If you are visiting NotL make sure you spend some time visiting Fort George. This is a great faithful reconstruction of the original site complete with some original artefacts. There are heaps of staff on site, in period costume, who are very knowledgeable and eager to answer your questions. Having no knowledge of the history of the area, I walked away with a good understanding of the history around the 1812 war. Make sure you time your visit for the musket demonstration - this is well worth seeing. The person demonstrating one of the weapons had some difficulty with the firing mechanism highlighting the issues with this type of weapon - the commentary was hilarious and had us all laughing.

Only separated from America by the width of the Niagara River, Fort George is the site of a much fought over piece of ground. It was built to defend the then British colony of Upper Canada from invading American forces, who eventually burnt it to the ground as they retreated at the end of the War of 1812. Restored in the 1930s, it’s packed with history, where costumed interpreters bring the fort’s story to life. Especially worth visiting when special events and recreations are scheduled in the summer months.

Growing up in Buffalo we had many opportunities to go to Fort Niagara. And we've taken our kids there a few times. But it was fun to learn about Canadian history and the fort just across the river. There were reenactors everywhere that had so much to share about what happened here. We were able to play games, try on old uniform jackets and had several demonstrations. Our kids are band kids, so it was fun to see the music of the time. We stopped over in the kitchen where they had a burnt cake, but the actors were fantastic at going with the flow and answering many questions. Fun history lesson!