LAWRENCE WELK, Strasburg, N.D.
Bandleader Lawrence Welk's television variety show ran for nearly 30 years and can still be seen in syndication. The centerpiece of the Lawrence Welk Birthplace is a sod-and-clapboard house that was built by Welk's Russian-German immigrant father, Ludwig. On display are his parents' brass bed, his high chair, and a rocker used by his mother to nurse him and his siblings. Welk never wanted to be a farmer like his father, and saw music as his ticket off the homestead. He borrowed $400 from Ludwig to buy his first accordion and left home at the age of 21. 845 88th St. S.E., 701/336-7777, $4.