Armstrong helps break ground on new Military Gallery at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today participated in a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction on a new Military Gallery at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, a fitting tribute to the state’s servicemembers and veterans.

“We’re committed to making North Dakota the most military-friendly state in the country, and this gallery marks another significant step toward that goal. It’s about honoring our rich military history and the citizens of our state who have served in every military branch,” Armstrong said. “Our freedom endures only because of their service. And that service is worthy of recognition every day with a world-class Military Gallery that honors and memorializes the men and women who have given everything for this nation and our liberty.”

Armstrong proposed funding for the Military Gallery in his executive budget proposal and today expressed his thanks to the 2025 Legislature for supporting the project with $15 million from the state’s Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund, a $20 million line of credit from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, and $4.2 million to repay a line of credit from the Bank in the 2023-25 biennium – all to be matched by nearly $39 million in private-sector contributions.

More information about the Military Gallery is available on the website of the State Historical Society, which is partnering on the project with the North Dakota National Guard and their respective foundations.