School, daycare and day camp programs

Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site

Requests for school tour bookings for May 19 to June 26, 2026 are now open. Fill out the online form to request your time slot today!

Quick links: How to book  |  Teachers' resources | Fees

You and your students can discover the past first-hand, through one of our Manitoba curriculum-based programs and activities.

An experienced interpreter will lead your group as they explore one of the finest collections of early stone buildings in western Canada. Younger students will be enchanted by games, interactive stories, and treasure hunts, while older students will receive a more nuanced introduction to some of the social and racial tensions brought about by European settlement and the birth of the fur trade in the Red River Valley.

Whatever the grade level, we promise your students a unique and unforgettable experience at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site! 

Availability: May and June

Early years programs

The Big Stone Fort (K to 2) 
 
Two children smile while sitting on a fur bale and interacting with a Parks Canada employee in historic clothing.

Through an interactive story at the beginning of this tour, your students will learn about the basic building blocks needed to establish Lower Fort Garry on the banks of the Red River. During your visit of the site, costumed heritage presenters and your guide will have your students reflect on how water, rocks, food and wood are used in this Big Stone Fort!

Length: Two (2) hours

Beaver on the Coin (3 to 4) 
 
A large brick monument, arched at the top, with the Hudson’s Bay Company logo etched into it, sits on a hill.

On this tour, your students are tasked with a mission to learn about and find symbols throughout Lower Fort Garry. Using a map and the cardinal directions, your class will explore the site. During this adventure, they will discuss the idea of symbols with costumed heritage presenters and discover why there is a beaver on a coin.

Length: Two (2) hours

 

The Downriver Fort (K to 4)
 
A Parks Canada employee in historic clothing speaks to four visitors while gesturing to a stone bastion.

From a fur trade post to an elite motor country club, Lower Fort Garry has worn many hats and played many roles in what is now Manitoba. Take your class on this tour and have them learn about the iconic stone buildings of the Downriver Fort.

Length: Two (2) hours

 

 


Middle years programs

Stone Fort Treaty (5 to 6)
 
A closeup of a Parks Canada employee in historic clothing holding up a large metal plate depicting a settler and Indigenous man shaking hands with the rising sun and tipis in the background.

Treaty No. 1 was signed at Lower Fort Garry in 1871 between Peguis, Sagkeeng, Roseau, Brokenhead, Long Plain, Swan Lake and Sandy Bay First Nations and the British Crown. On this tour your students will explore the historical site with their guide and learn about the socio-economic factors at this Red River post that contributed to the signing of Canada’s first numbered treaty. Then your students will play an interactive game where they will learn about the concept of negotiating and the legacy of the Stone Fort Treaty.

Length: Two (2) hours

Each Played a Part (5 to 6)
 
A Parks Canada employee in historic clothing stands behind a table with artifacts on it while addressing a group of visitors seated on benches.

The Red River Valley is home to many diverse communities. During this tour, your students will learn about three groups of people that lived around Lower Fort Garry in 1851. Before you head out on your visit, they will play a “two lies and a truth” game to determine if an historical item was invented by the First Nations, Métis or European people. Then your students will discover how these three groups of people played a part at Lower Fort Garry.

Length: Two (2) hours

Investigating Truths (7 to 8)
 

Program description coming soon.

Length: Two (2) hours

The Downriver Fort (5 to 8)
 
A Parks Canada employee in historic clothing speaks to four visitors while gesturing to a stone bastion.

From a fur trade post to an elite motor country club, Lower Fort Garry has worn many hats and played many roles in what is now Manitoba. Take your class on this tour and have them learn about the iconic stone buildings of the Downriver Fort.

Length: Two (2) hours

 

 


Senior years programs

Investigating Truths (9 to 12)
 

Program description coming soon.

Length: Two (2) hours

The Downriver Fort (9 to 12)
 
A Parks Canada employee in historic clothing speaks to four visitors while gesturing to a stone bastion.

From a fur trade post to an elite motor country club, Lower Fort Garry has worn many hats and played many roles in what is now Manitoba. Take your class on this tour and have them learn about the iconic stone buildings of the Downriver Fort.

Length: Two (2) hours

 

 


English as an additional language programs

Say "Lower Fort Garry!"
 
Two Parks Canada employees in historic clothing have a conversation. One is leaning against a stone doorway while another is seated on a fur bale.

Your students will be tasked with completing a scavenger hunt by starting conversations in English with the costumed heritage presenters on the grounds. Afterwards, they will regroup with their guide and recount their experience of saying LFG!

Length: Two (2) hours

 

 

Group activities

Workshops
Simon Says Blacksmithing (K to 6)
 
A closeup of a visitor using a hammer to bend a thin piece of metal using an anvil.

Have you ever wondered what it took to become a blacksmith? During this workshop your students will get to use an hammer and an anvil to forge a cold piece of metal into a different shape. No experience? No problem! This workshop doesn’t use any heat at all and allows your students to safely engage with this venerable trade.

Length: 60 minutes

 

Candle Making (K to 6)
 
A closeup of a Parks Canada employee in historic clothing pulling two white candles out of a mould using a stick of wood.

Before electricity, the residents around Lower Fort Garry would have to find another way to light up the dark winter months. Your students will learn about the process of making candles and will even get their hands dirty to create their own.

Length: 60 minutes

 

 

Treaty Negotiation (4 to 12)
 
Three Parks Canada employees in historic clothing demonstrate an activity with a map and cards.

Your students will play an interactive game where they will learn about the concept of negotiating and the legacy of the Stone Fort Treaty.

Length: 45 to 60 minutes

 

 

 

Bake-a-Bannock (K to 6)
 
A child mixes dough in a bowl as two other children and a Parks Canada employee in historic clothing watch and smile.

Bannock is a favourite staple of indigenous cuisine. Learn about the origins of this round, unleavened loaf and taste the reason why it is so beloved across Canada.

Length: 45 to 60 minutes

 

 

 

Mini Mounties Police Drill (K to 6)
 
A Parks Canada employee in a red North West Mounted Police uniform speaks to two children in the same uniform.

Find out if your students have what it takes to be a member of the North West Mounted Police, the precursors to the RCMP. This law enforcement corps marched drills at Lower Fort Garry and your students can march in their footsteps in kid-sized NWMP uniforms. Then, end the workshop with a bang by watching your workshops facilitator fire the NWMP firearm of choice: a Snider-Enfield rifle!

Length: 45 to 60 minutes

Activities
Artifact Bingo (K to 6)
 
Three children try to lift the handles of a Red River cart.

Familiarize yourself with fur trade objects and tools in this fan-favourite game.

Length: 45 to 60 minutes

 

 

 

 

Build-a-Fort (K to 6)
 
A Parks Canada employee in historic clothing fastens the base of a mini tipi.

Curious about what people called home along the Red River in 1851? Find out by giving your students an opportunity to build a mini Red River Frame house and a mini Tipi.

Length: 45 to 60 minutes

 

 

Can You Jig It (K to 6)

Students will learn the basics of the Red River Jig, will use instruments, listen to music, and most importantly dance! The interpreter will share the origin and history of the traditional dance through storytelling, accessories, and movement. Dance the basics of the Red River Jig as we share its history through music and movement.

Length: 60 minutes

Mini Sashes (K to 6)

Learn about Métis culture while getting creative! With this new program, students will weave mini sashes that they can take home.

Length: 60 minutes

Archaeology (K to 6)

Learn more about the techniques that helped uncover Lower Fort Garry’s storied past while getting the opportunity to sift through the soil and make discoveries of your own.

Length: 60 minutes

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