What Is the Billings County Courthouse?
This museum was formerly the main courthouse for Billings County, North Dakota!
What Makes It Historical?
Ten years before North Dakota became a state, the territorial legislature created Billings County and named it for Frederick Billings, president of the Northern Pacific Railroad! The seat ended up in Medora, the town built around the De Morès cattle enterprise in the early 1880s. Despite being North Dakota’s least populous county, it still needed a courthouse! After all, the Marquis de Morès himself was suspected of murder in this far-flung community!
The first building was part courthouse, part dance hall, but it was destroyed by fire soon after it was constructed. The replacement courthouse still has a first floor dating back to the 1880s, but it’s a repurposed residence, later remodeled by John Tester in 1913. Today, this is a museum about Billings County history with a huge collection of farm memorabilia and barbed wire!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer with the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation!
- Donate to the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
475 4th St
Medora, ND 58645
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM!