Fort Edmonton Park | Explore YEG
Fort Edmonton was established by the Hudson's Bay Company on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River in 1795. By 1821 The Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Trading Company Joined and the Fort Flourished until the late 1860's. The Fort's decline was a result of the Hudson's Bay Company surrendering Rupart's Land. Unfortunately the Fort was dismantled in 1915 however today you can visit the complete reconstructed fort and take a ride on an old 1919 Baldwin Steam Locomotive Train around the Park.
Fur Trading Era (1795-1859)
Explore Edmonton's Fur Trading History and learn about the Hudson's bay company and North West Trading Company and how the Fort was established.
1846 Reconstruction of Fort Edmonton
Today Fort Edmonton Park is a living museum that showcases Edmonton's early development and is located on 158 Acers in Edmonton's river valley. Take a walk in time from 1795 - the Roaring 20's (1920's).
1885 Street - Settlement Era (1871-1891)
1885 Street represents Edmonton's growing development outside of the Fort Walls. It was no longer the fort but a small community.
1873 Methodist Church (Original building)
Most of the buildings have been reconstructed however some are the
original building and have been moved to the Park.
1905 Street - Municipal Era (1892-1914)
In 1905 Edmonton had grown to become the Capitol City in the new Province of Alberta; it was now a thriving Urban Centre and no longer a small town. More people were moving here which brought more business the area.
1920 Street - Metropolitan Era (1914-1929)
1920's Street represents Edmonton's booming development when larger companies started making their way to the area. It really was the Roaring 20's and people were able to afford to have a little fun.
Don't forget to catch a show at the Capitol Theatre in one of the 243 old fashioned red velvet seats.
NOTE: The train, streetcar and Midway are all included in the price. The Wagon and Pony rides are an extra cost.
Take a ride through time from 1905 to 1920 on the streetcars that are maintained by volunteers of the Edmonton Railway Society.
Mellon Homestead (Original Building)
1920's Midway
The Johnny J. Jones Exposition Midway has been renovated recently and features a Carousel, Farris wheel, Chair-o-plane, classic midway games, funhouse, maze, midway fair treats and much more.
The 1920's Midway looked very fun and we took a walk through and enjoyed the fun house. Unfortunately on the day we went the City of Edmonton was really smoky and the rides had been closed.
We enjoyed racing on the double slides and sipping on a classic soda from the Treasure Trove Candy store located in the Midway.
In 2021 Fort Edmonton Park opened up the brand new Exhibit showcasing the life of the First Nations and Metis peoples living in the Beaver Hills region of Edmonton. Take a walk through the beautiful indoor facility and experience Music, Artwork and hear stories from local Indigenous people.
"Indigenous Peoples Experience"
Hear the perspectives and teachings that have been passed down for generations of the Cree, Blackfoot, Dene, Anishinaabe, Nakota or Michif. This really is an unique experience and is worth the visit. On the day we visited there was a man speaking of his experience with the Residential School System. The stories were heartbreaking but was a reality they lived through.
Fort Edmonton Park is huge and you could spend the entire day and still not get to experience everything the Park has to offer. We suggest using their website to plan your day ahead especially if you have little ones. Make sure to wear comfy shoes and bring lot's of water. There is somewhere on every street to grab a bite to eat however we found the lineups long and the service slow.
fortedmontonpark.ca
If you want to see more of our experience click the link below to watch the whole VLOG. We hope you enjoy your experience at Fort Edmonton Park as much as we did; We will be going back one day when the Midway is open so we can ride the Farris Wheel!
- Alberta Adventurer Family
