Thunder Bay Historical Museum

The Thunder Bay Historical Museum is a local history museum housed in a 1910 Classical Revival building with six gallery spaces across three floors. The exhibits display regional artifacts, photographs, and documents that tell the story of Northwestern Ontario.

The museum was founded in 1908 and moved to its current location in 1994, occupying the former Fort William police station and courthouse. The building itself dates from an important period when two separate cities later merged into Thunder Bay.

The building reflects the region's role as a gathering place where Indigenous peoples, fur traders, and settlers from many backgrounds met and lived together. You can see how different groups shaped daily life and community here over generations.

The museum sits on Donald Street East and welcomes visitors with flexible admission options and a suggested donation approach. Plan to spend time on each floor, as the galleries are spread across multiple levels with stairs between them.

The museum publishes an annual peer-reviewed journal called Papers & Records that shares regional research with a wider audience. This publication effort makes it possible for researchers and curious visitors to explore local history beyond what the galleries alone can show.