Historic Fort Snelling - National Parks Gallery

Fort Snelling was constructed at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers starting in the 1820s. This strategic fort controlled river traffic over a broad swath of what was to become the upper Midwest, established American dominance in the area after the War of 1812, and focussed the fur trade at this location. The Fort and Upper Post was used for training from the Civil War to World War II.

Built in the early 1820s, Historic Fort Snelling is a great place to learn about military history from before the Civil War through World War II, fur trade history, slavery in Minnesota, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 and much more. Its location – at the junction of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers – has been significant for centuries to many American Indian communities.

Historic Fort Snelling is a National Historic Landmark.