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Short answer: Grand Portage National Monument has no entrance fee, and the National Park Service says admission to the Heritage Center, exhibits, films, trails and parking is free. This winter the Heritage Center is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Sundays and federal holidays, and the Historic Depot is closed until Memorial Day weekend 2027.
- $0Entrance and parking, per NPS
- 9-4:30Winter Heritage Center hours
- 150 miNortheast of Duluth, per NPS
- 50 miSouthwest of Thunder Bay
How we checked: the National Park Service’s Grand Portage National Monument pages on hours (updated October 19, 2026), fees, directions, weather (updated October 18, 2022) and the park home page. All read on November 3, 2026. Hours, prices, rules and closures change, so check the named agency or business before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not confirmed where it appears. The monument lies within the Grand Portage Anishinaabe Nation; we read no page from the Nation itself, so nothing here speaks for it. General guidance on this page is labelled as general guidance. This is not safety, medical or legal advice; where a safety or legal rule appears, the quoted words are the official source’s own.
Hours, Fees and Getting There, Per The NPS
- Winter hoursHeritage Center 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Sundays and federal holidays. The Historic Depot is closed for the season until Memorial Day weekend 2027.
- Fees“No entrance pass required.” Admission to the Heritage Center, exhibits, films, the Historic Depot, hiking trails, picnic areas, parking and special events is free. Donations are welcome.
- WhereAbout 150 miles northeast of Duluth and 50 miles southwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Superior. The Heritage Center and visitor parking: 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage.
- Phone(218) 475-0123.
- FirstsThe NPS calls it the first National Park Service unit co-managed with a Tribal Nation.
Weather on The Lake, Per The NPS
- Lake effect“Weather conditions change frequently” on the north shore. Cool onshore breezes are common in spring, summer and fall; summer inland temperatures reach the 80s and 90s but run 10 to 15 degrees cooler by the lake.
- Winter“Winter weather can be very cold and windy, with consecutive days of sub-zero temperatures.”
- Insects“Mosquitoes, gnats, black flies are plentiful during the spring and summer months especially inland along the 8 1/2 mile Grand Portage footpath.” The NPS suggests head nets and repellent with DEET.
- RecordsThe NPS page lists July as the warmest month on average, January as the coolest, a high of 95°F in 1995 and a low of -43°F in 1996.
Plan Around It
What We Could Not Confirm
- Rendezvous Days datesThe NPS home page calls it the most popular time to visit but we read no dates. Not confirmed
- Road conditions on Highway 61See 511mn.org. Not confirmed
- Anything about the Grand Portage Anishinaabe Nation: we read no page from the Nation, and we do not contact tribes. Not confirmed
- Today’s forecastThe NPS page loads it by script; use weather.gov. Not confirmed
Sources Read
- NPS, Grand Portage National Monument: Operating Hours and Seasons, read November 3, 2026 (page updated October 19, 2026)
- NPS, Grand Portage National Monument: Fees and Passes, read November 3, 2026
- NPS, Grand Portage National Monument: Directions and Transportation, read November 3, 2026
- NPS, Grand Portage National Monument: Weather, read November 3, 2026 (monthly table updated October 18, 2022)
- NPS, Grand Portage National Monument home page, read November 3, 2026
Keep Planning
Cite this page: It's Minnesota, “Grand Portage National Monument: Free Entry and Winter Hours”, itsminnesota.com/visit/tours-and-day-trips/grand-portage-national-monument-visit/ (updated ). By the It's Minnesota editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.