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Things to Do in Fort Langley, BC: History, Family Fun, Best Restaurants

Discover Fort Langley, BC with its rich history, family attractions, best restaurants, ice cream cafes, and many cool things to do on your next family visit.

Fort Langley, a charming little town that is located along the Fraser River, less that an hour drive from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is a popular family-friendly destination and has plenty of cool things to do! There are a variety of museums, shops, ice cream cafes, restaurants, art galleries, parks, and trails in Fort Langley – everyone will find something special just for them! Yet many tourists travel here to visit Fort Langley National Historic Site.

I personally enjoy the carefully restored little antique houses and beautiful street art, which makes Fort Langley absolutely Insta-perfect! My son got addicted to the model railroad inside the CN Station museum – and asks to see it on every visit. While my husband got hooked on local ice cream cafes and coffee shops with delicious goodies: no travel through Fort Langley ends without a stop at the local bakery shop.

I wonder what would you find at Fort Langley that will get you completely in love with the place? In this post I deliver a whole menu of of cool things to do in Fort Langley on your next visit. So take a note!

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Quick Links:

• About Fort Langley
• Historic Fort Langley
• McMillan Island
• Fort-To-Fort Trail
• CN Station
• Langley Centennial Museum and Exhibition
• BC Farm Museum
• Fort Langley Golf Course
• Shopping at Fort Langley
• Fort Langley Restaurants
• Fort Langley Places to Stay
• Concluding notes

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About Fort Langley

Other cool street art locations around the world that we’ve visited:
City of Colour – urban art district of San Jose, Costa Rica – one of the most important artistic spots in Central America.
Fusterlandia in Havana, Cuba is an art house of its own. It spills our murals and urban art sculpture beyond its boundaries and into the streets of nearby neighbourhoods.
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada has a small but vibrant artistic community and very positive inspiring street art  

ALL Collections of Street Art

The Fort Langley town draws visitors who are looking for a peaceful atmosphere, with a flavour for arts, First Nations culture, and delicious food (ice cream cafes are extremely popular!). The CN Station train museum with its miniature railroad is a real treasure-find for families with kids! The iconic Community Hall of Fort Langley and the Fort Langley National Historic Site are featured in many TV & Films. The town increasingly becomes a popular travel destination for weddings and Instagram influencers.

I am personally fond of the beautifully restored vintage buildings. Similarly to Atchelitz village near Chilliwack, to Niagara-on-the-Lake town in Ontario, and Lahaina Village in Maui, Hawaii, the town bylaws prohibit modern buildings in the area to preserve the unique charm of Fort Langley. 

In pre-COVID times, Fort Langley was also known for its awesome year-round street festivals! The most notorious that our family had personally travelled for every year are: the Cranberry Festival, May Day Parade, Jazz & Arts Festival, Fort International Film Festival, Food Truck Festival, and Fort Beer & Food Festival. We sincerely hope that life gets back to normal soon, and we can all enjoy the outdoor family entertainment once again! So add Fort Langley to your list of to-do travel destinations!

Yes indeed, today Fort Langley is a charming little town with a population of only around 3,500 residents. Yet, the village has a glorious past and is sometimes referred to as the Birthplace of Canada's British Columbia. Fort Langley was established in 1827 on the traditional territories of the Kwantlen, Matsqui, Katzie and Semiahmoo First Nations peoples as a trading post of the famous Hudson’s Bay Company – now the Fort Langley National Historic Site.

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Fort Langley National Historic Site

The Fort Langley National Historic Site is home of the Hudson Bay Company’s fur trading post, still standing 150 years later beautifully restored to its original fame and glory. It is now a popular travel destination for tourists visiting from all over the world.

A popular local attraction, Historic Fort Langley should be definitely added to your list of things to do when visiting the area. A living history open-air museum, where costumed interpreters demonstrate the pioneer way of life, it is actively supported by Kwantlen First Nation.

Have you watched TV Series Frontier (with Jason Mamoa) on Netflix yet? Watch it before coming here! You’ll definitely have more context in what you are about to see 🙂

All of the buildings are open to visitors. 

Storehouse – Built in the 1840s, the Storehouse is the only remaining original building at Fort Langley. The rest are close replicas that were constructed more recently.

At the Cooperage coopers built barrels that were used to ship salmon, cranberries, farm produce, and other stuff.

Blacksmiths forged iron tools to trade with Aboriginal peoples. The iron hardware was also used at Fort Langley and other HBC posts.

In the middle of Fort Langley Village is a fireplace – a gathering place where Hudson’s Bay Company fur traders mingled with gold prospectors, fort soldiers, and First Nations people.

They say that the outpost even hosted many migrant workers traveling from Hawaii! One of the buildings – the Servants quarters – has many antique artifacts on display of Polynesian origin.

Big house was home to the fort’s managers, this building was reconstructed in 1958. The costumed interpreters are telling cool stories about the past owners, their hunger for power, and even their love affairs!

Costumed interpreter tells a fascinating story of Hudson Bay Company’s first entry into the land, of ancient cedar trees, and how life has changed for the local tribes since European arrival.

We loved our visit to Fort Langley Historic Site so much, that we ended up with a video for our PerfectDayToPlay YouTube channel, check it out!

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McMillan Island

McMillan Island is located just across the channel from Fort Langley. It is now an Indian Reserve, where members of the Kwantlen First Nation reside. A small community, it remains private and visitors are not generally allowed to come to the island. Please kindly respect the residents and do not attempt to enter uninvited. 

You can meet Kwantlen First Nation members through storyteller-hosted walking tours and cultural evenings at the Historical Fort Langley and at the Lelem’ Café. 

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Fort-to-Fort Trail

Fort to Fort trail is a beautiful park trail that starts at the Fort Langley National Historical Museum and runs all the way to Derby Reach Regional Park, where there was also a fort once.  

The 4km trail is a popular walking or family-friendly biking path. From experience: it is actually best to bring along your bicycles – the ride is simply joyful on a hot summer day. The route begins from the National Historic Museum, but you can also start at the train crossing at Glover Road and Mavis Avenue. 

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CN Station

Built for the Canadian Northern Railway in 1915, the CN Station in Fort Langley was declared a Municipal Heritage Site in 1984. It appears that this is one of the few remaining stations like it in western Canada, and the only surviving  station from this era in the Langley region.

Today, the CN Station is owned by the Township of Langley, maintained and operated by the Langley Heritage Society.

On the menu of things to do at Fort Langley CN Station are: the classic station house and ticket office, a 1940s passenger car with a cool telegraph station for kids, a local artists’ gallery in the baggage room, and… the 1920s wooden caboose hosting Glen Valley model railway! Both kids and adults will be fascinated by the neat detail of the train-long model, with train cars moving via parallel train tracks, with tiny people and animals.

Do not underestimate the CN Station – time flies in there! On our last visit, we have spent over an hour simply by watching those model trains!

The Fort Langley CN Station station is typically open to the public from Victoria Day weekend through Thanksgiving (yet, considering the situation around covid, you should check their website before you travel). 

If your kids are into trains and railroads, you will find the CN Station a super cool thing to do in Langley. Also, check out the nearby Fraser Valley Heritage Rail – about half an hour drive away. 

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Langley Centennial Museum and Exhibition

As you might have guessed from reading about the Historic Site, Langley is one of the oldest municipalities in British Columbia. Langley Centennial Museum hosts a collection about the town's history. There are two main galleries within: History and Exhibition Galleries.

In the History Gallery you can learn about early days of Fort Langley settlement, how European and Asian migrants adjusted to living in the area, their relationship with First Nations. You will also discover a variety of First Nations arts and crafts – woodcarvings, stone sculptures, woven baskets and tools to make them.

The Exhibition Gallery displays change a few times a year – so you can visit any time you travel into the area and find something new. Watch their announcements to discover historic to contemporary art, science and environmentally-focused projects, and works of local, regional, national, and even international significance.

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BC Farm Museum

BC Farm Museum in Fort Langley is said to have the province’s largest collection of pioneer and agricultural artifacts in British Columbia. The museum was officially opened on November 19, 1966. Many things have changed since then. Just like its neighbouring Atchelitz pioneer village, the BC Farm museum is now run almost exclusively by volunteers. In addition to hundreds of beautifully restored antique items related to farming, the museum now has a cool high-tech section, where their ‘Interactive Presentation Terminals’ project is a real hit with all ages. Real fun way to learn about the history of agriculture in the region, the museum and the people behind it.

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Fort Langley Golf Course

Established in 1968, Fort Langley Golf Course is a hidden gem for gold lovers. Beautifully located along the shores of the Fraser and Salmon River. Every level of golfer will find a cool opportunity for a serious shot. 

