Fort William Historical Park
50 years of bringing life to history: 1973-2023
Welcome to Fort William Historical Park!
Fort William Historical Park features Fort William, one of North America's largest living history sites, and the state-of-the-art David Thompson Astronomical Observatory, home to one of the largest telescopes in Central Canada. Fort William Historical Park also offers year-round festivals and events, an RV and tent campground, in-person, virtual and overnight educational programs, and wedding and conference facilities.
A Note to Our Visitors
Effective October 30, the Broadway Avenue entrance will be closed for the winter until May 1, 2024. Please use the King Road entrance during this time.
Our website, social media, e-newsletter, education program guide, catering and specialty services guide, and forms are currently under construction. Thank you for your patience.
Holidays on Mars
December 8, 22 and 29, 2023 • 7 to 9 p.m.
David Thompson Astronomical Observatory at Fort William Historical Park
Join us at the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory this December as we explore what it could be like to celebrate the Holidays on Mars.
The holidays on Mars would be very strange indeed - rust-coloured "snow", lab-grown turkey and vegetables - and yet due to climate change and the increased technology available for interplanetary travel, it will most likely be a reality one day!
Fur Trade Fort William: A Chronology through Art
October 2023 through March 2024
Tuesday to Sunday • 1 to 5 p.m.
Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald Street East
In celebration of 50 years of bringing life to history as a provincial attraction, Fort William Historical Park (FWHP), in partnership with the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, presents 45 works of art, executed by 20 different artists, assembled from 12 collections. These works have been curated by Shawn Patterson, FWHP Collections Team Leader, and will be available for viewing from October 2023 to March 2024. This exhibit captures the vibrancy, bustle and inhabitants in and around Fort William throughout the 1800s.
Discover Fort William
The year is 1815, the place is Fort William. This is the inland headquarters of the North West Company, the world’s largest fur trading enterprise. This is a place where cultures meet, and relationships are forged between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous newcomers. Fort William stands on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, the Indigenous people who have lived in harmony with the land for generations, and whose traditions, technologies and customs reflect their relationships with the forests, rivers and animals around them. The Anishinaabe share their invaluable knowledge and skills with their European partners and trade furs for European goods. Each summer, French-Canadian voyageurs, Scottish businessmen, Indigenous Peoples, and others from around the world gather at Fort William for the Great Rendezvous to discuss business, share news and renew friendships. Experience this unique place and time in Canadian history through the eyes of peoples past, who lived and worked around Fort William.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
For information and updates about our programs and services, call (807) 473-2344, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , find us on Facebook and Instagram @FortWilliamHP, or sign-up for our e-newsletter.
Land Acknowledgement
We respectfully acknowledge that Fort William Historical Park is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg of Anemki Wajiw (Thunder Mountain), Fort William First Nation, signatory to the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850. We also recognize the historic and ongoing contributions of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Mikinaak Minis (Turtle Island, North America). We appreciate the privilege to share a part of their storied past on the lands that First Peoples have kept since time immemorial.
Officially curated, the Canadian Signature Experiences are once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. They are offered by Canadians who are passionate about sharing their part of the country with you.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in conjunction with the industry, including the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), has created a self-certified Safe Travel Stamp based on worldwide industry protocols to allow travellers to recognise destinations around the world which have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols – so consumers can experience 'Safe Travels’.
