The Fort Museum

Welcome to the Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police and First Nations Interpretive Centre

The Fort Museum is located at Fort Macleod, Alberta and is one of the main attractions in southern Alberta. The museum includes 8 buildings, over 11,000 artifacts, and an archival collection. The museum houses two of the oldest buildings in the area that are restored on their original sites: the Fred Kanouse trading cabin and Frederick Haultain’s law office.

Visit the museum to view the NWMP Musical Ride or to participate in our educational school program and the Groom-A-Horse program. Through our programs we aim to educate, entertain, and provide a unique historical experience!

After learning about Fort Macleod’s unique history, stop at the Visitor Information Centre inside the museum to plan the rest of your trip and take home a souvenir from the Gift Shop.

 

 

Closed for the Season.

We will be open again May 1, 2024.

 

Step into history with us, and leave with a changed perspective.

Click here for Museum Hours

NWMP Musical Ride

The NWMP Musical Ride will resume again on 

July 1, 2024

 

History 

The Fort Museum is a re-creation of the original fort that was built in 1874 by the North West Mounted Police. The Museum was built and opened in 1957 and in 1973, to celebrate the centennial of the NWMP formation, the Museum began performances of the NWMP Musical Ride.

The original fort site is located approximately three kilometres east of the Fort Museum, on the south bank of the Oldman River, and was named Fort Macleod in honour of the NWMP leader Colonel James F. Macleod. After the historic March West, the NWMP began establishing the first NWMP post which was used from 1874 until 1883 when it was moved due to annual spring flooding.

Approximately half a kilometre west of the Fort Museum is the site of the second Fort Macleod that was built in 1883 on higher ground. This site is referred to as “The Barracks” and was in use from 1884 until 1922 when the Fort Macleod post was closed.

Two years after the original fort site was built, in 1876, the first recorded display of a NWMP riding demonstration occurred at Fort Macleod. The ride was intended to provide relief for the officers from the daily drills and routine duties and did not become a public form of entertainment until 1904. We are proud to present our living history exhibit, the NWMP Musical Ride, in the same town that it originated in!

Translations of our Guide Brochures are available in

Dutch | French | German | Japanese | Chinese | Russian | Romanian | Portuguese | Nepali | Hindi