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Wed–Sun, 10 am–5 pm

JUN 06 –SEP 01, 2024

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About Fort Whoop-Up

Fort Whoop-Up is a replica of an original fur trading fort built in the late 1800s. We tell the story of the buffalo robe and illegal whisky trade, the years leading up to and the years that followed. We tell the story of this region and the people here from the mid-1860s to the early 1890s. It is a complex story that includes the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), other First Nations, Métis, Canadians, Americans, and British. 

It is a story of trade and politics, good people and notorious characters, and the flow of time.

Learn more
Christmas at the Fort
Christmas at the Fort

What would visitors at both the modern-day replica and the original Fort Whoop-Up have seen and experienced during the holiday season?

Wolfers
Wolfers

On a winter's day in 1873, Canadian Donald Graham found himself in an armed standoff with a man remembered now only as “The Bigheaded Dutchman.”

Kítao’ahsinnooni (Blackfoot Territory)
Kítao’ahsinnooni (Blackfoot Territory)

Rebecca Many Grey Horses presents an overview of Indigenous history in southern Alberta.

Sacred Niitsitapi Sites
Sacred Niitsitapi Sites

Southern Alberta is traditional Niitsitapi, or Blackfoot, territory. Rebecca Many Grey Horses discusses the importance of several sites including Chief Mountain, Crowsnest peak, Devil's Thumb, the Sweetgrass Hills, Writing on Stone, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, as well as the significance of medicine wheels and tepee rings.

Niitsitapi and Epidemics
Niitsitapi and Epidemics

The Niitsitapi, or Blackfoot people, have been hit repeatedly by epidemics. Rebecca Many Grey Horses shares her research about the impact of smallpox, measles, scarlet fever and the Spanish flu.

Hallowe’en is Back on at the Fort
Hallowe’en is Back on at the Fort

Parents and guardians looking for an alternative to the traditional trick-or-treating will be happy to know that there will be physically distanced trick-or-treating from room-to-room at Fort Whoop-Up on October 30 and 31.

Natawista (Holy Snake Woman), Peacemaker
Natawista (Holy Snake Woman), Peacemaker

A diplomat and mother, Natawista played a key role in helping establish treaties and navigate negotiations between American and British traders with Blackfoot tribes.

Potai’na (Flying Chief), or Joe Healy
Potai’na (Flying Chief), or Joe Healy

Potai’na (Flying Chief), also known as Joseph Healy, was a prominent member of the Kainai Nation and son of Akai-nuspi (Many Braids) and Pi’aki (the Dancer).

Constructing the Fort
Constructing the Fort

William Gladstone (“Old Glad”) was the head carpenter and blacksmith at Fort Whoop-Up. He was a former carpenter and boat builder for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and he was hired in Fort Benton in the early summer of 1870 for the two-year project of building the bigger, more permanent Fort Whoop-Up.

Become a Member

Membership to the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao'pa and Fort Whoop-Up is now combined. Valued members get free admission to both cultural sites, along with the following benefits:

  • 50% off general admission for one additional guest on the same visit to the Galt or Fort Whoop-Up.

  • 10% discount on all purchases in the Galt Museum and Fort stores, including online shopping.

  • Free admission or special discounts on programs, lectures and special events at both the museum and the fort.

  • Invitations to special exhibition openings, members’ activities and events.

  • 50% off admissions to the Southern Alberta Art Gallery and Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden.

  • Subscription to the Galt and Fort Whoop-Up Calendar of Events (2 times per year).

Memberships are renewed annually. To learn more or to buy a membership, visit galtmuseum.com/memberships.

GET INVOLVED

Museums and heritage sites that preserve local history, like the Fort, depend on helping hands to tell our stories and fulfill our mandates. To help today, follow this link to our external volunteer site.

Shop

Featured
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Horse Figure Beaded - Black
$50.00

Stunning beaded horse figure. Handmade from tiny glass seed beads, it's a one-of-a-kind original piece.

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Horse Figure Beaded - Turquoise
$50.00

Stunning beaded horse figure. Handmade from tiny glass seed beads, it's a one-of-a-kind original piece.

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Medicine Bag w/Fringe Large
$7.00

Made from double-suede leather. Features a long loop for closure so that they can be worn around your neck or stowed in your bag.

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Ball Bag Small
$11.00

Made from double-suede leather in a natural colour with drawstring closure.

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Woodsman's Belt
$60.00

Thick, high-quality leather woodsman's belt. Designed to be worn over all garments in every season.

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Working Peace Pipe
$22.00

Authentic, working Peace Pipe or more commonly called a ceremonial or sacred pipe. Often used in religious ceremonies to seal a covenant or treaty or to offer prayers. It has a wood stem and is wrapped in buckskin with silver beads.

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Colonial Style Eyeglasses
$49.00

Silver and richly stamped pair of Colonial-style handcrafted spectacles. Completely functional with pin-in-slot telescopic temple arms.

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Officers Spy Glass
$110.00

Bring faraway sights close. The wooden barrel of this classic spyglass tool holds a system of lenses that provide up to 8x magnification. To focus, adjust the smaller telescoping brass tube.