During your visit to this Pembina, North Dakota attraction, explore Pembina history in the Museum’s permanent and temporary exhibit galleries. The Museum’s Observation Tower offers panoramic views of the Red River Valley. In the Museum Store, you can shop for original Pembina State Museum gifts and keepsakes.
Permanent Exhibit Gallery
Follow the river graphic in the history center’s permanent exhibit gallery and discover 100 million years of history. Pembina was home to native peoples such as the Ojibwa, Dakota, Assiniboine, and Cree. It played a significant role in the fur trade business, which formed a new nation of people, the Metis, descendents of European traders and Indian women. Additionally, early fur trade posts and colonies led to the establishment of a river town, Pembina, and the scene of international politics and major transportation routes that served as a gateway of commerce between Canada and the United States. Interactive exhibits let you discover fossils from a time before glacial Lake Agassiz as well as stone and bone tools of the regions native peoples. Examine the Red River oxcart and other objects from Pembina’s fur trade industry. Learn about the diverse peoples who call Pembina home, including Native American peoples and Euro-American settlers. Explore the agriculture and transportation industries that continue to play a role in the economics of the Pembina region today.
Temporary Exhibit Gallery
Pembina State Museum regularly hosts special exhibits in its 1000-sqaure-foot temporary exhibit gallery. Special exhibits highlight specific topics in the state’s history and are drawn from the artifacts found in the collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Observation Tower
Ride to the top of Pembina State Museum’s 7-story Observation Tower, offering panoramic views of the Red River Valley. From the top of the Observation Tower, patches of green and dry, rusty brown flat farmlands contrast with the clear blue skies overhead.
Shop the Museum Store
Be sure to browse Pembina State Museum Store. Gifts and keepsakes including many handcrafted items made by North Dakotans range from note cards to fur trade items to wheat weaving and Native American crafts. Additionally, the Museum Store carries a wide selection of items that reflect and complement Pembina State Museum exhibit themes including books related to the history of North Dakota and the northern plains.
- Pembina State Museum is ADA compliant.
- Do not forget your camera. From the Museum’s permanent exhibit gallery to the panoramic views of the Red River Valley from the Observation Tower, there will be exciting photo opportunities you will not want to miss.
- Learn more about the area. Pick up information on Pembina and the surrounding Red River Valley in the Pembina State Museum.