North Dakota has many small towns, all with their own histories and characteristics. Some are well-loved for their quaintness and slow-paced living, but others might stand out a bit more. One local artist in the town of Regent was determined to make that particular quirky town in North Dakota stand out, and he definitely succeeded. This spot is now one of the quirkiest places in the Peace Garden State, and here’s why:
Regent, North Dakota - a small town in the western half of the state that has only 160 residents. Other than it’s good pheasant hunting, not many people thought to visit there, until a local artist decided to change that.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
The town was founded in 1910 when the railroad came through, like many other towns in the state. It is still a quiet, peaceful place to live, but with some unusual things that make it unique.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
It won’t take long until you spot what local Gary Greff has done to really put this town on the map.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
Right in Regent itself, you’ll find some of Greff’s metal sculptures and special buildings. He started developing the Enchanted Highway - a stretch of road connected to the town that would become world record-breaking - in 1989.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
The Enchanted Highway is a collection of the biggest scrap metal sculptures in the world. One of the sculptures even has a Guinness World Record for being the largest. Each sculpture has a pull-off area so you can park and gaze at these gigantic works of art for yourself.
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The sculptures range from huge grasshoppers to Theodore Roosevelt on a horse. Some of the pull-offs have extra fun additions like a stagecoach you can ride and take pictures in.
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Each piece of art is unique and fun to see. It’s like an entire tour of classic roadside attractions all on one gravel road.
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It doesn’t stop at the Enchanted Highway, though. Greff also took an old, unused school and made it into the Enchanted Castle, a castle hotel you can stay at. It has a medieval-themed steakhouse inside, too.
Patrick Banfield/Google
Don’t forget to stop by the Enchanted Highway gift stop and other local businesses and discover what makes Regent so quirky and fun to visit.
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Have you ever visited Regent before? It is located southeast of Dickinson, North Dakota, and is worth the detour to see. You can drive down the Enchanted Highway whenever you’d like – there are many more sculptures on it than pictured here.
Andrew Filer/Flickr
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Patrick Banfield/Google
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If you have a unique town you think more people should know about, nominate it here. In the meantime, check out these other lovely small towns in North Dakota that are worth a look, too.
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Address: Regent, ND 58650, USA
