Beginning Wednesday, May 16, visitor hours will change at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center near Williston. From May 16 to September 15, summer hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Central Time, seven days a week, will be in effect. The museum will follow winter schedule hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Central Time, Wednesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 16 through May 15.
Located 22 miles southwest of Williston, the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center is considered part of the Fort Buford State Historic Site, also managed by the state’s history agency, the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The center is open year-round, except for New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $5/adult, $2.50/child, ages 6-15, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Admission is half-price from September 16 through May 15. The fee also covers admission to the Fort Buford State Historic Site, located mile west of the Confluence Center. Visitors to the Confluence Center will see the exhibit, The Art of Einar Olstad. Inspired by the people, scenery, and ranch life of the Dakota Badlands, rancher and artist Einar Olstad (1878-1955) captured the essence of the American West in his whimsical and often humorous portrayals of the Dakota cowboy. In addition to a wide selection of his evocative paintings, objects relating to ranching life in the 1930s are on display.
A permanent exhibit in the Field Officer’s Quarters at the Fort Buford site explores the life of a frontier military officer at Fort Buford and also examines the role of women at an army post. Life by the Bugle features several objects original to Fort Buford’s days as a military post from 1866 to 1895. The Field Officer’s Quarters will open for the visiting season Tuesday, May 15.
The Confluence Center also includes a meeting room, rotunda and an open plaza facing the Confluence. The meeting room is available for use during and after operating hours. Equipment is available for no charge, including a slide projector, overhead, screen, easel with white board, public address system, and a coffee percolator. The rotunda and open plaza are available to groups after operating hours only. A $25 security fee is charged for after hours use, with a minimum use requirement of two hours.
Free admission to all sites administered by the State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND), http://www.history.nd.gov is one of the many benefits for members of the SHSND Foundation. Others include a 15 percent discount on museum store purchases, and the quarterly publications, North Dakota History and Plains Talk. To become a member, call the Foundation at 701.222.1966 or visit the website at http://www.statehistoricalfoundation.com.
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