Description: Fort Steele is an open-air museum west of the Canadian Rockies. Like many places in western North America, Fort Steele was founded during the gold rush in the mid-19th century. At first, the small settlement boomed. However, as the railroad was built through Cranbook further south, Fort Steele's population gradually declined. Slowly but surely, the town fell into disrepair. Then, with its designation as a Historic Site in 1967, the turnaround began. The buildings were restored and turned into an open air museum. Today it still is, showing visitors how people lived here in the mid-19th century.