The Golf Course is regularly hosting both local and national golf tournaments. In addition, it serves as a great venue for weddings and special events. Its McKinnon's Bar & Grill is the perfect place to relax after a round, featuring a diverse menu, a fireplace, large screen HDTVs to watch sporting events, and the outside patio overlooking the spectacular 18th green, and all the wonderful scenery and golfing action on the course.

If you are into golf, you will certainly like it here. There are at least two more amazing golf courses within 10 min travel distance.

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Shopping at Fort Langley

“The Village” – this is how residents of Fort Langley refer to the town’s commercial and retail area. You can find a variety of high-end boutiques, quaint shops, art galleries, vintage antique shops, bistros and brew-tasting houses, restaurants and cafes. Both shopping addicts and culture explorers can find little something to do here. 

Kismet Gallery is a perfect destination for anyone seeking an eclectic mix of original Canadian hand-crafted works, featuring BC artisans and artists. 

The KUBE Gallery is a fine art gallery representing both Canadian and international artists, and offers a diverse collection of styles, themes, and media of acclaimed artists.

First Nations art, crafts, jewelry and inspirational gifts can be found at Sxwimele Boutique & Gifts. 

If you are looking for something truly unique to bring back from your travels, how about checking out the Bearga Gallery – a semi-museum semi-gift shop that presents artist collectable teddy bears, bear painting and bear images giftware. 

Speaking of collectables and antiques, apart from a dozen of smaller antique stores and gift shops, Fort Langley has a huge antiques mall – Village Antiques Mall.

The lovers of natural care products and unique crafted gifts will find many small treasures at the Treasure Landing gift shop. Fashion lovers can’t miss the Bagheera Boutique specializing in European and Canadian fashions.

Love hats? Roxanns Hats is waiting for you! This store is home to the largest selection of hats in the Greater Vancouver area. They claim they can outfit you for any occasion – be it a formal event, friendly outing or just to wear around. I absolutely love Roxann’s motto: “Anyone can wear a hat, it just takes attitude!” Wedding planners love the store, and many brides and celebrities travel here from all over the province to get that unique look for their next special occasion.

And of course, if you are visiting Fort Langley with kids – Watermelon Tree is your stop!

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Best Fort Langley Restaurants & Cafes

There would not be a discussion about a travel destination without mentioning the local food. This case is no exception, and Fort Langley Restaurant scene has much to offer! 

Fort Pub & Grill and Wendel’s Bookstore & Cafe are easily one of the most popular places to eat in Fort Langley. Both have a fusion of flavours on their menus – popular Mexican, Italian, Canadian, Indian options.  

Rail and River Bistro is a higher-end Fort Langley restaurant and has many delicious seafood options. They even have oysters on the menu!

Beatniks Bistro has a laid back hipster feeling, the food is delicious and they even used to have live music every Thursday in pre-covid times (I am not sure what is the situation now, so you’d better call them to find out before your visit). Yummy and reasonably-priced eggs benny too!

Little White House Co  is a neat little french-inspired cafe that serves Afternoon Tea. To be honest, they are a boutique too, and sell a variety of souvenirs and self-case items. But I love their afternoon teas, that’s why it joins my list of must-try Fort Langley restaurants.

Similarly, don’t dare to miss the Lelem’ Arts & Cultural Café – an Indigenous owned and operated unique Fort Langley restaurant that features a cult favourite in Indigenous communities and gatherings: the bannock taco. You can try several types of bannock tacos, including smoked salmon, smoked shredded beef, chorizo sausage and mexi-tofu. Smoked salmon is my absolute favourite! What’s yours? Tell me in the post comments!

Vegetarians and the lovers of everything “interesting” will appreciate the Veggie Bob’s Kitchen – a Fort Langley’s most “intriguing” restaurant. The cuisine is definitely hippie-inspired, with curious dishes like veg-talian sausage bun, mex-vegan chilli planet dog, mac and ease cheeze bowl… and other extraordinary choices. Foodies, mark this one down for your next visit to Fort Langley 🙂

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Sweets & Ice Cream

Fort Langley is definitely famous for its little ice cream coffee shops (or coffee ice cream shops). Honestly, Fort Langley reminds me a lot of Lahaina Village in Maui Hawaii, where you can grab any kind of ice cream flavour literally at every corner!

My favourite ice cream cafes in Fort Langley are The Crosswalk Cafe and Maria’s Gelato.  

