Fort Langley National Historic Site of Canada

I had not been to Fort Langley since 2017 or so . We took 3 classes here for a field trip, grades 2-5 and it was spectacular! Kind of like a scavenger hunt where you go from building to building learning about the different aspects of Fort Langley and answering questions for tokens upon return to the main house. My students absolutely loved how hands on the field trip was. And we all learned so much! I do lots of field trips and will definitely go back again next year. Amazing day! Kids and adults loved it.

We had an amazing experience, it is calming and beautiful in every season, and we learned about fur traders and settlers in reconstructed buildings. The site is well-maintained, and wandering around feels like stepping back in time. There are lots of lovely shops, cafes, and restaurants just a short walk from the site.

It was good experience knowing about the history of meties people, how life was there back days. I had a good day that I spent. Whole town is beautiful. You can come with family and enjoy good time and food with lots of cafe.overall great experience

Beautiful spot, so much history, the large building upstairs was however not very organized and the girl at the front desk spent the whole time talking on the phone and didn't help at all, seemed very new on the job tho..

Super affordable way to spend an afternoon with the kids. They had fun 'gold' panning and then trading at the blacksmith shop for nails & hooks!

This is impressive considering that the site is under 200 years old on a compact site. The staff are all friendly and they will share their knowledge of the site and how the Hudson Bay Company did business and learned to integrate into the community. It is a great choice to take kids as there is onbly one main entrance / exit (no wandering off) there is a playroom building dedicated for kids. The bathrooms are clean and well serviced. Parking lot access is good. We went during a rainstorm, and it is not hard to image how the people lived in the wet, westcoast weather. Even with the rain, there were about 30 visitors on site. If you are visiting during clear and warm weather, I can imagine the site being very busy, so I would recommend buying tickets in advance.

Too much history in this place. It is a great choice for families. There is a unique building for kids, my son loved it. My little one enjoyed the rabbits. The blacksmith chat friendly. Neat bathrooms and parking lot access. Kids under 18 are free admission. You can go to the Farm Machinery Museum as well just crossing the street.

We went today to the vive les voyageurs event, also was our first time visiting the historic site, the place is big and great for activities with children, we visit all the area, at the main entrance you can take a map, also attend the music performance with michael and rosie and the spoons with maurice, it was really fun!, we learn something new today!, we trade something with the blacksmith and eat some poutine, its really amazing how locals try to keep the traditions and heritage!

So I'm an admitted history buff, so I'm drawn to sites like this, where history comes alive. As a kid growing up in Montreal, I vividly remember being taken on a school field trip when I was around 7 to "Upper Canada Village", in Quebec, which was a whole mock village from roughly 1750-1800, which was HUGE, and where there were tons of people dressed in costume, demonstrating how potters and blacksmiths and bakers and "doctors" and "vets" and traders and everyday people lived, back back in the day. It was like Disneyland to me, and this field trip made such an impression, I pursued history as my major throughout university and even grad school. Fort Langley had the same appeal to me, even though it is on a much smaller scale than UCV. And even though , in this pandemic age, most of the edifices were unstaffed. Despite all this, I still loved it - as did my 21 yo daughter. Here's what's cool: they have a huge, free parking lot. (Plus some picnic benches, too, and lots of grassy field, if you want to have a picnic here). The admission prices are reasonable (I am attaching a photo of the pricing list). You can pay a bit extra for a guided audio tour. Or, they do give tours to groups if you arrange this in advance (there was a camp group of kids on a guided tour while we were there). The site is super well-maintained, and even if the buildings aren't staffed while you are there, there are excellent plaques and signs describing the items and the site. (Depending on when you go, though, the buildings may be staffed. Call in advance if this is important to you). Also, FYI they have many clean, accessible bathrooms in the visitors' area, when you first enter the site to purchase your tickets (IMP always good to know where the bathrooms are in town, if needed!). Here's what's good or bad, depending on your personal preference: the place is fairly small. I can't see spending more than an hour here. For my kid and me, we think this is a plus. If you are expecting an involved experience with bells and whistles, you probably will be disappointed. Here's the negatives: as mentioned, when we visited, all the buildings were unstaffed, so there were no staff members at the cooperage or the kitchen building or the managers' house, or the servants' quarters, etc. This might be important to some people, so call first if it is to you. (The only building manned was the blacksmith building, and Ahmed there was phenomenal! We got an impromptu history lesson AND a demonstration of his making a hook, which he gave us to keep. Super cool!). Also, remember to bring bug spray and sunblock and a water bottle. (We visited last year but had no bug spray and one of my kids was already getting bitten a lot, so we opted not to see the Fort then. This year, we knew better. Be prepared!). I'm attaching photos of the main plaques and signs and price list, as well as the brochure (sorry for the creases!).

