Last updated on March 28th, 2026
Most likely, your only contact with Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota is through the Cohen brother’s dark comedy Fargo. But the Fargo-Moorhead area is actually a vibrant, art-filled community that is home to three colleges: Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSU or MSUM), and North Dakota State University (NDSU).
Welcome to the Fargo-Moorhead area!
I hope this travel guide for the Fargo-Moorhead area provides an incentive to plan a visit that makes the most of the region’s museums, art and culture, great food, and college events.
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Things to see and do in the Fargo-Moorhead area
With five colleges and technical schools between the two cities, the Fargo-Moorhead area has an active visual and performing arts community, as well as a lot of sporting events and lots of places to eat and drink. While there’s no dramatic natural scenery in the area, a wonderful network of mostly wooded parks and trails runs near and along the river in both cities. There are also a few museums and historic sites that interpret the area’s past. And, for college alumni or their parents, there is a full schedule of college sports and other events.
Learn a bit of regional history
There are several places to learn about the area’s history, although not as many as one might expect.
Clay County Historical and Cultural Society
The single best place to learn a bit of local history is the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead.
Operated by the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, the Hjemkomst Center includes a museum with an ever-changing selection of well-researched and engaging exhibits. Temporary exhibits have covered the 1918 flue epidemic to the long-gone local favorite Ralph’s Corner Bar – and pretty much everything in between. Permanent exhibits feature the Hjemkomst Viking-style ship, and the replica Hopperstad stave church.
This should be a must-see on everyone’s list. No matter what your interests are, you should find something interesting here.
The Hjemkomst Center includes a replica Viking-era church, a contemporary Viking ship, and a fascinating arry of temporary exhibits.
You can tour a full-scale replica of a Viking-era church at the Hjemkomst Center.
The Hjemkomst Center is open daily. Check their website for hours and admission charges.
The Society also manages the historic Bergquist Cabin and Comstock House located in other parts of Moorhead.
Other historic sites and museums
Somehow I’ve never gotten to these sites, but they are on my list for a future visit.
- The Fargo Air Museum: I’ve heard great things about this museum, which displays a range of historic aircraft in a couple hangers by Hector International Airport.
- Fort Abercrombie: The site of the first permanent US military fort in what would become North Dakota was recreated in 1940 and serves as a museum today.
- Bonanzaville: I’ve always thought this sounded too Disneyesque to be of interest to adults. However, with more than 40 relocated historic buildings and 400,000 artifacts, I think I need to check it out. It’s high on my list for a future visit.
- Baseball fans should check out the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo’s West Acres shopping mall. Maris, who hit a Major League Baseball record 61 home runs during the 1961 season, was from Fargo. I’m not sure there’s more than a glass display case, but it’s the only museum he’s approved that features him.
Downtown Fargo’s historic buildings
While both cities have a number of historic buildings, downtown Fargo has the most intact historic core. For a little information on what you’ll see, check this article on the stories behind downtown Fargo’s historic buildings or try this walking tour of Fargo.
See some art
The Fargo-Moorhead area has two significant art museums, both of which are usually free. They feature a nice mix of local, national, and international work. There are also a number of smaller museums, galleries, and shops.
(Despite all of the colleges in the area, only Moorhead State University seems to maintain a public gallery with regular hours. However, both the Plains and Rouke regularly host student and faculty exhibits, along with work by artists from around the region and across the world.)
An art bison outside the Rourke Art Gallery and Museum.
The Plains Art Museum
The Plains Art Museum would be a must-see stop even in a much larger city. This state-of-the-art facility includes several galleries, workshop space, and a nice little gift shop. Regular programming includes intriguing exhibits of fine art and craft by both well-known and emerging artists from the region and around the world. There is also a full schedule of classes, seminars, performances, and other events.
An exhibit at the Plains a few years ago.
The Plains regularly exhibits work by a mix of regional and nationally-recognized artists, including many Native American artists.
The museum is generally open Tuesday – Sunday. Entry was free as of fall 2019, but check their website for hours and current admission information.