And of course, no little town experience is not complete without the local chocolate experience! Into Chocolate Candy & Confections is a small family-owned chocolate store that brings flavours from all around the world. Delaine, the owner, has made her own hand-crafted chocolates for over 20 years and received the designation as a professional chocolatier from Ecole Chocolat. By the way, they now can ship the chocolate to you, no need to travel 🙂

If you have a passion for pastry like my lovely husband, check out Blacksmith Bakery for a variety of fresh pastries baked fresh daily, on-site, in their open kitchen using locally sourced ingredients. We literally stop here on our every visit. In this Fort Langley bakery you can find anything you can wish for: viennoiserie, patisserie, cakes, eclairs, tarts, cookies, savouries, soups and gourmet sandwiches, and delicious fresh coffee.

Speaking about coffee… (haha I can go on and on about awesome places to eat and yummy restaurants of Fort Langley) No coffee conversation in Fort Langley can be held without the mention of the Republica Coffee Roasters – the locally owned and operated artisan coffee roasteria. These guys roast fair trade organic coffee, sell it via their Fort Langley store-front location, and also deliver all over Vancouver and can even ship the beans to your home!

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Where to Stay at Fort Langley

Well… Fort Langley does not really have places where visitors can stay. There are a few guest houses set up by local residents, and you may try your luck at AirBnB site, but there are no hotels in Fort Langley. 

I believe this is due to the fragility of the local community, the nearby Kwantlen Nation reserve, and the desire of local people to keep the small town feeling they love so much.

Not to worry though. Close proximity of Fort Langley to Trans-Canada Highway and Golden Ears Bridge gives you many options! Nearby Langley city is only 15 min drive away, and has plenty of hotel options. 

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Concluding notes

Many travellers to Vancouver, and even some lower mainland residents may not know what a gem they have hidden right in their backyard. Some visitors come here to look at the Fort Langley National Historic Site – as this is what the town is known for, only to realize they are in love. 

On your very first visit Fort Langley quickly wins you over with its unique charm of beautiful heritage buildings, rich history, restaurants and cafes with delicious food, and warm hospitality of local people. 

I strongly recommend checking it out. Best time to visit Fort Langley is in April or June, when everything is blooming around, and it is not yet too hot. Although, we have come here to Fort Langley in winter months a few times – and could still find plenty of things to do. I am deeply convinced that Fort Langley is one of the best unique family-friendly travel destinations you can find close to Vancouver.

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Do you know any other nice little towns we should visit and write about? Send us your suggestions! 

Invitations from towns themselves are always welcome of course!  Check out our Work with Us section.

Oh, and before I forget… if you love to travel (like we do) and would like your kids to learn about destinations in a fun and easy way through fun kids activities, check out our newest release of destination-themed workbooks and coloring pages:

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Other Cool Little towns of British Columbia Similar to Fort Langley, BC

The best thing about road trips is that your family can discover marvellous small little towns that would otherwise have likely never made it to the list of purposeful destinations. Yet each such town is adorable and worth a stop.

Among some of such British Columbia‘s small “off the beaten path” towns we recommend visiting on your next road trip are:

• Sooke town and nearby outdoors hiking opportunities – Vancouver Island, BC
• Cumberland, BC – on Vancouver Island
• Campbell River, BC – on Vancouver Island
• Port Alice, BC – Vancouver Island North
• Port Hardy, BC – Vancouver Island North
• Lund, BC on Sunshine Coast
• Madeira Park, BC – on Sunshine Coast
• Harrison Hot Springs – near Hope, BC in Fraser Valley
• Atchelitz Pioneer Village at Chilliwack, BC in Fraser Valley Region
• Sun Peaks Resort Village – near Kamloops, in Thompson-Nicola Region

If you are into “little towns” like Fort Langley, cute architecture, or looking for road trips from Vancouver and awesome things to do, you may also like:

• Things To Do In Kamloops: Vancouver To Kamloops Family Road-Trip
• Top Family Winter Activities & Eco-Friendly Things To Do in Whistler, Canada
• Vancouver to Kelowna Family Road Trip: Best Sightseeing Stops
• Mom’s Guide to Unique Nature Places to Visit With Kids in British Columbia

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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Fort Langley Things to Do:

• Explore Fort Langley town
• Check out National Historic Site Fort Langley
• Hike the Fort-To-Fort Trail
• Drop by the CN Station
• Get curious at Langley Centennial Museum and Exhibition
• Visit BC Farm Museum
• Have a game at Fort Langley Golf Course
• Go shopping at Fort Langley
• Dine at one of delicious Fort Langley Restaurants
• Have an icecream!
• Visit McMillan Island
• Stay at Fort Langley B&B

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