Due to Covid-19, the visitor center was closed and the historical buildings on the grounds were also closed. Visitors could still wander around and read the descriptions of the buildings. Unfortunately it was mosquito season which we did not expect, so we had to cut short our visit. I did not bring bug spray and my legs were food for the hungry mozzies. It was quite a shock to see each leg covered with 4-5 mozzies and feasting. And every time I stood still to read something, they would descend on me. So have insect repellent with you during summer for a better experience than me. It is an interesting place and I will be back again when I am liberally sprayed with insect repellent.

This is a wonderful place to learn, explore and enjoy the first settlement in BC. Buildings have been restored to maintain the integrity of the fort, and include their blacksmithing building, woodshop, outdoor kitchen, complete with working stone oven, and more. Visitors are invited to discover the lifestyle of early settlers by panning for gold, wandering the property to get a good sense of what life was like in the early days, checking out their vegetable garden, and even renting tents inside the fort where you can "live" temporarily. Reenactments of musket-shooting, blacksmithing, barrel-making and more are available to keep visitors entertained and growing their knowledge while also having fun! In the center of the fort, a huge field and fire pit with seating on benches and stumps; a great place to stop for a picnic lunch, or take a break from exploration. Also available is an entire "house" dedicated to children, where they can play and run around safely (with the supervision of their adults/caregivers).

Canada Day long weekend, my friend and I went to Fort Langley. And to celebrate 150 years of colonization, admission is free this year. (Technically you're suppose to have that Parks Canada Discovery pass, but you really don't need one--they have plenty to hand out at Fort Langley, and they're not going to turn you away if you don't have one.) In addition to going into all the different buildings, we watched a blacksmith making a screwdriver; the first part of a bread making demo; and the guns going off at the entrance of the fort. There was also a small farm with a few animals. Fort Langley isn't anything spectacular, and I wouldn't recommend that tourists go out of their way to visit, but it was a nice way to spend a sunny afternoon, for free! [Yelp collections: Being a tourist in my own city; Cheap Thrills]

Anyone that is not familiar with their history about Fort Langley, then this is the place to visit! It was free for us since 2017 is Canada's 150 year anniversary. They had so many knowledgeable people that worked their. It was so informative! Everyone we spoke with were so nice. So glad we made it to this historic marker. They have kids tours and audio tours also if you want to try that. We went on a not so busy day so that was nice to be able to walk around and hear everything each worker Ahmad to say about the building they were in. There is only 1 building that is the original building from 1879 I think, not 100% sure of the year. They are making sure they are up to fire standards so we were not able to see the inside of the building but I did get a photo of it. Still a nice place to visit at least once. It doesn't take long to visit.

They weren't technically doing tours on the weekday but Danny the blacksmith and Shirley from the Big House went out of their way to give us fantastic and engaging tours. Thank you Shirley and Danny! I am not part of the community so I hope this next feedback can be taken with a grain of salt. I think it's great that they place an emphasis on peaceful relations between the traders and the First Nations - and we especially appreciated Danny highlighting the sophistication of the native communities when it came to their technology and politics. I just wish there was a bit more about addressing what happened and what causes the violence after. The emphasis on peaceful contact at that point in time between settlers and the First Nations communities has the potential to go beyond a romanticization into a way for us to think about how things are today and the role that interactive historical spaces like Fort Langley play. I appreciate that they are working towards better consciousness in that work!

