Historic Fort Snelling
Historic Fort Snelling
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
With a human history more than 10,000 years in the making, the area today known as Fort Snelling means different things to different people. Explore the past through tours, demonstrations, and conversations that expand the diverse stories of the women, men, and children who crossed paths here—from the Dakota, who call the land Bdote, to other Native American groups who lived and worked here, to enslaved people, immigrants, fur traders, and soldiers.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
238 reviews
Excellent
151
Very good
72
Average
14
Poor
1
Terrible
0
dmittleman
Palm Beach Gardens, FL1,413 contributions
Aug 2021
Caution is required here. Historic Fort Snelling is different than Fort Snelling Park. They are not the same. The fort is closed on the weekends so access is not possible. The barracks are under renovation. Signage is minimal so it's hard to distinguish what you are seeing.
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shoelu
Minneapolis, MN312 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
The Fort is worth seeing, the museum exhibits are really terrific and there's so much to learn about while there. It's an important area and deserves respect and remembrance for sure. My 3 star rating has to do with the guided tour, which is only one hour long but really should be 1.5 hours long. We felt rushed and due to the short time frame and large group of people (25 -30 in our group), the guide was often half way through his speech at a stop before many in the group arrived, so many of us missed much of the information. I was with my mother who is ambulatory but needs a wheelchair for long distances. We were able to catch a little shuttle to get from the parking lot to the museum ticket office. We had to ask for it as it wasn't running automatically but the staff were really nice about it. We used a free wheelchair provided by Fort Snelling and it was in good working condition. The gravel paths were manageable and she was able get to most places, but there were a few tricky spots.
Written September 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brendan S
Arlington, VA2,152 contributions
Jul 2021 • Solo
I have toured many forts, but while Fort Snelling lacks the physically-imposing defenses of other forts, it brings to life the frontier lifestyle 150 years ago. Most of the Fort was dismantled long ago, but it was faithfully reconstructed to look like it did. A series of informational plaques explain the different buildings, and there are small exhibits on archaeology and 19th century medicine (not for the squeamish). There are also firearm demonstrations. Also, while this fort was a functional structure and never saw a battle, it is historic as the site where enslaved Dred Scott began his unsuccessful quest for freedom that led to an infamous Supreme Court decision and the Civil War. His quarters at the Fort are on display.
Written July 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SS_Forever
Dallas, TX527 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Visited the Fort when opened at 10am. Was a warmer day so did not stay and visit all it had to offer so mainly concentrated on the fort. Was very surprised to find being a native American I got free entry with up to 5 people. We started by the river view from the parking lot to see the timeline and walk the path with all the beautiful flowers. It smelled so great. Walk to the fort was short and on concrete. It was great to find MN Historical Society had people stationed all around the fort to give you the history. Of many of the forts we visited this one had the most articles to see besides the buildings and cannons. They said they have made many of them based on readings and picture's to try and share what might have been used. We grab the shuttle cart for the ride back. There was also a chapel and barracks but we did not view them has had a lunch date.
Written August 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TaurusMom
Iowa718 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
The website is really vague and confusing. I was surprised when we arrived as to what there would be to actually see. I had no idea there were slaves in Minnesota, and that Dred Scott was a slave here. My 82-year-old father was with us, so we only stayed about two hours, but we will be back to see the rest of the fort and the Riverwalk.
Written May 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
smsmissy
Saint Louis, MO126 contributions
Jul 2021
What a wonderful experience! Our entire family really enjoyed Fort Snelling. I really loved how they used PC terms to describe the indigenous peoples and enslaved people who helped support the success of the Fort. Because of covid there were no reenactments but the staff were very informative and more than willing to answer any questions we had. There was a shuttle to get you to and from the Fort if you are not able to walk that far.
Tip- if you or a family member are active military or a veteran, that person, plus 5 people can get in free. Same goes if you are native american/indigenous. So cool!
Tip- if you or a family member are active military or a veteran, that person, plus 5 people can get in free. Same goes if you are native american/indigenous. So cool!
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rikmsp
Saint Paul, MN58 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
On the precipice of the MN and Mississippi Rivers is FT Snelling. The fort is truly one of a kind. From the actors that dress in the uniforms from the black smith and bakery that are in use.
The last Fort acting Col. Custer visited before embarking on his fateful mission against the Sioux.
Don't forget the rock candy or the pine gum in the general store for a taste of the past.
The last Fort acting Col. Custer visited before embarking on his fateful mission against the Sioux.
Don't forget the rock candy or the pine gum in the general store for a taste of the past.
