BISMARCK, N.D., May 21, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- In addition to North Dakota's stunning landscapes
and warm hospitality, the state's tourism attractions are committed
to ensuring accessibility for all. Whether you're a resident or
planning a vacation, the beauty of North Dakota both outdoors and
within many of the world-class museums is increasingly accessible
for everyone.
Here are a few highlights of accessible experiences in North
Dakota with accommodations and access for individuals with
mobility, sensory, vision and hearing challenges:
Statewide
The North Dakota Parks and Recreation
Department
With a commitment to ensuring accessibility for
all visitors, North Dakota's Parks and Recreation Department
recently acquired new equipment to bring greater accessibility and
inclusivity for all visitors to make for a fun experience. As of
September 2023, North Dakota is home
to the first park system in the nation to support color
accessibility in all of its state parks with EnChroma glasses for
color blindness, which enables users to experience the colorful
beauty of nature more fully in North Dakota's state parks.
Additionally, Lake Metigoshe State Park in Bottineau is one of 18 nationwide recipients
to receive a free-to-use Action Axis Trackchair to ensure people
with mobility challenges can enjoy the park's natural beauty,
recreational activities, and facilities. For those who want to
enjoy water activities, many of North Dakota's state parks are also
equipped with adaptive kayak and canoe launches, which provide a
safe and accessible way for all visitors to easily enter and exit
small watercraft.
Bismarck
North
Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum
The North Dakota
Heritage Center and State Museum is an educational adventure for
visitors of all ages and abilities. From a life-size T. rex
skeleton cast to a Mars spacesuit, to exhibits of rare pottery and
beadwork, 600 million years of North Dakota can be seen through
four galleries with accessible features and interactive
displays.
Fargo
Plains Art
Museum
Enjoy a family day at Fargo's Plains Art Museum with their
Low-Sensory Mondays and the Art & Autism: Shape + Movement
programs. Low-Sensory Mondays are on the first Monday of every
month from 2 until 5 p.m. when
sensory stimulants are lowered throughout the museum and attendance
is limited. The Art & Autism: Shape + Movement effort features
a 90-minute program which includes touring the museum and hands-on
artwork activities to explore color, shape, writing, drawing, and
body movement with the museum education staff.
Fargo Theatre
The Fargo Theatre offers cinema support
equipment for the hearing and/or visually impaired including
specialty headphones and personal receivers designed to make the
cinema experience inclusive for all. The headphones can either
amplify the existing soundtrack or play a special soundtrack with
audio description of the action on screen. The Theatre also offers
personal receivers that attach to a patron's seat and provide
closed captioning of a movie's dialogue and sound effects for those
with significant hearing loss.
Jamestown
The Arts
Center
Jamestown's Art
Center offers an Art for Life program, pairing the arts center with
a local elder care facility to provide intensive art and artist
interaction for the care facility's residents and their families.
The North Dakota Council on the Arts
(NDCA) drew on the work of Dr. William
Thomas to develop the program that provides daily
spontaneity and opportunities for growth that help alleviate
loneliness, boredom, and helplessness of those residing in elder
care centers. Ongoing grants from the NDCA and the National
Endowment for the Arts have allowed the Art for Life program to
grow from three sites (Jamestown,
Langdon and Pekin) to 14 elder care facilities in 11
communities across North Dakota. There is great variety in the
program offerings from a broad range of musical endeavors, poetry
reading, mural painting and yoga to the creation of ice fishing
decoys, ceramic vases, and instruction on kuchen making, weaving
and more.
Medora
Theodore
Roosevelt National Park
In the colorful canyons of
the western North Dakota Badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park should be a
must on your list. With accessible trails and viewing areas, this
park provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the
park's breathtaking beauty. Monuments like the Painted Canyon and
the Little Missouri River as well as wildlife such as bison,
horses, elk, prairie dogs, and other wildlife, are seamless to
experience for individuals with mobility challenges.
Historic Medora
The
Access Medora initiative creates
accessible experiences for visitors with mobility and sensory
challenges to enjoy the Old West charm of Medora with accessible tours, museums, and
entertainment options. Most recently, Access Medora installed a
high-capacity elevator at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre that has
made the Medora Musical even more accessible for people of all
abilities to enjoy captivating performances under the stars.
Minot
Scandinavian
Heritage Park
The only outdoor museum in the world that
showcases all five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, is located in the heart of
Minot. The park has accessible
pathways that wind through delightful gardens and traditional
Scandinavian structures, creating an immersive experience for all.
With audio tours, service animals, and total wheelchair
accessibility, there is something for everyone at the Scandinavian
Heritage Park.
Minot Outdoor Recreation Area
This beautiful spot is
the perfect place to go hiking or biking on five total miles of
trails and two miles of accessible paved and gravel trails
featuring a scenic view of the prairie landscape and diverse native
plants and animals.
Magic City Discovery Center
The Magic City Discovery
Center has entrances that are universally accessible to wheelchair
and strollers. The elevators provide access to all floors and
exhibits that have been designed for all abilities. On Friday
nights, Magic City offers Sensory-Friendly nights designed for
children and their families. Staff at the center have been trained
to create a fun, educational, and enjoyable experience for all.
Washburn
Lewis and
Clark Interpretive Center
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive
Center highlights the journey of Lewis and Clark with accessible
exhibits and educational programs. Additionally, the Washburn
Discovery Trail has a paved pathway that travels toward the
Missouri River and winds along its tree-lined bank, ending at
Riverside Park, where you'll find the historical Sioux Ferry.
For more on Legendary ways to experience North Dakota and the
accessibility options, visit NDTourism.com.
Follow North Dakota Tourism on Facebook at
facebook.com/TravelND, on Instagram
at instagram.com/northdakotalegendary/, on TikTok at
tiktok.com/@travelnorthdakota, or on Twitter at
twitter.com/NorthDakota and get tips on what to see and do all year
long.
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SOURCE North Dakota Tourism Division