Decent site and went to volunteer a couple times, the staff members are all very friendly and respectful. Good to learn some history and to just check it out

This place smelled SO BAD when I was there. From a quick look at the reviews it's not a reliable instance so I'm giving it a three stars for the possibility it's better on other days. The minute you get into the parking lot and going through the ticket centre and to the fort it is the most eye-searing, sickening smell I have come across in a long time. It was never mentioned or acknowledged by the staff except once when I overheard one of them commenting it really "smelled like the fort today" so it wasn't just a one-off for that day. I don't even have a sensitive gag reflex but I almost threw up once walking down the stairs of the look-out and the smell was so concentrated. Worse yet - the smell clings to your clothes when you leave. I had to immediately wash everything I was wearing that day even my sneakers and hat because it was that strong. It's hard to give this a fair review of the quality of the fort for history, entertainment and family friendliness because the smell was so bad I had to leave quite quickly after arriving. It is small though, smaller than I was expecting with about a dozen little places you can walk in or otherwise interact with outside and that's about it. There's a scavenger hunt aspect for kids which means some more time as well it looks like you can rent the tents to sleep in overnight on the fort premises. An interesting premise if not for the stench.

I was expecting more. I don't know why, but I was. Now, albeit, we did have a short visit, and I did enjoy the movie presentation to start with, but the actual Fort, was a bit dissappointing . I think I have seen better. We were the only 2 adults in the place, other than a school group. I think the the Fort Langley village area looks pretty nice. The gift shop was a little light on stock as well. I hate to compare, but I have seen quite a few attractions, as I am a Tour Director for an international company. I think they could do more. But, its not my place. Glad we have some history left to see and learn about .

It doesn't have a lot of bling, but it's accurate, educational, and the people who work there as part of the living history obviously love their jobs. We had a great time and all came away grateful for our experience. The beginning film as you start is hands down the best and funniest we've EVER seen at a National Historic site or park or anything! The blacksmith made nifty souvenirs for our kids while explaining/demonstrating everything. There was a tv episode being filmed while we were there and because we couldn't visit the one small building (the servant's quarters), our entire admission was half off. Bonus! :) That was the clincher as I think the price was too much originally anyway, though much cheaper than most of BC attractions...major price gouging in this province! More for kids? Probably, but my husband and I would have visited ourselves and still enjoyed it.

I feel very sad but feel that the park authorities and conservationists should know how badly this place has deteriorated over the years. The last time I was here was not long ago (perhaps less than 10 years). I was just here again about three weeks ago and what a painful sight it was. I had brought my fiance who is an east coast American here for the first time and was appalled and embarrassed. Is this place in massive need of funding for conservation? What is the deal here? Two entire buildings were closed/fenced off and it looked so painfully desolate. We walked past it slowly, still admiring the foundations but we noticed that an entire wood wall or side was succumbing to black mold. It didn't look promising. The whole building might need to be reconstructed as it looked like mold had eaten away at one side so badly. Tourists milled about aimlessly and it was full of screaming children and impatient parents. The volunteers in period costumes performed valiantly despite the desolate surroundings. I remember more interaction in the buildings. I also thought that it was inappropriate that so many displays and artifacts were unsupervised. Anyone could have lifted or stolen a fur or pelt off some of the tables. The total lack of care and supervision inside the buildings created an atmosphere that allowed screaming, running and general nonsense. What is with parents these days also? I remember getting a tight slap across the face for that kind of behaviour. Or at least a serious pinch enough to cause tears in my eyes. On one side there were bizarre tent or camp set ups. Yes, there were actually people paying to 'camp' or rent a tent and camp out at the fort overnight. Maybe this was the way the fort eventually came to sell its soul, and its only means of revenue. It was so so terribly sad. I saw people walking and sleeping and talking inside their tents just a stone's throw away from the once magnificent buildings and I felt sorry for Canada's history. We seem to have devolved from one of rich culture to one of sad circus sideshow, begging for money asking for tourists to sleep on site. If you are coming here for inspiration and history, please go somewhere else. The one highlight is the very kind and gentle girl who tends the chickens, goats and sheep and the vegetable garden. She did it all with so much patience and appreciation for the animals and the land and through her I could feel just a sliver of the old world and the old spirit of the times. We spent the most time with her, almost close to an hour! And then we hurriedly left and explored the rest of the town. I wouldn't go back here the rest of my life if someone paid me. As a Canadian, it was demoralizing and actually made my heart ache so bad.