Written March 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DanielleF135
Minneapolis, MN18 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
We were expecting to go tour some old buildings, read some information signs, watch an informational movie... We figured it would be interesting, but not entertaining. We were definitely wrong though! Our visit was very entertaining and we will gladly go back! There were demonstrations every half hour ranging from cooking and school work to infantry demonstrations and the cannon firing. We were even fortunate enough to watch them skin a raccoon... which some of the kids loved! (I wasn't a huge fan of that part! Luckily, I don't think it's a common occurrence!) Any way, the kids loved it (9 and 11), I loved it, and it was a great place to spend a summer day!
Written July 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda A
Minneapolis, MN69 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
so yeah, you can be part of the military, watched a meal being served, hear a cannon being fired, buy something from the sutler - and all the while you are being entertained you are being educated about the beginning of white settlements in Minnesota (it wasn't so great for our native people to be honest). You will learn about military life on the frontier in the 1820's & 30's, the class differences between officers and enlisted men, the role of women, great exhibits about Dred Scott and his wife and their important place in history and a gruesome but wonderful exhibit about medicine in the era. This is how history should be taught - hands on, with lots of sights, sounds, tastes & smells. And the staff and volunteers are terrific.
Written July 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Foodieholic
Los Angeles, CA614 contributions
Jun 2014 • Family
As part of our orientaion tour of Minneapolis and St. Paul, our itinerary included a visit to Fort Snelling. We were initially a little skeptical about the visit thinking that it was going to be a bit of a historical bore. We were in for a pleasant surprise, however.
Upon our arrival, we were ushered into the ticketing area and onwards to the inner areas of the fort where the old buildings were. We were told to expect actors playing the roles of people living in the fort like in those days way back in time. Our first stop was the Store where the "storekeeper" explained to us the goods that were sold there showing us old catalogues. The next stop was at the place beside the Married Quarters where the laundry maid was showing people how clothes were washed. My son asked her why were the soldiers' uniform mostly in white when it's so difficult to wash them clean. The Laundry Maid replied that back in those days, whites were the cheapest and coloured cloth cost so much more!
We then took a peek into the Married Quarters as well as the Commanding Officer's Quarters (COQ). It was amazing to note the vast difference in the living conditions of the soldiers as compared to the luxury available to the CO in the COQ.
The other place the boys found interesting was at the blacksmith's. Each boy was asked to shovel a lump of coal from the outside into the shop to be thrown into the fire. The blacksmith then did his thing tinkering on metal with his hammer making small blunt nails for the kids who looked on in awe.
The round house provided a nice view of the surrounding, especially when you climb up to the top. Closing time was at 5pm just after the parade march which started after a soldier played a military song on his horn (or I think that's what it is called) and concluded with the flag lowering ceremony.
There was lots of history to be learnt from the place including the how the soldiers lived, what they did all day, how much they were paid for their service, how much the laundry maids were paid etc. Hence, it is definitely worth a visit, especially for families with children in Elementary School.
Upon our arrival, we were ushered into the ticketing area and onwards to the inner areas of the fort where the old buildings were. We were told to expect actors playing the roles of people living in the fort like in those days way back in time. Our first stop was the Store where the "storekeeper" explained to us the goods that were sold there showing us old catalogues. The next stop was at the place beside the Married Quarters where the laundry maid was showing people how clothes were washed. My son asked her why were the soldiers' uniform mostly in white when it's so difficult to wash them clean. The Laundry Maid replied that back in those days, whites were the cheapest and coloured cloth cost so much more!
We then took a peek into the Married Quarters as well as the Commanding Officer's Quarters (COQ). It was amazing to note the vast difference in the living conditions of the soldiers as compared to the luxury available to the CO in the COQ.
The other place the boys found interesting was at the blacksmith's. Each boy was asked to shovel a lump of coal from the outside into the shop to be thrown into the fire. The blacksmith then did his thing tinkering on metal with his hammer making small blunt nails for the kids who looked on in awe.
The round house provided a nice view of the surrounding, especially when you climb up to the top. Closing time was at 5pm just after the parade march which started after a soldier played a military song on his horn (or I think that's what it is called) and concluded with the flag lowering ceremony.
There was lots of history to be learnt from the place including the how the soldiers lived, what they did all day, how much they were paid for their service, how much the laundry maids were paid etc. Hence, it is definitely worth a visit, especially for families with children in Elementary School.
Written June 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We would like to have a picnic after touring Fort Snelling. Should we stay near the fort, or go into the state park?
Written May 31, 2016
I'm not certain what Fort Snelling itself has for public amenities, but the state park is very nice and has gazebos, restrooms, picnic tables, biking paths, walking paths, lakes, and rivers.
Written May 31, 2016
Is there a main event with soldiers marching/speaking this weekend?
If so, may I have the date/time of event.
Written May 22, 2015
ok I went to the web and this is the phone number and you can call The Fort and ask directly (612)7261171
Written May 24, 2015
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