Old Fort Erie in Fort Erie Ontario

While we were staying in Buffalo, we decided to take the Peace Bridge over to the town of Fort Erie to visit the reconstructed Old Fort Erie.  This would end up being the first of four forts that we would see on this trip- 2 in Canada, and 2 in the US.

I have really been in to the Civil War lately, and I have been trying to stick to seeing sites associated with the Civil War.  The 4 forts that I mentioned are all most closely linked to the War of 1812, but a couple did have interesting Civil War connections.


Old Fort Erie had a post Civil War event go down in 1866, but still closely related to the war between the states.  The Fenian Raid occurred when a group of Fenians (including Civil War veterans) used the Fort as a base for their raids on Ontario.  The Fenians were pretty much unsuccessful so they went back to Buffalo.

The Fort had been around for a very long time before that though.  The original Fort in the area was built in 1764.

Thanks to some back and forth battles with the US during the War of 1812, this battleground is considered the bloodiest in Canadian history.

When we arrived, we bought our tickets and went to the very nice and modern visitor center.  A short film is shown, then a knowledgeable guide took us on a tour.  Our young guide knew his history, and he was quick witted, making for a great tour.  Focusing on that battle of 1812, we heard about the living conditions, the fighting, and the families at the Fort.  A very exciting explosion factors in to the fort and the story!

And, at the end of the tour, we were able to enjoy some lemonade and homemade cookies!  You can take home a recipe for the cookies on an attractive, hand-pressed sheet. 

We explored the fort at our own pace after our tour.  There were still several costumed guides around to answer questions.  Even as we left the fort, we were asked if we had any other questions.

We left, and headed back to the visitor center to see the relics displayed there.  As our day winded down, we decided to eat at the café on site.


We had a relaxed late lunch here that was delicious and pleasant.

I must tip my hat to the friendly Canadians who work here.  A fellow mopping the floor talked with me briefly about the Fort.  He thanked me for coming out.  Our costumed guide obviously enjoyed his job as he excitedly talked of the history linked to it.  The young ladies who sold us our tickets (and later prepared our lunches) seemed eager to assist us.

Old Fort Erie is a great historic site, with a pleasant crew of people who appreciate the setting.  This was another unplanned site trip that ended up being a highlight of our adventure.