley. Fargo: Knight Printing.
National Historic Landmark Designation: BAGG, FREDERICK A. AND SOPHIA, BONANZA FARM. (2005). United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Retrieved from https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/ccaecbfb-b034-4985-b425-9ff38fa594fa
guide2museums.com 