Fort Whoop-Up
A reconstructed trading fort built by 19th-century American whiskey traders, telling the story of the whiskey era in western Canada.
Fort Whoop-Up began in 1869 as a trading post set up by American merchants where the St. Mary and Oldman rivers meet. They traded whiskey for buffalo hides with Indigenous peoples. The liquor trade caused serious harm to the Blackfoot and directly led to the North-West Mounted Police being sent to the West in 1874. The present wooden fort is a reconstruction built in Indian Battle Park beneath the High Level Bridge. Its interior displays the trading rooms, goods and Indigenous culture, and costumed interpreters give demonstrations in summer. It is modest in size. Admission is about ten Canadian dollars, and it is open daily in summer, with fewer open days in other seasons. Combine it with the bridge and the Helen Schuler Nature Centre for a tour of the valley.
Opening hours
Summer 10:00–17:00 (fewer open days in off-season)
Nearby sights
- Indian Battle Park
- Helen Schuler Nature Centre
- Galt Museum & Archives
- Lethbridge Viaduct (High Level Bridge)
- Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG)
- Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden
- Henderson Lake Park
- Fort Museum of the North West Mounted Police