North Dakota Military Gallery Kicks Off 48-Stop Statewide Tour

Former UND football coach Dale Lennon leads effort to raise awareness and donations for new $78 million museum

Mar. 16, 2026 at 11:51am

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The State Historical Society of North Dakota is launching a 48-stop statewide tour in April to raise awareness and solicit donations for the new $78 million North Dakota Military Gallery museum, which is under construction and set to open in 2027. Former University of North Dakota football coach Dale Lennon, who is the executive director of the State Historical Society Foundation, will lead the grassroots tour to connect with communities across North Dakota and encourage them to get involved through monetary donations or by contributing personal military artifacts and oral histories.

Why it matters

The North Dakota Military Gallery aims to comprehensively tell the story of North Dakota's military history and the service of its residents, including the state's outsized contributions to national defense relative to its population. The tour is a key part of the fundraising effort to complete the $78 million museum, which has already received over $39 million in state funding.

The details

The tour will kick off on April 6 in Grand Forks and run through April 30, with stops in communities across North Dakota. Lennon says the goal is to inform the public about the new gallery and connect them with ways to donate money or contribute personal military items and oral histories. Donations of $100 can be made to have a service member's name added to a digital donor display at the museum. The fundraising effort is still $35 million short of its goal.

  • The tour will kick off on April 6 in Grand Forks.
  • The last stop on the tour will be on April 30 at the Bismarck AMVETS Post 9.
  • Construction on the $78 million Military Gallery began in July, with completion expected in 2027.

The players

Dale Lennon

The executive director for the State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation and former University of North Dakota football coach, who is leading the statewide tour.

Michelle Brislin

A senior consultant for PACE Fundraising, the organization heading up the fundraising effort for the Military Gallery.

Shirley Olgeirson

The state historian for the North Dakota National Guard Foundation, who says the gallery will cover all eras of war and the shared history of North Dakota National Guard veterans.

Bill Peterson

The director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, who believes Lennon's tour will have a significant impact in raising money, items, and awareness for the project.

Sen. Dick Dever

A Republican state senator from Bismarck and the commander of the Bismarck AMVETS Post 9, who says the tour has effectively given everyday North Dakotans an ownership stake in the new gallery.

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What they’re saying

“It's very grassroots. If there are five (people) there, that's great. I'd be happy with that, but there might be 50.”

— Dale Lennon, Executive Director, State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation

“One person, one family is looking for that piece of information that is supplied by someone else. It is a big puzzle that fills in all the pieces of the service of North Dakotans in every war.”

— Shirley Olgeirson, State Historian, North Dakota National Guard Foundation

“North Dakota punches above its weight in many, many categories and military service is one of them, but it's a big one. We are still actively working to raise the money that we have to raise to finish the project.”

— Bill Peterson, Director, State Historical Society of North Dakota

“I think it's not just a matter of seeing artifacts from our military history, but a matter of immersing yourself in what that means.”

— Sen. Dick Dever, Commander, Bismarck AMVETS Post 9

What’s next

Before the tour starts, the North Dakota Military Gallery will be hosting a campaign event in Grand Forks on March 30 at the Olive Ann Hotel in collaboration with the 'State of the Base' address that will be delivered the next day by Col. Alfred Rosalez, commander of 319th Reconnaissance Wing.

The takeaway

The North Dakota Military Gallery tour is a grassroots effort to engage communities across the state and build support for the new $78 million museum, which aims to comprehensively tell the story of North Dakota's outsized contributions to national defense. The tour will raise awareness, solicit donations, and encourage residents to contribute personal military artifacts and oral histories to help fill in the complete picture of the state's military history.