A fur trade depot rebuilt where it stood, by the people who were there

"Travel into the past to discover the present." Grand Portage explores the
partnership between the Grand Portage Anishinaabe and the **North West
Company** during the North American fur trade.

The depot has been reconstructed in its historic location rather than
represented elsewhere, so the sights and smells of a bustling trading post
occupy the ground the real one did. Pathways lead into the past, and to
imagining a drum echo over Gichigami — Lake Superior.

What distinguishes this monument from other fur trade sites is the line it
draws forward: the historic partnership is presented as the origin of the
co-management the park operates under with the National Park Service
today. The relationship being interpreted is the same one doing the
interpreting.

Getting there

Travelling north-east or south-west on MN Highway 61, signs announce the
approach to the monument.

1. Take the right-turn exit lane, or turn left from Hwy 61, **at the Grand
   Portage Trading Post**, onto Casino Road
2. Turn left at the first stop sign onto Mile Creek Road
3. About 3/4 mile along, look for the large wooden entrance sign
4. Turn left up the short hill into the Heritage Center car park

The weather

Short, warm summers and long, cold winters define northern Minnesota.

Location: National Monument, Minnesota. Source: U.S. National Park Service.