Most likely, your only contact with Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota is through the Cohen brother’s dark comedy Fargo. But 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. While there’s no dramatic natural scenery in the area, a wonderful network of mostly wooded trails runs near and along the river in both cities. There are also a few museums and historic sites 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 touch the area’s history, although not as many formal historic sites 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 always changing selection of well-researched and engaging exhibits, a permanent exhibit on the Hjemkomst Viking-style ship, and the replica Hopperstad stave church.
The Society also manages the historic Bergquist Cabin and Comstock House located in other parts of Moorhead.
The Hjemkomst Center is open daily. Check their website for hours and admission charges.
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.
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 feature a nice mix of local, national, and international work. There are also a number of smaller galleries and shops.
Despite all of the colleges in the area, only Moorhead State University has a public gallery on campus. 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.
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.
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, a variety of fine art from regional, national, and international artists. Like the Plains, it often features work by local artists. It also has permanent exhibits of work by the gallery’s founder, artist James O’Rourke.
(Despite living in Moorhead for four years and regular visits since, I’ve never made it to the Rourke.)
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 include work by national, regional, and student artists. It is free and open to the public most week day afternoons, but may be closed during the summer.
Other places to see (and buy) art
There are also several art galleries in Fargo where local and regional art is exhibited and sold:
- Ecce Gallery exhibits fine art by regional artists
- Gallery 4 is an artist cooperative with a wide variety of fine art and craft
- Dakota Fine Art in Fargo is also an artist collective selling fine art.
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 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.
Concordia College is nationally noted for its music program. However, the only list of scheduled performances I can find is for recitals and festivals. It doesn’t include the annual Christmas concert, a drama-filled event with music by individual and massed choirs, the orchestra and 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.
Head to a park
Fargo and Moorhead both have parks and many miles of trails along the Red River.
Just outside Moorhead, Buffalo River State Park has trails that loop through both prairies and woodland. They also have a (man-made) swimming hole perfect for families.
Where is Fargo-Moorhead and how do I get there?
The cities of Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota share a metropolitan area around 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.
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.
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 truly great restaurants.
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.
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.
- HoDo restaurant or lounge: Great, interesting food served in a beautiful, upscale spaces. Amazing cocktails too. It’s been a few years since I last ate here, but it’s been consistently good over time.
- 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 great food.
But there are lots more that come highly recommended, including some less expensive options.
Fargo has also joined in craft beer trend, with 10 of the area’s 11 breweries operating in the city. With this many beers available, I’ve only tasted a few of them. But there are some good ones!
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.
- Usher’s House: This is a fancy restaurant in a new location (it’s right on Main now, so don’t let your GPS take you to the river). I had the fish of the moment and it was absolutely perfect. My dining companions were equally pleased with their meals. This was one of the best meals I’ve had anywhere in some time.
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 the most expensive hotel 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.
It looks fun and certainly seems worth a try if you can afford it. Check reviews and rates and decide for yourself whether or not to book a room on TripAdvisor or Booking.com.
The Radisson Downtown
As far as I can tell the Radisson was last renovated about 10 years ago. I last stayed at the hotel before that renovation. But even at that time, the rooms were large with wonderful big windows and great views over the city. (And the corner rooms were amazing!) However, it was owned and managed by sh*thole of a company and, after an episode of extortion during a snowstorm, I never returned. It’s changed hands twice since then, so I guess I can go back. Of course, it sounds like it isn’t really being maintained now. (Sigh.) Still, it’s in a great location and when I ate there a couple of years ago, the hotel restaurant did a nice brunch. (Hotel rates doesn’t include breakfast.)
You can check the reviews and decide for yourself if low price and great location outweigh regular maintenance. If so, book a room through TripAdvisor, Booking.com,or Hotels.com. Just keep your expectations in check for now and hope that another renovation is on the way.
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 stayed at the Residence Inn (a Marriott hotel) south of West Acres a few years ago and it was amazing. It’s designed as an extended-stay facility and is both highly functional and beautiful. With an almost separate bedroom, full kitchen, large comfy sitting area, large desk, and small table it was bigger, nicer, and cheaper than a lot of stand-alone Airbnbs I’ve stayed at. It was brand new when we stayed (2013) and we got a fabulous rate. (A rate so low for what they the promised that I expected it was a scam. Until I got there.) Today it’s one of the more expensive options outside downtown, but it really is several grades above anything else I’ve seen here.
You can read reviews for all the options in Fargo and book a room at TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia.
Hotels in Moorhead
Hotel options in Moorhead are very limited. A handful of mostly budget chains are located at the Highway 75 exit into Moorhead off I-94. A couple options also exist on the eastern edges of town, but there is nothing 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 TripAdvisor, Hotels.com, Booking.com, or Expedia to see what’s available in and around Moorhead and book a room. But give particularly close attention to the reviews.
Airbnb options in Fargo-Moorhead
There aren’t a huge number of Airbnb options in the Fargo-Moorhead area, but there are a few. And that may change with more condos and apartments being built downtown.
If you do find something you like and haven’t used Airbnb before, this link can save you $40 when you set up your account and make your first booking.
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.
Exploring North Dakota
