International Peace Garden

State: North Dakota (and Manitoba, Canada). Type: formal botanical garden and international park straddling the U.S.-Canada border, north of Dunseith, Rolette County, ND, and south of Boissevain, Manitoba. Size: 3.65 square miles (9.5 km²). Established July 14, 1932, as a symbol of peaceful U.S.-Canada relations. Plants over 150,000 flowers annually; receives over 100,000 visitors a year.

The International Peace Garden is a formal botanical garden and binational park that straddles the border between North Dakota and Manitoba, sitting at the northern terminus of U.S. Highway 281 near Dunseith and the southern terminus of Manitoba Highway 10 near Boissevain. Established on July 14, 1932, as a living symbol of the peaceful relationship between the United States and Canada, the garden covers 3.65 square miles across both countries within the Turtle Mountain plateau. It features extensive formal flower displays, replanted with more than 150,000 flowers each year, along with an 18-foot floral clock, fountains, the Arma Sifton bell chime installed in 1976, and the 2,000-seat Masonic Auditorium completed in 1981. The park also houses the North American Game Warden Museum and a conservatory and interpretive center, and offers youth camps and other recreational facilities. Because the international border runs directly through the garden, visitors can move freely within its grounds but must clear customs when leaving, whichever country they exit into.

The garden sits directly on the Canada-U.S. border in the Turtle Mountain plateau, north of Dunseith, North Dakota (Rolette County) at the northern end of U.S. Highway 281, and south of Boissevain, Manitoba, at the southern end of Manitoba Provincial Highway 10. It adjoins Turtle Mountain Provincial Park in the Municipality of Boissevain-Morton, Manitoba, on the Canadian side.

The Turtle Mountain region has a continental climate with cold, snowy winters and warm summers; the garden's formal flower displays are seasonal and at their fullest during the warmer months. Summer daytime temperatures typically reach the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit, while winters bring sustained sub-freezing temperatures, so most garden and floral-display visits concentrate in the late spring through early fall period.

Summer (roughly June through August) is the peak season, when the more than 150,000 annually planted flowers and other floral displays are in full bloom and facilities like the conservatory, café and gift shop are on their standard daily hours. Shoulder seasons offer fewer crowds but a more limited floral display, and winter is far quieter with reduced services.

The International Peace Garden was established on July 14, 1932, conceived as a lasting symbol of the peaceful relationship and unfortified border between the United States and Canada. Straddling both countries within the Turtle Mountain plateau, it adjoins Turtle Mountain Provincial Park on the Manitoba side. Over the decades the garden added major features including the Arma Sifton bell chime (14 bells, installed 1976) and the Masonic Auditorium, completed in 1981 with seating for 2,000. It also became home to the North American Game Warden Museum, honoring wildlife conservation officers, alongside a conservatory and interpretive center and various camp and recreational facilities that have expanded the park's role beyond formal gardens into broader environmental and cultural education.

Visitors stroll the formal flower gardens and floral clock, view the fountains and Peace Chapel, and can ring or listen to the Arma Sifton bell chime. Hiking and biking trails, along with kayaking and canoeing, take advantage of the surrounding Turtle Mountain landscape. The Conservatory and the North American Game Warden Museum offer indoor exhibits, and the Masonic Auditorium hosts events and performances. Camping and cabin rentals are available for overnight stays, and youth camp programs run seasonally.

Key features include the formal floral gardens and 18-foot floral clock, the Peace Chapel, the Arma Sifton bell chime tower, the Masonic Auditorium (seating 2,000), the North American Game Warden Museum, and the Conservatory and Interpretive Center with its cacti and succulent displays. The park's location directly on the international boundary, with a marked border line running through the grounds, is itself a notable feature for visitors.

The garden is reached via U.S. Highway 281 from the North Dakota side (near Dunseith) or Manitoba Highway 10 from the Canadian side (near Boissevain). There is no commercial airport at the site; visitors typically drive in via personal or rental vehicle from Minot, ND, or Brandon, Manitoba, the nearest larger cities with regional airports.

As of research, the gardens were open daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; the Don Vitko Cacti & Succulents Conservatory and gift shop were open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; the café operated Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Thursday-Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; and the administrative office was open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Confirm current hours on the official site before visiting, as they can vary seasonally.

As of research, admission was $10 for pedestrians or pedal bikes, $10 per rider for motorcycles, $15 for military visitors, and $15 for passenger vehicles (off-season rate); an annual membership was $40 and a lifetime membership $500. Confirm current pricing on the official site, since rates can change seasonally.

Most visitors spend at least half a day exploring the formal gardens, chapel, conservatory and museum, with a full day possible for those adding hiking, biking or camping in the surrounding area.

The park itself offers camping and cabin rentals on-site. The nearby towns of Dunseith, North Dakota, and Boissevain, Manitoba, offer additional small-town lodging options, while Minot, ND, and Brandon, Manitoba, both roughly an hour or more away, provide a wider range of hotel choices for visitors wanting a larger town as a base.

The garden has an on-site café with its own weekly schedule (Monday-Wednesday and Thursday-Sunday hours differ, per official information). Beyond the park, Dunseith and Boissevain offer small-town dining options, with a broader restaurant selection available in Minot, ND, or Brandon, Manitoba.

Turtle Mountain Provincial Park adjoins the garden on the Manitoba side, offering additional lakes, trails and camping. The towns of Dunseith, ND, and Boissevain, MB, sit just outside the garden's respective entrances on each side of the border.

There is no direct rail, bus or airport service to the garden; the nearest regional airports are in Minot, North Dakota, and Brandon, Manitoba, both requiring a drive of an hour or more, and a personal or rental vehicle is necessary to reach the site itself.

Visitors should carry proper identification, since crossing out of the garden into either the U.S. or Canada requires passing through customs regardless of which side you entered from; check current border-crossing document requirements before your trip. Standard outdoor precautions apply for the hiking and biking trails in the surrounding Turtle Mountain terrain. For any emergency, dial 911 in either country.

A passport or other accepted border-crossing identification is essential, since visitors exit through customs when leaving the garden. Comfortable walking shoes for the formal gardens and trails, sun protection for the open floral display areas, and a camera for the flower beds and floral clock are also worth packing.

Because the park sits directly on an international border, confirm current passport or ID requirements before visiting, referencing the garden's own border-crossing guidance. Visiting in summer offers the fullest floral displays, since more than 150,000 flowers are planted annually for the warm-season bloom. Check the café's differing weekday/weekend hours in advance if you plan to eat on-site.

Dial 911 for any emergency on either side of the border. The garden's U.S.-side office can be reached at 701-263-4390, the Canada-side office at 204-534-2510, and an international toll-free line at 1-888-432-6733.

International Peace Garden - https://www.peacegarden.com

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.