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24-399: The Medora Musical is a musical revue produced each summer at the open-air Burning Hills Amphitheater near Medora, North Dakota . The musical is a look back at the " Wild West " days of the region and includes references to Theodore Roosevelt , who spent time in western North Dakota , including in the nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park . The musical premiered at the amphitheater in

48-497: A female householder with no husband present, 1.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.8% were non-families. 46.4% of households were one person and 16.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.84 and the average family size was 2.63. The median age was 45.3 years. 11.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.8% were from 25 to 44; 32.1% were from 45 to 64; and 18.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of

72-441: A set around the stage. The natural acoustics of the hillside meant that no sound system would be needed. In 1991, the amphitheater received a $ 4.1 million facelift which enlarged the seating to 2,863, built new stage, installed escalators, and a wheelchair ramp. The new Burning Hills Amphitheater was completed in 1992 with the installation of new seats. Additional construction was completed in 1997. In 2005 another major renovation

96-635: Is a city in Billings County , North Dakota , United States. The only incorporated place in Billings County, it is also the county seat . Much of the surrounding area is part of either Little Missouri National Grassland or Theodore Roosevelt National Park . The population was 121 at the 2020 census . It is part of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area . Medora was founded in 1883 along

120-554: Is currently operated as a museum by the State Historical Society of North Dakota . It is open to the public with guided tours available. Its features include reproduced carpets and wallpaper and authentic artifacts, along with period furniture. A permanent exhibit focuses on the Marquis de Mores, who built the house, and changing exhibit galleries include displays of art, culture and history. The chateau itself

144-599: The transcontinental rail line of the Northern Pacific Railway by French nobleman Marquis de Mores , who named the city after his wife Medora von Hoffman . Marquis de Mores wanted to ship refrigerated meat to Chicago via the railroad. He built a meat packing plant for this purpose and a house named the Chateau de Mores , which is now a museum. In the evening of April 7, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt , who had visited and invested in ranches in

168-677: The Gold Seal company donated their share in Medora to the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF). The foundation maintains the amphitheater and historical properties and other projects. From its inception in 1965, the Medora Musical was produced by Al Sheehan Productions under the direction of Harold Schafer. This partnership continued until 1991 when Curt Wollan and StageWest Entertainment assumed

192-426: The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation in 1986, the hotel changed hands and is now operated by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. In April 2021, a wildfire threatened Medora and caused the town to evacuate during its tourist season. The fire burned 2,276 acres around Medora but spared the town. Home to the popular Medora Musical , the city of Medora has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in

216-548: The area in the 1880s, visited Medora on a presidential tour of the Western United States . Most of the Badlands' residents turned out to greet him on his whistle stop. Roosevelt later recalled that "the entire population of the Badlands down to the smallest baby had gathered to meet me… They all felt I was their man, their old friend; and even if they had been hostile to me in the old days when we were divided by

240-500: The caretakers permission to operate the chateau as a boarding house in 1921. During this period the house suffered from theft and lack of maintenance. The home and the land on which it sat was given to the state of North Dakota in 1936 on the condition that it be maintained and opened to the public. It was restored from 1937 to 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and again in 1995. The Chateau de Mores

264-504: The city was $ 23,399. There were no families and 4.8% of the population living below the poverty line , including no under eighteens and 15.0% of those over 64. Chateau de Mores The Marquis was a French aristocrat and entrepreneur who came to the Dakota badlands in 1883 to establish a new kind of cattle operation. He planned to slaughter and cold pack his cattle and ship it east in refrigerated rail cars . The slaughterhouse

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288-404: The city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 100 people, 51 households, and 23 families living in the city. The population density was 271.7 inhabitants per square mile (104.9/km ). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 317.9 per square mile (122.7/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of

312-421: The city. The population density was 311.1 inhabitants per square mile (120.1/km ). There were 102 housing units at an average density of 283.3 per square mile (109.4/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 93.8% White, 1.8% Native American, 3.6% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. Of the 56 households 10.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 1.8% had

336-443: The harsh winter months they would go to France, returning again in spring. After 1886 the Marquis visited the chateau twice, in 1887 and 1889, while Medora and their children visited only once more in 1903 after the Marquis' death, at which time she spent six weeks there. From this time on the house was maintained by caretakers . They would ready the house for occupation in the spring but the family never returned. The eldest son gave

360-401: The population. Of the 51 households 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.9% were non-families. 51.0% of households were one person and 11.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.96 and the average family size was 3.00. The age distribution

384-583: The role of producer. Starting in 2024, RWS Global will take over the production of the Medora Musical. The amphitheater was carved out of the side of the badlands in Burning Gulch by local volunteers, cast members and boys from the Home on the Range Ranch. The original theater seated between 1,000, and 1,200 people. It was constructed of wooden benches on the hillside with rustic buildings that formed

408-469: The sinister bickering and jealousies and hatreds of all frontier communities, they now firmly believed they had always been my staunch friends and admirers. I shook hands with them all and…I only regretted that I could not spend three hours with them." A local hotel changed its name that same year to the Rough Riders Hotel. In 1962 the hotel was purchased by Harold Schafer. After the creation of

432-506: The small town bustled, but in 1886 the operation collapsed due to drought, competition from meat packers back east, and the Marquis' own lack of business experience, and the plant was abandoned. The Marquis and his family returned to Europe, but left behind a small town rife with the flavor and romanticism of the American Old West . The chateau was occupied seasonally by the family for only three years from 1883 to 1886. During

456-556: The state. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 0.37 square miles (0.96 km ), of which 0.36 square miles (0.93 km ) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ) is water. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Medora has a cold semi-arid climate ( BSk ). As of the census of 2010, there were 112 people, 56 households, and 27 families living in

480-417: The summer of 1965 and is the successor to earlier shows about Roosevelt. The Burning Hills Amphitheater was built in 1958 one mile west of Medora, for the production of Old Four-Eyes, to help celebrate Theodore Roosevelt's 100th birthday. Thirty of the thirty-three performances were sold out. Following its first season, 'Old Four-Eyes' experienced declining interest, leading to its closure in 1964. The show

504-427: Was 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males. The median household income was $ 31,563 and the median family income was $ 61,250. Males had a median income of $ 26,042 versus $ 21,094 for females. The per capita income for

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528-460: Was built in the town which the Marquis founded and named for his wife, Medora Marie Von Hoffman . Medora was named for her aunt, the second wife of Samuel Cutler Ward . She was also the granddaughter of John Randolph Grymes and his wife Suzette Claiborne, who was also the third wife of Gov. William C.C. Claiborne . He built many structures in the town for those he employed in his operations, including St. Mary's Catholic Church . For three years

552-456: Was made to the sets and the stage, resulting in the modernized appearance and functionality of the amphitheater as it stands today. A high-capacity elevator was added to the amphitheater in 2022 to improve accessibility and access to the venue. 46°54′52″N 103°32′44″W  /  46.91444°N 103.54556°W  / 46.91444; -103.54556 Medora, North Dakota Medora ( / m ɪ ˈ d ɔːr ə / , mih- DOR -ə )

576-457: Was replaced by 'Teddy Roosevelt Rides Again' for the 1963 and 1964 seasons. In 1965, businessman Harold Schafer purchased the amphitheater, marking a new era for the venue. Under Schafer's ownership, the amphitheater underwent renovations, including an expansion of the stage and seating area, in preparation for the launch of the Medora Musical in the same year. In 1986 the Schafer family and

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