Summer Hours To Begin at Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center Near Williston

Williston, ND -- Beginning Saturday, May 16, visitor hours will change at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center near Williston. At that time, the Confluence Center’s summer schedule will take effect.

Located 22 miles southwest of Williston, the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center is open year-round. It 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. Now through Friday, May 15 it is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time, Wednesdays through Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. From May 16 through September 15, its hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. It is closed on 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 ½ mile west of the Confluence Center.

Visitors to the Confluence Center will see the exhibit, North Dakota Remembers World War II. Presenting stories of North Dakotans from all branches of the armed forces and their experiences worldwide, North Dakota Remembers World War II features World War II-era uniforms, medals, photographs, and other artifacts related to personal experiences in the war. The exhibit focuses its attention on North Dakota’s soldiers and civilians that were directly impacted by the war.

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 Saturday, May 16.

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) 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 www.statehistoricalfoundation.com.