Valley City, ND: 5 fun and unique ways we enjoyed our visit!

May 2024: We stopped by the historic downtown of Valley City, ND (pop.6,575*) and were very impressed with the wide variety of things to do in see by foot, as well as in the nearby area. I liked the fact that the downtown was away from the highway, so traffic speeds were very pleasant. We walked through their well-done museum (free w/a donation), shopped in a couple stores and snacked at the local coffee shop. I also walked beyond downtown and enjoyed seeing the wide variety of homes, businesses, churches, schools, city and county buildings adjacent to the downtown. We noticed a number of things that surprised us! Including the significant construction underway – clearly Valley City has a LOT going on!

Valley City is a city in and the county seat of Barnes County, North Dakota, United States. It is the 12th most populous city in ND.

Valley City – A Brief History

Valley City was established in 1874 with the building of a railroad station. The town was originally named Worthington after the town’s promoter, George Worthington. The present name is for the city’s location in the valley of the Sheyenne River. A post office was established under the name Worthington in 1874, and has continued to operate under the name Valley City since 1878. Valley City was incorporated in 1883. When a town is built around a winding river, bridges become very necessary – Valley City was soon to become known as the City of Bridges, capturing the attention of tourists since its early days.

Historical Trivia! Valley City library

A Carnegie Library opened in Valley City in1903 through the efforts of the “Tuesday Club,” a local women’s organization. 

A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. A total of 2,509(!) Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, of which 1,689 in the United States. At first, Carnegie libraries were almost exclusively in places with which he had a personal connection (birthplace in Scotland and the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, his adopted hometown). Eventually, Carnegie increased funding to libraries outside these areas until very few of the towns that requested a grant, committing to his terms for operation and maintenance, were refused. By the time the last grant was made in 1919, there were 3,500 libraries in the United States, nearly half of them Carnegie libraries, including the Valley City library.

Our 5 favorite reasons to explore more in Valley City

#1. Vibrant historic downtown!

We love a vital and charming historic downtown! The Valley City Main Street has many shops as well as some of our favorite kinds of Third Place – coffee shops, a microbrewery – and a (free!) museum with a dinosaur!

• Alley Beans Coffee & Roastery – Google Maps – yum! good coffee and bakery goods
• The Vault – Google Maps – Love this unique concept! a “third place” in an old bank building. It has lots of tables, books and coffee paid for via a donation. It is also a Center for the Arts!
• Wild Prairie Bakery – Google Maps
• Brockopp Brewing – Google Maps
• Barnes County Historical Society Museum – Google Maps – this free (donation requested) museum is the home of Gundy the Triceratops as well as a variety of other well-done displays!

As a side note – Valley City is very walkable! The Junior High and High School, multiple grocery stores and so many Churches all easily walkable from a business-rich downtown area.

#2. Tour the “City of Bridges”… there are 8 of them, all photo worthy with unique history!

• Historic Bridges Tour – visit this blog with everything you need to know about all 8 bridges! The most well-known bridge is the Hi-Line Railroad Bridge.
  • Hi-Line Railroad Bridge – Google Maps – Originally called the High Bridge, the Hi-Line Bridge is a historic railroad bridge located over the Sheyenne River. Construction work began on July 5, 1906, and it was ready for service on May 8, 1908. At the time it was the longest bridge for its height in the world. It currently remains one of the longest and highest single track railroad viaducts in the United States, and was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2005

#3. Visit the many Parks … there are 7 of them! The most unique parks include:

• Chautauqua Park – Google Maps – “sand volleyball court, playground, barbecue grills and lighted horseshoe courts” – and an amazing view of the Hi-Line Railroad Bridge!
• Medicine Wheel Park – Google Maps – “30-acre Medicine Wheel Park, a stunning site overlooking Valley City leftover from a Valley City State University class project. The Native American solar calendar replica reflects the beauty of the Earth’s journey around the Sun. Wander the park’s nature trails and the perennial flower garden.”
  • Medicine Wheel: A large circle measuring 213 feet around; the 28 spokes represent the number of days in the lunar cycle. Six spokes extending beyond the Wheel are aligned to the horizon positions of sunrises and sunsets on the first days of the four seasons.

#4. Drive, hike or kayak – 3 major Trail Systems intersect with Valley City!

• Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway – “This Scenic Byway features 40 interpretive sites that give background on this area’s settlers and rich history throughout the years.”
• Sheyenne River Water Trail – “The Sheyenne River Water Trail is in the process of becoming a Nationally delegated Water Trail. With 199 contiguous river miles from the north end of Lake Ashtabula to the east end of the Sheyenne National Grassland, the river trail caters to ever level kayaker and canoer!”
• North Country Trail – The longest scenic trail in the United States system of trails!
  • North Dakota – North Country Trail Association – more information about the 460 miles of Trail in ND!
  • Map resource for the North Country Trail – “over 4,800 miles through different landscapes including grasslands, farms, forests, and communities, the trail runs through eight states including Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota.”

