Chateau de Mores - Medora, North Dakota

Chateau de Mores - Bismarck North Dakota

The Chateau de Mores State Historic Site is located on the edge of Medora, North Dakota. It is a site that is part of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. This site is actually comprised of three parts. It is on 128 acres, and includes the Chateau de Mores, Chimney Park, and de Mores Memorial Park. The Chateau de Mores (1/8 mile west and 1/8 miles south of Medora), Chimney Park (west edge of Medora), and de Mores Memorial Park (downtown Medora).

This historical site chronicles part of the life of the Marquis de Mores. He was a French aristocrat who came to the Dakota Territory in 1883. His goal was to slaughter cattle, then pack the meat on refrigerated rail cars and ship it back east in order to give people a higher quality of meat products. The Marquis built a meat packing plant, bought cattle and the land for grazing, and employed area cowboys and other workers. He named the town where it was built Medora, after his wife. While the enterprise only lasted three years until 1886, the Marquis made quite a city of Medora, and the family was responsible for building churches, businesses, homes and a stagecoach line.

The Chateau is a rustic mansion of 26 rooms that the Marquis de Mores built for his wife and two children. They occupied the house during the summers and returned to New York during the winter. The meat packing plant burned down in 1907, but a single chimney stands as a monument to the entrepreneurial spirit that drove the Marquis. It is now called Chimney Park. The de Mores Memorial Park contains a statue of the Marquis that was donated by his sons.

There are several activities that go on at the Chateau de Mores Historical Site for visitors to enjoy. On May 18, admission is free to all historical sites in North Dakota in order to celebrate International Museum Day. During the summer months, History Alive! offers performances for audiences about the life of the Marquis de Mores and his wife Madame de Mores.

In July and August, visitors can go on a walking tour of historic Medora. A Public Fossil Dig is also hosted in Medora by the North Dakota Geological Survey and the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. There is also the Recollection of Murder and Mayhem in Medora which is an informational program that is held at the County Courthouse. Throughout the year, there are exciting events to educate and entertain visitors about Medora.

The Chateau de Mores State Historical Site is open from May 16 to September 15. The hours of operation are from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The last tickets for the daily tour are sold at 5:50 p.m. It is suggested that visitors plan at least an hour for the tour. The admission prices are $6 for adults, children ages 6 through 15 are $3 and children under the age of six are admitted free. There are special prices available for tour buses and student tours.

Contact: Medora Chamber of Commerce: (701) 623-4910

 email: shschateau@state.nd.us