Fort William Historical Park

Fort William Historical Park (FWHP), operated by Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, is Northwestern Ontario’s largest tourism facility. It employs over 120 people and has an economic impact of $8.5 million to the Thunder Bay area and $28 million to the province. The initial cost of constructing the site was $15 million in 1971; its current replacement value is estimated at $60 million.

Fort William Historical Park is a reconstruction of the original Fort William which served as the inland headquarters for the Northwest Company's fur trading business from 1803 to 1821. Today, FWHP offers a variety of programs that are both historical and contemporary in nature: the living history program, education programs, special events, and facility rentals.  

A multi-component facility, FWHP also offers curriculum-based overnight and day programs for students, community group programs, as well as five conference and banquet facilities and an outdoor amphitheatre which can accommodate over 50,000 spectators.  In total, the FWHP complex encompasses 225 acres.

Principal markets consist of a radius within a day’s drive of Thunder Bay, including Minneapolis, Minnesota and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Main visitation sources include the northern United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin) and southern Ontario. Smaller visitation sources are derived from the remainder of Canada, the United States and international visitors.  

In recent years FWHP has upgraded its electrical, sewage and telecommunications infrastructure to support an aggressive development plan. The aggregate effect of the proposed developments will serve to magnify Fort William Historical Park’s importance to the regional economy. Its proposed developments include:

  • an aboriginal village major interpretative attraction
  • a 100-room heritage inn hotel complex
  • a 68-site heritage-themed RV-Park
  • a 20-site outdoor adventure campground
  • a multi-media corporate theatre and motion simulator ride
  • a themed outdoor festival market.


Preliminary estimates of the total capital costs of these developments are in the $40-50 million range.  

FWHP’s current average annual attendance is 100,000.  According to preliminary estimates by FWHP, the proposed investment developments are expected to increase annual visitation by an additional 50,000 per year.

Visit the Fort William Historical Park Website

For more information on tourism investment opportunities throughout Ontario, please visit: www.investinontario.com/tourism/regionalinvest.asp.