Opening Day in the Badlands
Saturday, July 4, 2026 · Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library · Medora, North Dakota
On July 4, 2026 — America’s 250th birthday — the doors of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library open to the public for the first time. The Library sits on a mesa above the Little Missouri River, in the stretch of North Dakota Badlands that Roosevelt credited with making him the leader he became. Opening day brings two free events to that landscape: a morning dedication ceremony, and, after dark, a show written across the night sky in light.
Both events are free. Both require advance registration. Here’s how to be there — and how to make a whole holiday weekend of it.
Free · Advance registration required
Saturday, July 4, 2026 · 10:15–11:30 AM Mountain Time · Library campus, Medora
The morning begins the way Roosevelt’s West did — with horses, music, and open sky. Riders arrive on horseback. A fanfare rings out from the rooftop. Flags rise against the buttes. And the moment is marked, fittingly, with the crack of a ceremonial brand.
From there, the program builds. A blessing opens the ground. Voices rise in the national anthem, and speakers take the stage to mark what this day means — for North Dakota, for the country, and for the 250 years ahead. Then the doors open, and you walk in. The ceremony runs about an hour, start to finish, and ends the only way an opening day in the Badlands should: with everyone turning toward the Library for the first time.
Free · Advance registration required
Saturday, July 4, 2026 · 9:30–10:00 PM Mountain Time · Over the Library campus
“Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.” — Theodore Roosevelt
After sundown, the Badlands sky becomes the canvas. Eyes on the Stars is an aerial show that choreographs a fleet of drones into a moving portrait of Roosevelt, the American West, and the country he helped conserve — storytelling drawn in light above the buttes. Bring a blanket, find a spot on the prairie, and look up.
Admission to opening day is free. For those who’d like to settle in for the evening in style, the Boardwalk Hospitality Experience is a hosted package for two: a reserved place to take in the drone show, a curated picnic, and a set of keepsakes made for opening day. Drone-show tickets for two are included with every package.
Each package includes (for two):
- A reserved viewing area for Eyes on the Stars
- A curated picnic and beverage service for two
- A keepsake set: a signed, numbered, limited-edition Badlands photograph by Chad Ziemendorf; two enameled camp mugs; a US-made canvas tote; two caps with leather patches; and a waxed-canvas picnic blanket
- Dedicated check-in and hospitality support throughout the evening
- Drone-show tickets for two, bundled in
Only 250 packages available.
Enjoy a crafted meal for two from our on-site restaurant, Salt+Scoria. Your picnic includes:
- Flatbread with garlic and mustard green pesto, roasted summer squash, sumac pickled onions, greens and toasted pepitas
- Wild Rice Salad with toasted pecans, shaved celery, fennel, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes and cucumber topped with aronia berry and sage chicken.
- Cake duo box dark chocolate with chocolate coffee fudge icing & slice white velvet cake with Chantilly berry filling and butter cream icing
Make a Weekend of It (July 2–5)
Timed-entry tickets to explore the galleries on July 4 are sold out. The good news: tickets are still available for Sunday, July 5 — a calmer day to take your time through the Library at your own pace.
The town is in full swing for the holiday. The city of Medora is hosting public festivities in Chimney Park, July 2–5. The Medora Musical runs nightly, and the Pitchfork Steak Fondue is serving as always. Plan it right and you can take in the ceremony, the galleries, the drone show, and the best of Medora across one long weekend in the Badlands.
Know Before You Go
- Both opening-day events — the ceremony and Eyes on the Stars — are free, but advance registration is required for each. Space is limited, so register early.
- Registering for an event is separate from a gallery admission (timed-entry) ticket.
- Getting here: Medora sits just off I-94 in western North Dakota.
- The Badlands in July: warm days, wide-open sky, and not much shade. Bring water, sun protection, and a layer for the evening show.