The history of the museum dates back to 1965 when the "Red River Art Center" opened in the former Moorhead, Minnesota, post office.

In October 1997, the Museum relocated to a renovated turn-of-the-century International Harvester warehouse in downtown Fargo, North Dakota., a property the Plains had acquired in 1994.

Artists whose work is represented include Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Salvador Dalí, Ellsworth Kelly, Helen Frankenthaler, and Sol LeWitt.

To create a richer experience, an art educator travelled along with the select pieces from the permanent collection.

[5][6][7] The podcast launched in May 2020 and is produced in conjunction with Eleven Warrior Arts.