Rouke Art Gallery and Museum
Located in Moorhead, the Rourke Art Gallery and Museum apparently has a collection similar in size and composition to the Plains, with a few ethnographic pieces along with a wide variety of fine art from regional, national, and international artists. Like the Plains, it often features work by local and regional artists. It also has permanent exhibits of work by the gallery’s founder, artist James O’Rourke.
A contemporary exhibit at the Rourke a few years ago.
The gallery and museum is open Friday through Sunday afternoons. It’s also open by appointment a few other days.
The gallery at the Roland Dille Center for the Arts
There is a small art gallery in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Exhibits seem to focus on artists with some link to the region. It is free and open to the public most week day afternoons, although it may close in summer.
A portion of a PR Szeitz exhibit at Moorhead State.
Other places to see (and buy) art
There are also several art galleries in Fargo where local and regional art is exhibited and sold:
- Gallery 4 is an artist cooperative with a wide variety of exceptional art in all forms.
- Dakota Fine Art (Facebook) in Fargo is also an artist collective selling fine art.
- Underbrush Gallery offers a carefully curated collection of fine art from across the region and nationally.
Watch for Studio Crawls and other events featuring local artists. These often include working artist studios, galleries, and studio and gallery space at the local colleges. In 2025, the University of North Dakota did a particularly fine job of opening up their downtown Fargo labs and studios to offer exhibits, demonstrations, and art for sale. Events occur thoughout the year, with the Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists, hosting a number events that let you meet, see, and buy work by artists in all media.
If you are attending a concert or other performance at either Concordia or Moorhead State, you’ll usually find a fine art exhibit in the lobby areas outside the main halls. (These exhibits change regularly.)
If you’re willing to go farther afield, Fergus Falls, Minnesota, is about an hour’s drive from Moorhead. The cute historic downtown is home to the Kaddatz Gallery. The gallery has a regular exhibition schedule as well as a continually changing selection of work by regional and national artists.
Attend a live performance
With three colleges between the two towns, the Fargo/Moorhead area offers more, and higher quality, theater and music than one might expect in a place of its size. That’s particularly true when it comes to theater and classical music.
If you like theater, you’ll probably find something of interest going on no matter when you visit. There are lots of active theater groups in the region. Concordia College also has an active theater season.
Concordia is noted for its music program. Check the list of scheduled performances for concerts, recitals, and festivals. (If you are in town in early December, don’t miss the the annual Christmas concert, a drama-filled event with music by individual and massed choirs, orchestra, concert bands, and the audience.)
The Fargo Moorhead Symphony Orchestra offers a full season of concerts at the North Dakota State University Festival Concert Hall. They also offer a chamber music series, a summer Symphony Rocks concert, and more.
FMBallet is a professional ballet company that performs in the region and nationally.
And, of course, in an area that is home to three colleges, you can almost always find popular music of all sorts in concert halls, theaters, bars, and even parks!
Head to a park
Fargo and Moorhead both have parks and many miles of trails along the Red River. Much of this area has been added to the original park system over the years as flood remediation and control, but the result is a wonderful shady preserve perfect for walking or biking along the river.
Just outside Moorhead, Buffalo River State Park has trails that loop through both prairies and woodland.
Fall along the river in Minnesota’s Buffalo River State Park.
Where is Fargo-Moorhead and how do I get there?
The cities of Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, share a metropolitan area along both sides of the Red River.
Travel to the Fargo-Moorhead area
Given the Fargo-Moorhead area’s distance from major cities, you probably won’t end up here by accident. But it isn’t that hard to get here either, and the area makes a great weekend escape or multi-day break on a cross-country road trip.
Fargo-Moorhead isn’t close other major attractions, but they are pretty easy to get to.
This makes a nice long weekend trip from many places in the region. And you can also easily fly there or take the train.
By air
Hector International Airport offers year-round direct service between Fargo and Chicago (United and American), Dallas (American), Denver (United and Frontier), Las Vegas (Allegiant), Minneapolis/Saint Paul (Delta), and Phoenix-Mesa (Allegiant).
Seasonal non-stop service is available from Atlanta (Delta), Orlando-Sanford (Allegient), and Los Angeles (Allegiant).
Of course, connecting service through these airports is available from almost anywhere.
While it is possible to fly to Fargo from other cities in the region, there are no other direct flights. That means prices are often very high and travel times very long.
