Welcome to the beautiful city of Minot, North Dakota! Minot offers visitors and residents alike a vast array of exciting activities to partake in and attractions visit, ranging from Roosevelt Park Zoo to the annual Norsk Hostfest. The area is most widely known for the Minot Air Force base, located just north of the city, as well as being Ward County’s county seat. Enjoy all the benefits that come from living in the trade center for northern North Dakota, southwestern Manitoba, and southeastern Saskatchewan, as well as the fourth largest city in the state of North Dakota. Minot offers housing to fit every lifestyle, as well as job opportunities, excellent educational services, and a welcoming community. To start planning your visit, please visit the official Minot website http://www.minotnd.org/.

History

The city that would one day become known as Minot came into existence in 1886 with the arrival of the Great Northern Railroad. The railroad was forced to halt construction for the winter, with a town springing up practically overnight. The area was given the nickname of “Magic City” for the sudden appearance of a town. Over the next five months, the town grew to a surprising population of 5,000, further validating the area’s nickname. The town was eventually given the name of Minot after railroad investor Henry Davis Minot. The city of Minot was officially incorporated on June 28, 1887. In 1893, the landowners in Minot convinced the builders of the Soo Railroad Line to build their line from Valley City through Minot and up to Canada.

During its early years, Minot was a typical western boom town. During Prohibition, Minot was nicknamed “Little Chicago”, as it was a central hub of Al Capone’s liquor smuggling operations. These smugglers mostly used underground heating and delivery tunnels to smuggle and store the illegal beverages and today some of these tunnels can still be accessed.

The 1950’s brought with them the construction of the Minot Air Force Base, as well as the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River. Both of these developments brought jobs and a new wave of federal funding into the region, causing Minot to prosper.

In 1969, the Souris River flooded and devastated the city. Slowly, as the area was being rebuilt, the Army Corps of Engineers straightened the river’s path and built several flood control structures. To find out all this and more about Minot’s rich history, please click here: http://www.downtownminot.com/history/history.shtml.

Parks and Recreation

Minot is home to a dedicated Parks and Recreation Department that serves all of its citizen’s needs. Both visitors and residents alike can enjoy bowling, golf, basketball, scenic parks, softball, miles of walking trails, safe play areas, volleyball, ice skating, swimming, tennis, camping fishing and so much more! To find out more about the exciting outdoor activities and parks that await you and your family, please visit: http://www.visitminot.org/visitors/attractions/default.asp

Attractions and Activities

Events

Motor Magic
2005 Burdick Expressway East - Minot
701-857-7620
Website: http://www.motormagic.net
Email: info@ndstatefair.com

Nordak Racing Inc
P.O. Box 702 - Minot
701-838-6464
Website: http://www.nodak.com

Norsk Hostfest
1020 South Broadway
PO Box 1347
Minot, ND 58701
(701) 852-2368
(701) 838-7873 fax
Email: hostfest@minot.com
Website: http://www.hostfest.com

North Dakota State Fair
2005 Burdick Expressway East
Minot, ND 58701
P.O. Box 1796 - Minot
701-857-7620
Fax: 701-857-7622
Website: http://www.ndstatefair.com
Email: ndsf@minot.com

Y’s Men’s Rodeo
P.O. Box 69 - Minot
701-852-0141
Fax: 701-852-1806
Email: ymca@ndak.net

Downtown Business and Professional Association Official Event Calendar
http://www.downtownminot.com/events/events.shtml

Minot Chamber of Commerce Event Calendar
http://www.minotchamber.org/community/festivalsevents.shtml

Parks and Recreation Department Official Calendar