Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Portage

Grand Portage National Monument commemorates the cross cultural interaction and exchange among Ojibwe people and early Europeans that influenced the 18th-century exploration of the northwest and the expansion of the Great Lakes fur trade industry. The National Park Service works collaboratively with the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa to interpret and support the heritage and lifeways of the Ojibwe people and to preserve the premier sites, route, and unique historic values of the Grand Portage trail.

As early as 2,000 years ago, indigenous groups used Gitchi Onigamiing “the Great Carrying Place” (Grand Portage) to travel from seasonal homes around Lake Superior to regions of better hunting, fishing, and trapping in the protected interior forests.

Opened in 1951 as Grand Portage National Historic Site, designated a National Monument in 1958, its nearly 710 acres lie entirely within the boundaries of reservation of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The Historic site consists of three reconstructed North West Company buildings on their original locations and an Ojibwe Village exhibit. The Historic site is open seasonally from Memorial Day in May to Indigenous Peoples' Day in October.

The Heritage Center offers interactive exhibits, educational videos, artifacts, and a gift shop. The Heritage Center is open year round.