#5. Unique nearby attractions!

Our primary purpose of visiting Valley City was to enjoy a break on our way to the Nome School House Inn, about a half hour away. This is such an amazing place, whether you stay in their Bed&Breakfast, or just stop by for a look around and visit to their fiber focused retail shop. Other unique attractions are also nearby… check them out!

• West (35 miles): The city Jamestown (pop.15,849*) has the World’s largest Buffalo Monument, live buffalo in a frontier Village and an amazing annual Kite Festival!
  • World’s Largest Buffalo Monument – Google Maps
  • Kite Fest – Discover Jamestown (discoverjamestownnd.com)
• Southeast (28 miles): Nome School House Inn and Event Center – “beautifully restored schoolhouse offers guests inspiring spaces where they can immerse themselves in the kind of peace and tranquility that is unique to rural North Dakota.  Nestled on the edge of the small community of Nome, our fiber arts retreat center proudly boasts our state’s agriculture heritage.”
  • Nome Schoolhouse Inn and Event Center – Google Maps
  • See photos below!
• South (30 miles) Fort Ransom State Park – “Taking its name from a 1860s military fort, Fort Ransom State Park is located in the midst of the scenic and heavily wooded Sheyenne River Valley. The river provides abundant opportunities for canoeing, fishing and bird watching, while within the park can be found a short segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail.”
  • Fort Ransom State Park – Google Maps
• Northeast (38 miles): Ayr Cottonwood Cider House – “ND’s first Cidery, Cottonwood Cider House crafts its cider from apples grown by Cottonwood Farm. Located by Ayr, ND, Cottonwood Farm is a fourth-generation family-owned farm and ND’s largest commercial organic mixed fruit orchard.”
  • Cottonwood Cider House – Google Maps

More to Explore!

Local Events

• March: North Dakota Winter show – “celebrates agriculture with livestock competitions, agricultural exhibits, rodeo events, delicious fair foods, live music, and vendors. It fosters community connections and offers entertainment for all ages”
• Summer Nights on Central – “a series of fun, family-friendly events located right on Central Avenue in Valley City! Not only are businesses encouraged to be open after hours for late night shopping, but there will also be delicious food vendors, rockin’ live music, and games. Focused on encouraging community engagement, this event is completely FREE. Come Downtown Valley City this summer!
• June: Community days | rally in the valley – a weekend event filled with exciting activities, including a parade, car show, food and craft vendors, shopping, and various other events.
• July: Valley City Parks and Rec July Celebration – celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month! Enjoy free community events like the BBQ pulled-pork cookoff, City Park Block Party, and Safety in the Park. You can also try out free fitness classes like Yoga in the Park and Outdoor Aquafit!
• August: Sheyenne Riverfest – “Sheyenne RiverFest is the paddlers’ ultimate adventure! Begin the day with a scenic float on the Sheyenne River Water Trail and end at Chautauqua Park where there will be food trucks in addition to a craft and vendor show!
• September: Homecoming – “Come out to support the Valley City Public School Hi-Liners and Valley City State University Vikings during their homecoming celebrations! Featuring parades, sporting events, community events, and fun for the whole family – show your school spirit!”
• October: Parktober Festival – based in Chautauqua Park, this festival is “a lively fall celebration featuring inflatables, sand volleyball, corn pits, games, tractor rides, pumpkin patches, and fall brews. Embrace the autumn spirit with family-friendly activities and seasonal delights”

Valley City State University

Valley City State University – “a 55-acre campus founded in 1890 as a teacher’s college, today offers more than 65 undergraduate programs in art, business, communication arts, computer systems and software engineering, education, kinesiology and human performance, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, social science, and technology education.”

• Valley City State University Heat Plant – Google Maps
• Valley City State University Planetarium – Google Maps
• Center for the Arts | Valley City State University (vcsu.edu)

More Visitor and Business Information

• Home – Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce (valleycitychamber.com)
• HOME | Valley City – Barnes County Development Corporation | North Dakota (developvcbc.com)
• Visit Valley City | Valley City Tourism | Valley City
  • Valley City Tourism – Google Maps – Rosebud Visitors Center, downtown Valley City
  • Welcome to Valley City – see for yourself the many things to do and see in the Valley City area with this e-copy Visitors Guide!

Map of Valley City

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