"Those who are alive receive a mandate from those who are silent forever. They can fulfill their duties only by trying to reconstruct precisely things as they were and by wresting the past from fictions & legends." -Czeslaw Milosz
Welcome
Mandan, a railroad town from the start, our hometown adds to its legacy with more commercial and industrial diversity. You are welcome to explore our website and share in our history.
Museum Open for the 2022 Season....
The Mandan Historical Society resumes its seasonal operation of a local historical museum. It is currently staffed on weekends fro 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM through Labor Day 2021. The museum is located on the grounds of the ND State Railroad Museum.
Note the earlier closing time new this year.
"On-demand" tours for specific groups can also be accommodated with prior arrangements. Contact the office at least 7 days in advance via email or telephone.
Individuals and group volunteers are needed to staff the museum. Training will be provided. Please contact the office by telephone or email. All are welcome.
Our annual event - History Harvest 2022 - will be held this year on Sunday August 7 (weather permitting) near the Society's museum on the grounds of the ND State Railroad Museum.
Volunteers will be available to interview guests for oral histories, photograph artifacts and scan photographs artifacts relating to Mandan's history.
Refreshments will be available for kids of ALL AGES.
The information gathered will be preserved in the MHSoc archives and made available for research by members, and/or used on its website or used in future museum displays.
Contribute your stories, photos, or artifacts, stay connected and reach out! Contact our Collections Director if you have photos, audio recordings, or other files that will help document our experiences.
New this year, a "hands-on" activity. Participants (Ages 6 to 96) will make their OWN BUTTER from cream with their own small-scale apparatus similar to the pioneers. How? Join us for the instructor-led demonstration. Limited space/pre-registration required for the hands-on portion, but all are welcome to watch. Email info@mandanhistory.org to reserve a spot.
Mandiana Joan
Also new this year will be the introduction of two special mascots for the kids of all ages. The Mandiana twins just love exploring our city's history.
Mandiana Joan and Joan "head in hole" photo canvases will be set up on August 7 as part of our History Harvest 2022 celebration. Bring a camera and "picture" yourself as among the enthusiastic multitude striving to collect, preserve, promote and celebrate the history of our community.
Mandiana Joe
Operation of our website and online record database, and preservation of relevant artifacts needs more than the time and effort our volunteers provide. Please consider a monetary contribution to the Mandan Historical Society. Donations to our IRS part 501(c) organization may be tax-deductable.
While the city of Mandan is defined by its legal boundaries, the community and historical impact of Mandan knows no limits. Please feel free to express your comments and offer suggestions to our programs, activities and content of our website.
The MHSoc's museum and office is located at 3827 30th Avenue NW; PO Box 98; Mandan, ND 58554 Contact us at info@mandanhistory.org