By highway
Fargo is served by two major Interstate highways: I-94 running east/west and I-29 running north/south. Normal drive times are as follows:
- 3 hours from Bismarck, North Dakota via I-94
- 3.5 hours from either Sioux Falls, South Dakota, or Winnipeg, Canada via I-29
- 4 hours from Minneapolis, Minnesota via I-94
- 4.5 hours from Duluth, Minnesota
Bus service to Fargo is available on Greyhound and Jefferson Lines. Most routes from Minneapolis seem to go through Duluth, adding substantial travel time.
By rail
Amtrak’s Empire Builder also stops in Fargo, but the train arrives/departs at 2 or 3 in the morning. And, sadly, Amtrak is often delayed by freight rail through the region. Still, this is a good way to see some of the region without the long drive or make a stop as part of a long-distance trip through the area.
Getting around once you arrive
Like most Midwestern American cities, you’ll probably want a car — or at least a bicycle — to get around the Fargo-Moorhead area.
It’s possible to visit downtown Fargo or Moorhead without a car, especially if you stay right downtown (which is walkable) or near one of the colleges (where there is usually regular, frequent bus service). Unfortunately, the vast majority of hotels in both cities are located on the edges of town or along I-94, where transit service is often more limited.
While there are no downtown hotels in Moorhead, the area is easily reached on foot from downtown Fargo.
Eating and drinking
Way back when I was in college there really weren’t a lot of options for eating in either Fargo or Moorhead. Thankfully, that has changed completely. Today both cities offer a range of options. Some of which are truly great.
Eating and drinking in Fargo
Fargo’s restaurant scene is largely divided into two segments:
- Downtown has the bulk of the locally-owned restaurants, including most of the city’s fine-dining restaurants.
- Western Fargo, particularly the area around the West Acres shopping mall, is home to most of the city’s chain restaurants, from budget fast-food to fine dining.
- Brewhalla, located in a cool old industrial building, includes a brewery, food market, a variety of places to eat and drink, entertainment, and a hotel.
There is a wide variety of things to eat and drink at Brewhalla.
Restaurants change all the time, so be sure to check the latest reviews. But here’s a few that I’ve eaten at and loved.
- Blackbird Woodfire: A casual Mediterranean spot right downtown. It has good woodfired pizza, but the hummus is absolutely amazing.
- Rhombus: Also downtown, Rhombus has awesome pizza and some really great beers of their own and other craft breweries. I loved the Gorgonzola Pear pizza, but they’ve added more varieties since my last visit, so there are even more great-looking choices available.
- Jay’s Smokin’ BBQ is my current F-M area BBQ fave, but the small regional chain Piggy’s is also getting good reviews. (Get to Jay’s early or they might already be sold out of your favorite.)
- Granite City: A regional restaurant/brew pub chain with top-notch grilled items. It’s a cross between a casual grill and a fancy steakhouse with consistently good food.
- Looking for an exquisit pastry or brunch menu, Nicholes downtown can’t be beat.
But there are lots more that come highly recommended, including some budget options.
Eating and drinking in Moorhead
Moorhead’s only fine dining option used to be the Italian red sauce Speak Easy. That’s changed, with several truly wonderful options available these days.
I recently (summer 2019) ate at these two upscale spots and was impressed. Both are quite expensive and reservations are probably needed on weekends, but both are worth booking.
- Rustica Eatery and Tavern: Fancy Mediterranean-inspired food in a casual (and slightly noisy) setting. I did a mix of appetizers, all of which were good, and a salad that was wonderful.
- Moorhead has two bakeries that are getting rave reviews: Sifted and Sweet and Black Cat.
- At the other end of the spectrum, the local Village Inn is a long-time breakfast favorite for both egg dishes and giant cinnamon rolls.
- And there’s Mick’s Office, a dive bar just off the train tracks known for it’s burgers. At lunch freinds say you’ll find much the same mix of blue collar workers, college students, and college faculty that I remember from my college days.
