Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota and sits on the east bank of the Missouri River, a position that shaped both its founding and its character. It's not on most travellers' radar, but it punches above its weight as a state capital: the modernist skyscraper of the state capitol, nicknamed the "Skyscraper of the Prairie," is the tallest building in the state, and the former Governor's Mansion nearby is a handsome Victorian-era residence open for tours.
The North Dakota Heritage Center, attached to the State Capitol complex, is the main reason to stop — a substantial museum covering Native American history, the Ice Age, pioneer settlement and the state's natural history, all done well. The Keelboat Park along the Missouri River has a full-scale replica of the Lewis and Clark expedition's keelboat alongside sculptures of the Corps of Discovery.
The Missouri River is the town's best outdoor asset. A short drive south leads to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, where General Custer was stationed before his fatal expedition to the Little Bighorn, and where reconstructed Mandan earth lodges show how the original inhabitants lived. The Double Ditch Indian Village Historic Site, north of town, preserves the earthworks of a large Mandan settlement still visible on the river bluffs.