What to See at Fort Calgary
Restored RCMP Fort and Museum Mark Centre of Modern City
One of Calgary's most significant historic sites is just east of the downtown core. Fort Calgary has life-size replicas of the original buildings and a museum.
The Fort Calgary Site
Fort Calgary is near downtown Calgary, where the Elbow River meets the Bow River. The 40-hectare site is an open prairie grassland in the heart of the city. Although it's close to the central business district of Calgary, Fort Calgary has a very natural feeling. There are native trees and shrubs along the river. Gophers, also known as prairie dogs, and properly called Richardson's Ground Squirrels come out of their burrows in the spring. Careful watchers will see other urban wildlife, including the occasional weasel, and of course, geese and ducks by the rivers.
The Buildings of Fort Calgary
The main buildings at Fort Calgary today are replicas of the original North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) buildings.
The Old Log Fort at Fort Calgary
The log fort you see today was built by volunteers using authentic period tools and methods. It is easily recognizable and stands on a hill.
From the parking lot, you can reach this by way of a paved pathway, only a short distance from where you park. There is a small grade to get up to the fort walls, and the land around the walls is not paved. This structure is open to the sky and you can go inside without paying an admission fee. What you will see is a reconstruction of an original police fort from the 1870s, such as the Mounties built as they made their way across Canada.
The 1888 Barracks and the Interpretive Centre
The other replica NWMP building is called the 1888 Barracks. It is a two-storey, white and red board building with an impressive front.
To enter the 1888 Barracks, you go through the Interpretive Centre, which is convenient to the parking lot, and has a drop-off bay. There is an admission fee. Some discounts are available for seniors, students, youth, and Alberta Motor Association members. Children six and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult, and there are family and group rates available.
Inside the 1888 Barracks there are displays about Mountie life in the late 1800s. The Barracks was a much more comfortable place to live than the old fort.
The Museum
Inside the Interpretive Centre is a museum. It is packed with interesting displays about early Calgary and the RCMP (or NWMP as they were first called). Many of the items on display can be touched. Visitors who have very limited or no vision should ask at the information desk for help with enjoying their visit, particularly if there are any particular objects they want to touch.
Throughout the museum there are audio and audio-visual loops playing short pieces about Calgary's history. These often use the words of the real people who were around to live the history first-hand.
Children enjoy being locked in the old jail cell, playing with the toys in the "back yard" of old Calgary, and pretending to drive the 1940s car which is at the end of the museum's time frame.
There is a movie theatre where a short video about Calgary's history is available upon request for visitors. There is no special provision for people with poor hearing or hearing aids. The video is available in both English, French (francais), and German (deutsch) upon request.
Food
Year-round, the gift store, located immediately inside the main entrance to the Visitor Centre, sells gifts and a selection of soft drinks, juice, water, ice cream bars, chocolate bars and candies.
The nearby Deane House, also part of the Fort Calgary historic site, is a restaurant serving sit-down meals at lunch and dinner time. It is partly accessible to wheelchairs. There is a ramp to the main floor toilet, and there are bars to assist with transfer, but the toilet is not large enough for the chair to turn around in. If you would like to eat at the Deane House, it is a good idea to call ahead for a reservation and to determine whether the accessibility meets your needs.
The Heart of Modern Calgary
Fort Calgary is a national, provincial and city-level historic site located on the original site of the "real" Fort Calgary. When you visit this site, you are standing on the ground where modern Calgary started.
The First Nations people had moved through the area for centuries before the Mounties arrived, of course.
Fort Calgary is open from 9 to 5, seven days a week, except New Year's Day, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Even when the buildings at Fort Calgary are closed for the night, the old fort and the land surrounding it are open. The parking lot may be locked when the buildings are not open.
The article Fort Calgary - Accessible History has more information about this historic site and tourist attraction.