Sleeping in Fargo-Moorhead
Despite being a college town, lodging near the colleges – particularly in Moorhead – is limited. Currently (fall 2019) there are no bed and breakfasts or small inns in the metropolitan area. Indeed, there is very little lodging at all in either downtown. Most hotels are located near I-94 and I-29 or (the vast majority) on the west side of Fargo near the shopping mall and assorted chain restaurants.
Warning: During the school year homecoming, graduation, football games, and other events can fill every room in town. If you are traveling from a distance and have a flexible schedule, check for lodging BEFORE selecting your travel date.
Hotels in downtown Fargo
As of summer 2019, there are two hotel choices downtown: The Radisson or the Hotel Donaldson. (There was a rather run-down Howard Johnsons, but that was demolished a few years ago.) Apparently, a new luxury condominium under construction downtown will also have a hotel, so another (upscale) option is on the way.
The HoDo
For some time now the Hotel Donaldson has been the swankiest hotel in the region, with stylish public spaces and artsy rooms. It used to be a flophouse before a multi million-dollar renovation and an infusion of contemporary art turned it into the hip place to be and be seen in Fargo. All of the rooms are decorated with original artwork and each is different. Of course, it is also one of the most expensive hotels in town. Thus, I’ve never stayed here.
It’s a luxury hotel, but the definition of luxury has changed over the last 15 years, and I can’t guarantee the HoDo has kept up. But then, the rates don’t seem as high as they used to be either.
The Radisson Blu
I’m looking forward to staying at the Radisson Blu. And it’s changed ownership and been completely renovated since I last stayed there many years ago.
(I used to stay at the Radisson in downtown Fargo regularly way back when I traveled for work. It was a little worn, but it had corner rooms with great views over the city and it was a few steps from where my meetings were held. I stopped staying there after a manager threatened me over the rate I was paying. And haven’t been back since. But that was a very long ago, and the current owners have a great reputation.)
Radisson in part of the Choice Hotels group. If you aren’t collecting points, you can check reviews and book through Booking.com or Expedia.
Brewhalla Hotel
Looking for something a little more trendy?
The Brewhalla brewery, food, and entertainment hall is also a hotel. While it’s not right downtown or near much of anything of interest to visitors, it looks very fun. And you can get all the food and drinks you need without leaving the building. (I so want to stay here some day.) Check out the reviews and book on Expedia.
Other hotel options in Fargo
The hotels outside downtown consist of the usual fungible chains and a few apartment-style options. Most follow the I-94/I-29 interchange to the north and west, with many clustered around West Acres. They are generally pretty fungible.
However, the area has what seems like an unusually large number of suite-style hotels. We’ve stayed at a number of these over the years and have generally been really pleased. Some of these are designed as extended-stay facilities that are both highly functional and spacious — almost like having a studio appartment.
The impressive kitchen at a Marriott chain all suites hotel we stayed at years ago.
There are new hotels of all types popping up all over Fargo, but particularly on the western side of the city. (The Fargo-Moorhead area is expanding in all directions as the region continues to grow.) You can read reviews for all the options and book a room at Booking.com, or Expedia. (In this case, Expedia seems to have a better search function.)
Hotels in Moorhead
Although new hotels are going up in Moorhead too, the options are still much more limited. A handful of chains — some new, some in need of updating, none fancy — are located at the Highway 75 exit into Moorhead off I-94. A couple options also exist as you come into town and on the eastern edges of town, but there is nothing right downtown.
If you’re want to stay in Moorhead, check the map view as you search, as some options in Fargo might be closer than ones in Moorhead itself. But keep in mind that there is rush hour traffic in both cities and on the Interstate between them. There is also a very active railroad through both downtowns, which can cause delays.
Check Booking.com or Expedia to see what’s available in and around Moorhead and book a room. But give particularly close attention to both the actual location and reviews.
Other lodging options in Fargo-Moorhead
There never seem to be a lot of Airbnb and other private rentals available in the area. (I’m guessing that’s because so much of that ends up rented to college students.) But there usually are a few options. General lodging searches on either Booking.com or Expedia will turn up a few of these. On Vrbo, search separately for Fargo and/or Moorhead to see the most options.
Links to more inspiration and information
The Fargo-Moorhead tourist office offers a wide variety of information in a useful and engaging form.
The City of Fargo has a page with a brief history of the city and links to additional resources.
