The past lives and breathes at Fort Steele Heritage Town, located on the banks of the Kootenay and St Mary Rivers, in the heart of the Kootenay Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. Since its gold rush beginnings in 1864, Fort Steele Heritage Town has gone from boomtown … to ghost town … to one of the most important heritage attractions of its kind.

Fort Steele Heritage Town has over 60 heritage buildings … and you’ll be surprised at the hidden treasures you’ll find, along with the visual stories they tell of days gone by. In fact, you might even think that the 1890s residents had just stepped out to run a quick errand!

At the Wasa Hotel Museum, you can see informative displays of the history and heritage of the region, and the people who lived here. The Wasa Hotel Museum is a replica of the Wasa Hotel which once stood in the community of Wasa, just north of Fort Steele. During the summer months, the Wasa Hotel Museum also houses Art at the Fort, an incredible gallery featuring local artists.

Heritage Tradesmen and Women were essential to daily life in Fort Steele, and our tradesmen and women use the same pioneer techniques to create both historic and modern day items. At Fort Steele Heritage Town you can also watch as our active livestock department recreates the daily routines of farming life in the 1890s.

Stop to smell the roses in one of our many breathtaking flower gardens beautifying Fort Steele, along with vegetable gardens reflecting the importance of home grown food. A variety of heritage plants are grown, which were commonly found in family gardens prior to modern conveniences such as grocery stores.

Throughout the day you’ll also be entertained with short plays, bringing to life the rise and fall of Fort Steele. Our theatre troupe brings Fort Steele to life through Living History Street Theatre, and a main stage show presented in the historic Wild Horse Theatre. You won’t want to miss the “Gossip Tours” either! This is a wildly popular tongue-in-cheek walking tour which introduces you to Fort Steele’s colourful residents.

And don’t forget Fort Steele’s steam train ride … an astonishing experience that puts you in the seats of earlier adventurers who first saw this spectacular countryside more than 100 years ago. It leaves Fort Steele Station for a 20 minute circuit through breathtaking scenery, stopping halfway at a viewing platform that offers a unique perspective of the townsite of Fort Steele and the Kootenay and St Mary Rivers below.

Address:
9851 Highway 93/95,
Fort Steele, British Columbia,
Canada V0B 1N0