You probably wouldn't trouble yourself with going to the Fort Langley National HIstoric site unless you were either on a school field trip or shepherding kids there. But it makes a nice adjunct to a trip to Langley, either for berry picking or to just hang out on Fort Langley's quaint main drag. The fort on the present site was built in 1840 as a Hudson's Bay trading post, a depot for furs coming in from the Interior and for goods being shipped in for trade. Most of the buildings here are rebuilt, but there is one original from the 1850s (the whitewashed one near the entrance), which is now the oldest building in BC. You can walk around and check out the exhibits in each building and museum staff in period dress demonstrate activities and talk about what life was like at the fort in an informal way. There's also a small garden in one corner, and tres cute goats and sheep that seem to be pretty okay with being petted over the fence of their enclosure. History comes alive! Not in a terribly exciting way, but it's a pleasant place to amble around for an afternoon with the kiddies.

We went on the Fort Langley National Historic Site's Grave Tales last night. It costs less than $10/person. Aman (rhymes with salmon) was our guide. He was fun and interesting. We went on the kid-friendly walk. It took about an hour and a half and wasn't too scary. The kids around me thought it was fun and the stories scared them, but they had fun. We walked a few blocks to the Anglican church, did a big circle and ended up back at the fort. Aman told us stories about the original settlers and some ghost stories. The walks sell out very fast every year. Next year we will try the adult walk. Good family entertainment. I gave this 4 stars because we would have liked a few more ghost stories.

An amazing Canadian historical site. British Columbia was declared here. The trading post that started it all. An endless experience of the natural beginnings. Very knowledgeable people explaining the workings in 1800s. Who knew our salmon went to Hawaii? This is treasure to explore for the little ones.

A lot of details go into everything they put on, the kids love it but not enough amenities, they could add a lot more and attract more people to a hidden gem.

SO awesome... I didn't realize how cool of a place this was until going. It's not fancy like Science World but the kids love it. A real blacksmith and fun stuff to look at and touch.

It's ok, but the site is a little hokey. I like historic forts and history, but this one seems geared only to kids. If you don't have kids, it's a little annoying.

Visited here for Canada Celebrations which kicked off with a Citizenship Ceremony on the grounds. A perfect way and place to start the day, welcoming New Canadians at the place where British Columbia was born. As always, the Fort was staff with many in traditional costumes; assuming the rolls of the people of the Fort. The Governor was splendidly dressed in his waistcoat and top hat and was eagerly trying to recruit people into working for him, as a way of instructing on how life was back on those days. First he asked how one would go about getting a new blanket, should one be required. The one answer was either you could collect the materials and make one yourself - in about 5 years. The other option was to work for the Fort by trapping animals and collecting pelts. In this instance you'd be able to get a blanket for 3 beaver pelts. About 1 month of work, as opposed to 5 years. Each of the buildings has some kind of displays. There is a cafe which serves coffee, tea, drinks, baked goods as well as meals. A garden, small animal pens, blacksmith shop, old store. The list goes on. Was a lovely day at the Fort with lots of entertainment. Definitely worth a visit, any day.

Very small and not much to do; not worth stopping for. The Cafe on site does not sell food, just a small selection of baked goods. There is a small part to feed some goats and sheep, so worth it if you have kids.

Fort Langley is a police that houses gas stations and McDonald's and various other businesses it's a location where there probably was a fort at one time I believe and that's probably why it's called Fort Langley so if you're looking for somewhere to visit where there's a fort find it in Fort Langley although I'm not quite exactly sure where the fort is you have to look for the fort and inquire a little bit deeper but I have been to Fort Langley and it's definitely a place that is nice and polite with polite people and polite businesses, you must visit fort langley, even tho you don't visit the fort per say.......

Went to visit Fort Langley historical site during the second week of August 2017. To be honest I was very excited about seeing some historical Canadiana. What I found was a real run down site that does not encourage any sort of learning experience. Most of the exhibits were unmanned . There were a few demonstrations but not enough for a Saturday afternoon in summer. There was almost nothing interactive with the exhibits except for touching some imitation replica items, I think the most exciting part of the trip was the entrance. The whole place was under repair in one way or another they should've been ready for Canada 150 anniversary in the busiest months of the year for tourists to showcase Canada. If I had to pay full price to visit this site I would've walked back and demand a refund. Both adults and children would be pretty disappointed with this place. You have to look pretty hard to find something interesting. At one time it might've been a pretty good historical place to visit. But I feel the Canadian or provincial government has really implemented cutbacks and it shows. I do not recommend visiting if you have to pay. I think most museums beats this place hands-down. It's free this year so check it out and hopefully things will improve.