It's worth the drive up to Grand Portage if you're in Grand Marais. The drive is lovely and the National Monument worth a couple of hours of wandering around. The NPS staff inside the visitor center were very helpful and knowledgable. The little walk up to Mount Rose on a paved path with stairs offers a great view of the...
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Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage
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All 4 Grand Portage Attractions »
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Ranked #1 of 4 attractions in Grand Portage
16 Reviews
Type: Monuments/ Statues, Museums
Activities: Group tours/walking tour, Hiking
Owner description:
On a hot sultry day in mid-July 1802, partners of the most successful fur trade company in North America, the North West Company, met in their...
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Owner description:
On a hot sultry day in mid-July 1802, partners of the most successful fur trade company in North America, the North West Company, met in their majestic Great Hall at Grand Portage and voted to move their summer headquarters from the protected shores of Lake Superior’s Grand Portage Bay 50 miles north to the mouth of the Kaministquia River. Almost from the time the vigorous Anglo-Scot Nor’Westers had organized at Grand Portage in the mid 1780’s an emerging United States wanted them out. The July vote would mean that 18 buildings constructed from native squared spruce, pine and birch and over 2,000 cedar pickets surrounding them would be torn down, transported north in company schooners and used in constructing the new Fort William far from U.S. soil. As early as 2,000 years ago, Indian Nations probably used Kitchi Onigaming “the Great Carrying Place” to travel from summer homes on Lake Superior to winter hunting grounds in the interior of Minnesota and Ontario. In 1729 Cree guide Auchagah drew a map for some of the first French fur traders showing them how to reach the "western sea" of Lake Winnipeg. Other Europeans would follow, in time, Grand Portage became the gateway into rich northern fur bearing country connecting remote interior outposts to lucrative international markets. Reopened in 1951 as Grand Portage National Historic Site, designated a National Monument in 1958, its nearly 710 acres lying entirely within the boundaries of Grand Portage Ojibwe Indian Reservation, the reconstructed depot celebrates fur trade and Ojibwe lifeways. Today as yesterday, the people, the cultures and the land have much to share.
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Kooskia, Idaho
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anahuac, TX
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We spent the summer of 2011 in Grand Portage. Just 6 miles from the Canadian border and just 5 miles miles from the highest waterfall in Minnesota. Grand Portage National Monument is truly awesome. The visitor center is beautiful and looks out onto Lake Superior. This facility also includes a stockade that houses a reconstruction of the Northwest Fur Co...
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Thunder Bay
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Similar to most historical forts/monuments- area was the starting point for many explorers, fur traders etc who were heading west and southwest into the northern USA
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Cheyenne, Wyoming
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I actually visited this site Aug 2010. The visitor's center was having electrical work done, so the power was out. The exhibits outside made up for that. The Great Hall was nice to see, as was the kitchen and the warehouse. Volunteers dress up in period costume and give you all sorts of information about the fur trade in the...
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Willmar, MN
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We didn't know much about the history of the site before we went, but we learned a lot. I did 't know a lot about the fur trade. It was a very informative visit!
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See 2 more reviews by lahanson for Grand Portage
Senior Reviewer
A very fun place for the family and you get a brief glimpse back into the past for FREE! Plan on spending the day or weekend in the area, highest waterfall in Minnesota is just a short drive away p.
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Takoma Park, Maryland
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There is a huge range to see here -- Ojibwe village, Northwest Company stockade with 3 buildings, voyageur camp, Lake Superior, a museum and gift shop... We were there on a weekend and they had several special programs (bagpiping, foodways, a few others) plus costumed interpreters who answered all our questions and the biggest canoe I have ever seen.
Our...
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Detroit, Michigan
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Disappointing. Not much info around the fort. The brochure box was empty, so we were left to ponder. The staff that was available were helpful.
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Oshkosh, Wisconsin
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We almost passed the attraction but after pulling in and taking the tour, we were extremely happy that we did. Very nice display of what a trading post was. Great look at a wide variety of animal furs. I would definately take the trip there again.
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Ames, IA
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See what life was like for the Chippewa and early fur traders. The Grand Portage site has a replica fort, indian village, and voyageur camp. In the summer they have volunteer interns who show how all the groups ate and lived from making birch bark canoes and baskets, to carrying over 150 pounds up the grand portage from lake Superior...
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