History comes alive with daily heritage demonstrations!
Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site
Situated on the north shore of Lake Huron, Fort St. Joseph was a remote, but thriving, community that served as a base for the first British military maneuver against the United States in the War of 1812.
Construction of Fort St. Joseph began in 1796. Now, over 200 years later, immerse yourself in history and culture. Every weekend in the summer, engage with costumed interpreters to see, hear, and smell what life at an interior post was like, and learn about the different cultural groups that made up the community of Fort St. Joseph.
Since all demonstrations are outdoors, demonstration times and/or the ability to present may change based on weather conditions.
Please see below for more information about Fort St. Joseph’s daily heritage demonstrations.
Heritage Demonstrations
Interact with costumed interpreters who will present skills, crafts and pastimes of the fur trade, military life and frontier living at Fort St. Joseph! Join us in the afternoon to learn about a variety of subjects including traditional fire lighting with flint and steel, cooking on an open fire, the trade goods and furs of the fur trade, and crafts such as fingerweaving These activities are free with admission and vary depending on weather and staffing.
Date: Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout July and August; Wednesday-Sunday throughout June and September.
Time: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Flintlock Musket Firing
Come experience the flash and ‘bang’ of a flintlock musket as interpreters tell you about its importance to the people of historic Fort St. Joseph. The British military, civilians, and Indigenous peoples all relied upon the flintlock musket to some degree, and it was an important item in the fur trade. Learn about how flintlocks functioned, the care required in their use, and the work needed to maintain them!
Date: Saturdays throughout July and August
Time: 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m.
18th Century Blacksmithing
Frontier blacksmithing is being re-stoked at Fort St. Joseph this summer! See the sparks fly as you engage with blacksmiths at work, and learn about this ancient trade. Just like the original frontier smiths, we use period techniques and tools like a bellows, forge, hammer, and anvil to make and repair many of the things needed for daily life and the fur trade.
Date: Fridays throughout July and August.
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Historic Bake Oven Cooking
Experience our traditional clay bake oven, just like the residents of Fort St. Joseph! Built of locally collected materials, this wood-fired oven is in the same style as those that were in the bakehouses at the fort. Fresh bread was the mainstay of soldiers’ rations and one of the things that made life on the frontier a little more pleasant for the British. Watch and smell as we bake bread and other tasty treats using tools, utensils and techniques from the early 1800s.
Date:Sundays throughout July and August.
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
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