We first visited Arena, North Dakota, a ghost town in Burleigh County, about 35 miles northeast of Bismarck, in 2004, and we’ve been keeping our eyes on it ever since, with the assistance of some kindred spirit adventurers who check-in from time to time to let us know what’s happening.
We’ve been told the tiny one-room school shown above was originally somewhere else, and that it was moved to this location. A different building, Arena Public School, was torn down in the 90s, but we got some photos of it thanks to Dale Fisher.
Above: Looking northwest on Arena’s only remaining street. There is more here than can be seen in the photo. In the overgrowth on the far left, the home below slowly succumbs to nature. When we first visited in 2004, this place was not nearly so subject to nature’s encroachment.
One of the reasons we chose to revisit Arena is because someone had tipped us off that, just beyond the home shown above, something new had appeared in this prairie ghost town–the home shown below.
Someone has recently moved this home into Arena, where it now sits on cinder blocks and wood cribbing. Whether the owner intends to live in this location, or is just storing this home here, we don’t know. After being a ghost town for over three decades, could Arena be on the verge of becoming an inhabited place again?
We’ve been told this little yellow house was the last inhabited structure in Arena, and that a gentleman named Mike Forth was the last resident. The house had apparently been uninhabited for some time before he moved in and lived here for a short time in the 1980s.
The interior of the yellow house looks much the same as it did when we visited 12 years earlier.
The former St. John’s Lutheran Church is the most prominent structure in Arena, and one of our favorites. We featured it on the cover of our book, Ghosts of North Dakota, Volume 3, and several friends have periodically updated us on the condition of this place over the years. When we first visited, one wall of the cinderblock foundation had collapsed. Today, things are much worse.
Both sides of the cinderblock foundation have now completely collapsed. It if weren’t for the row of columns supporting the center beam, this church would have imploded already into a heap of lumber. How long St. John’s can remain standing this way is still in question.
From a distance, it’s clear that gravity is beginning to take a toll on this old prairie church. How many more winters of heavy snowfall can it withstand?
Around back, the block chimney has collapsed like a stack of legos into the back yard.
We made a point to pause for a moment, to take a photo and one long look at St. John’s before we left, in case it’s no longer standing the next time we visit.
Distracted by the “Oh Wow” factor of the church, we never paid much attention to the grain elevators on our previous visits, but they are an attraction themselves.
It’s hard to imagine the days when train tracks split this landscape and locomotives rumbled through. You can see the remains of the railbed on satellite imagery, but on the ground, the elevator is the only clue that the railroad once served Arena.
With one school gone, and a church about to collapse, but a new home suddenly onsite, we’re unsure about the future of this place. How much longer for ghost town Arena?
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, © Sonic Tremor Media
Ghosts of North Dakota 
May 14, 2017 still standing. Everything looks about the same as your photos.
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I’m from Arena originally I wish there was some way to save that church because it’s abeautiful old building and it would be a shame to lose it
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June 7, 2017 Looks the same
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At some point in the future, I have to get out to North Dakota to check out some of the towns before they all fade into the history books. And a big thank you to Troy for a great website.
John M. from Massachusetts.
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Are any of St. John’s former members readers of Ghosts of North Dakota? I served that church as their Pastor from June 1963 into January 1966. People age and depart. Memories stay fresh and remain.
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Hi, my family Albert and Helen Heimbuck were members . My brothers Wilmer and Frosty ( Darrel) my Sisters Loretta and Millie had already left home. I am Brenda, you were pastor when my Mom was sick and conducted her funeral. My Dad has passed but the rest of us are doing well.
I married Kenneth Trautman Son of Harold and Annie Trautman who were also members. I remember you well and many memories in the church there.
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I wonder if I met you when I was a small child visiting Arena. I remember going to church at St. John’s as a little girl and polishing the pews on Saturday with my aunt Rose and cousin Verna Mae.
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Hi Lori: Your Aunt Rose was my grandmother and your cousin Verna Mae is my mother. I’m guessing your mother was my great aunt Martha and your father was my great uncle Bert. Your memory of visiting Arena was on a summer vacation trip from Chehalis, WA I believe. That was a long time ago and I barely remember that visit myself. What I do have very fond memories of are the various summer vacation trips my family took to Washington while I was a teenager in the 60’s. Mom is now 95 and living in Jamestown, ND near my brother Monte. I live in Billings, MT. I have made a number of comments on this website about my life in Arena if you are interested.
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Marlon, so good to hear from you! I definitely remember you and your brother from your trip out to Washington. I remember your mom and dad too but memories are a little vague. My Aunt Rose, your grandmother was very sweet and so was your mom. One memory I have of Verna Mae was that when we visited Arena once she gave us money to walk to the little general store to get something she needed for dinner but then told us we could spend the extra on candy! That was such a big deal for Jon and me. I read that post office and store burned down.
Our cousin Kathy told me about this website at Jon’s daughter’s wedding last summer. I can’t remember how many trips I made to Arena when I was young but I know we went once by train when I was in the first grade and by car when I was in 9th grade. There were probably more. I’ll read your comments on the website.
My husband and I live near Boulder, CO. We have two grown sons and 6 grandchildren. Time flies!
Lori
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What little I knew of Arena was from my sister who lived a few miles west of Arena in the Wing area. My sister told me the sad story of a tough little salt of the earth lady who ran a small general store / post office combination in near ghost town Arena. She made little money at her store, but was one of those people who just enjoyed serving the area people to help friends and just something to do. All this ended one night(80’s I think.) when some low life druggy’s who moved into the area decided to rob her little store / post office. They stole the machine to write postal money orders and burned her store to the ground to try to hide their theft. Brave elderly little Sophie(I think that was her name) vowed to rebuild her store and reopen it, but sadly that never happened. Loss of that little store / post office may have been about the last business in Arena. Thinking about that evil deed still bothers me after all these years.
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I remember visiting my aunt and cousin in Arena when I was a very small child. My aunt was Rose Wetzel, my mom’s oldest sister. (I’m now 65) My Aunt would give me money to walk to that store to buy candy. It was such a special treat! Fond memories.
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The church is still there as of August 26, 2018. The “new” house is still up on blocks and has at least one broken window—I didn’t get up close on it, but it doesn’t appear inhabited.
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August 2019, church is still standing, tilting a little more. House on bricks still there. Still empty.
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In 2017 I came to Arena from the north. I stopped at the cemetery which is about a half a mile northeast. It seemed to be several acres in size but was sparsely populated. The most common family name was “Eide.”
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Update from August 2022. The church has slumped forward slightly and the two side pieces along the steeple in the front have kind of popped off. It’s a poignant, striking scene.
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My mother was baptized and confirmed in that Lutheran church. I visited there as a child. Do you have a photo from your August visit?
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Hi Lori, yes, it’s the second photo here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-1Jh7ueL2/
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