05/29/2026
The first-ever episode of the Discover Medora Podcast just dropped — and our own Executive Director Robbie Lauf is the inaugural guest.
Recorded live at the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame, Robbie sat down with host Kari Dunn to talk about why Theodore Roosevelt's story belongs in the Badlands, what's actually happening here on July 4, 2026, and the moment he met his wife (named Medora, no less) on a blind date in town.
A few things you'll hear:
→ Why this place healed T.R. — and why Robbie believes it can do the same for the next generation
→ The story behind the building Snøhetta designed to hide in the Badlands instead of compete with them
→ The River of Doubt experience that visitors will be talking about long after they leave
→ Why a one-day Medora trip isn't enough — and what Robbie recommends instead
"This is kind of an unveiling to the world that the T.R. story, the culmination point, the fulcrum point in his story, happened here in North Dakota."
"We built a 100,000 square foot building on a butte top that hadn't been developed, and did it in a way that is going to make it zero water, zero waste, zero energy."
If you're planning a trip to Medora — or you're just curious about what's being built on that butte top — this is the conversation to start with.
Listen now: https://discovermedora.com/discovermedorapodcast/buildingtrslibrary/
Thanks to Medora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for having us as your very first guest.
