Medora, North Dakota is the leading tourist attraction in the state, so perhaps it’s apropos the population is only 112. This is the biggest, most diverse little town you’ll ever visit — the hotel rooms outnumber the bedrooms in this town, and the streets are chock full — complete with antique and gift shops, saloons, museums, wildlife, scenery… the list is endless. But don’t expect the typical, there’s not a McDonalds or any other franchise joint for miles.
Medora is the epicenter of North Dakota Old West lore, boasting historic figures from Theodore Roosevelt, who came to Medora in 1883 to hunt bison, to General Custer, who spent some of his final days here. Painted Canyon is just down the Interstate. The badlands scenery in Medora is incredible, and there’s a little something for everyone, from the musical to the pitchfork steak fondue. There’s another gallery of badlands photos here. We will likely visit many more times, because there is waaaayyyy more to see.
Above: The Rough Riders (spelled with a space, like the sign above the door) Hotel in 2013. Below: that’s the same hotel, on the left, 99 years earlier in 1914.
Medora, 1914
Theodore Roosevelt once rented the room upstairs.
Board sidewalks in Medora.
St. Mary’s
Marquis de Mores
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, © 2016 Sonic Tremor Media
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Ghosts of North Dakota 
this is the stop coming into North Dakota we always make as the enjoyment of town that has the past still here. I walk the town as good way to get some exercise from the ride off the hiway. It is nice to see how much care is given this town by the state as well as the people that live in and around here. Thanks for all the pictures
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Medora is wonderful as is Thedore Roosevelt National Park. He would be proud.
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Lt. Col custer didn’t spend anytime in Medora, his short visit to the Badlands in 1876 predates Medora’s founding in 1883, but the Marquis de Mores should have been mentioned in his place. I love the area around Medora and south to the Logging Camp Ranch area.
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Medora is an awesome little town. I spent some time there during a summer while a student at Dickinson State College aka Dickinson State University. If the population is only 112 during the summer with the university students working there and the Medora Musical cast there, I am sure the population of the small town can get close to a thousand. One thing to be aware of is that prices are extremely high. I am not sure how the residents can live there year -around with prices being that high.
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Oh the memories this brings! My friend and I spent part of a summer working in Medora at the Chuckwagon Cafeteria. We loved the old west theme with the wonderful street concerts featuring music of Bob Wills (cover bands), and others. Had a lot of fun there, and went into the Ntl Park many times, getting up close and personal with the prairie dogs and once, before the park opened for the season, ended up being surrounded on the road by a herd of buffalo! Took us nearly an hour to convince them to move so we could continue on our way! Would love to return one day to see it again!
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I have stayed there with friends and family many times. More stories of the fun we had there than I have space to mention. It seems as though you have truly stepped into the past.
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My Grandparents are buried there.
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LOVED Medora when I lived in Dickinson during the LAST oil boom/bust. I always felt as if I went back int ime
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We went to an outdoor theater drama about 50 years ago that was great! Do tthey still have it?
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They still have it but it looks a WHOLE lot different now. We went about that time period too.
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The original name of the drama was ‘Old Four Eyes’.
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Some friends of mine played at the Little Mo saloon every year the weekend before the fourth of July and my sister lived in Beach so I went to visit her that week for several years. One year they stopped playing in the middfle of a song because a Norwegian tour group started singing their national anthem.
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