Fort George

Fort George is totally worth a visit if you are around the area. It is one of the best historical places in Toronto. I learned some histories from the very detailed explanatory exhibits. I also had good time there walking around the spacious outdoor area and the different military buildings serving different types of military purpose. The staff wearing the soldiers costume was very friendly and was willing to tell us informative stories about the place.
There is quite a spacious parking lot there. The $ 6 flat rate can be reimbursed when you buy the entry ticket (s) at the gift shop. Make sure you show your parking ticket to the staff for the $ 6 deduction.

If you’re staying in Niagara-​on-​the-​Lake, you would be doing yourself a disservice not to take the time to visit Fort George! You pass right by the fort driving into downtown Niagara and it is easily walkable on a nice day from Queen Street (about a 15 – 20 minute walk). I visited Fort George with Ghost Tours of Niagara, a candle-​lit tour of the fort with story telling and factual information. The tours are guided by employees of the Fort, so the history is solid and the stories are spooky. I learned enough general information on the tour to feel I received an educated awareness but if you’re a history buff, I would recommend re-​visiting the fort during the day as well. However, if the ghost tour is the only chance you have to visit the fort, I highly recommend it, just for that general insight and you DO get to go enter the fort and a couple of the buildings.
Most of the fort as been recreated, as it burned down shortly after the War of 1812. However, there is a least one building still standing that pre-​dates the fire. Overall, they have done a wonderful job replicating buildings and educating patrons about the lifestyle of officers and conditions during that time period. I am no history student, but do love the chance to put myself into situations where I can learn new things! The employees here are passionate about the events that took place and you can tell they are excited to share their knowledge. There is so much more to Niagara-​on-​the-​Lake than shopping on Queen Street and visiting wineries, there is so much history here, so many lives lost and feats accomplished. So educate yourself, take the time to visit Fort George!

As a student of history, I was interested in seeing Fort George. It was well worth two hours of my time and enlightening to get a Canadian perspective on the War of 1812 to which Canada was part. Start with the short movie at the entrance to put the Fort and its historical significance into perspective. Then start walking around the fort with its earthworks and fortifications. The Fort has been restored since it was destroyed in that war, and the illustrative guideposts and interpretative exhibits on a multitude of subjects (British, Canadians, Indians, etc.) bring a short period 200 years ago to life. Dressed in period, mostly military uniforms, the young people there described what life was like for a soldier in 1812. Cooking demonstrations and other work related activities remind us of what it must have been like back then.

Really good historical site. Well kept real and replica structures are highly explorable. Staff enthusiastic to explain how soldiers and their civilian families lived, demonstrating weaponry, military practices, and cooking from the Napoleonic era. The buildings have lots of great explanatory exhibits, too.
For a historical site, the gift shop is amazing. I go to as many military museums as I can reach, but few have as many books.
As a U.S. citizen I thought their account of the War of 1812 was very fair. The day I was there, there was no interpreter representing Native Americans, who were crucial participants the War of 1812, but I may have been there at the wrong time.

NOTE: This review isn’t for Fort George itself, but rather for the Ghost Tour that takes place at Fort George in the evenings.
Our guide was Kyle, and I cannot say enough good things about him. He has been doing this job a long time, and you can tell. His stories were interesting and spooky without being cheesey or cliché’. The tour is a great history lesson as well as sharing of experiences that other people have had with «ghosts» or «unexplained phenomena»
If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a couple hours in the evening, this is it!
Check the schedule and show up! Meeting spot is in the parking lot of Ft. George after dark, you can pay on the spot or buy in advance online.
Use the restrooms before you leave… some of the stories will scare the pee right out of you!

We happened upon this place on our drive from Niagara Falls to Niagara on the Lake, and decided to stop. It a nice little fort to check out. Prices weren’t too bad: there is a $ 6 parking fee, but once you go in to pay they deduct the $ 6 off the price of one of the tickets which is really nice. We got here around 3:15, and they close at 5pm and it was PLENTY of time. We got to walk around and see all the buildings, talk with some of the folks working there (dressed up for the time period, mind you). It was a nice little 2-​hour activity!
There are plenty of buildings to go in and tour, staged appropriately for whatever room or building it was. The people that worked there were all very friendly. We also got to watch a little «overview» of the guns of that time period, and some instrument playing, and the taking down of the flag at the end of the day.
If you’re in the area, definitely stop-​by!

Wanted to see the site but we got there are 3:15pm on a Saturday in December and just missed the last tour. They close now at 4pm. Can’t say much about the inside but from what we could see, it looked interesting. The soldier at the door was very friendly.
Only reason why I don’t give it more is that they charged a static $ 6 for parking and we were only there for less than 20 minutes

My husband and I spent the afternoon at Fort George.
During the War of 1812, Fort George served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army. These forces included British regulars, local militia, aboriginal warriors and Runchey’s corps of freed slaves. Major General Sir Isaac Brock, «the saviour of Upper Canada» served here until his death at the Battle of Queenston Heights in October, 1812. Brock and his aide-​de-​camp John Macdonell were initially buried within the fort. Fort George was destroyed by American artillery fire and captured during the Battle of Fort George in May 1813. The U.S. forces used the fort as a base to invade the rest of Upper Canada, however, they were repulsed at the Battles of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. After a seven month occupation, the fort was retaken in December and remained in British hands for the remainder of the war. After the war, the fort was partially rebuilt, and by the 1820’s it was falling into ruins. It was finally abandoned in favour of a more strategic installation at Fort Mississauga and a more protected one at Butler’s Barracks.
Gord’s an expert on the War of 1812 and I like history so it was a fun way to spend the afternoon.
If you are in the area, you should check the Fort out … it’s really interesting!