Northwestern Ontario
As told by Ditch
Thunder Bay: a church that serves coffee, and five more things worth the detour
Sleeping Giant and the Terry Fox Monument earn every word written about them. This is what sits a few blocks off that route.
With an hour, start at the Habit, a coffeehouse in a converted church at 308 Red River Road, then head a few blocks to the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery. With a full day, add Fort William Historical Park on the other side of the city and the antique shops on Frederica Street in Westfort. The season note that matters most: from 28 September 2026 to 14 May 2027 the fort is open Monday to Friday only, so a weekend visit will not get you inside.
Thunder Bay anchors the top of Lake Superior, on the Trans-Canada Highway. Most drivers pass through on their way somewhere bigger. A few of the best things here are a short detour from that highway, not a special trip. Here is the short list.
Getting to Thunder Bay from Highway 11/17
Highways 11 and 17 run together as the Trans-Canada Highway through Thunder Bay.
| From | Distance | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Kakabeka Falls | 28 km | about 20 min |
| Nipigon | 115 km | about 1 h 20 min |
| Duluth, Minnesota | 310 km | about 4 h |
| Dryden | 352 km | about 4 h |
| Sault Ste. Marie | 699 km | about 7 h 55 min |
Routing by Mapbox, no live traffic, checked September 2026. Add time for weather, construction and stops, plus the border crossing if you are coming from the US.
Things to do in Thunder Bay
The Habit Coffee & Bakeshop
Pork · where to eat- Plan for
- 20 to 45 minutes
- Access
- Nothing about accessibility is published on Urban Abbey's page for the Habit, and this is a converted church building. Phone 807-768-8923 before you count on it
- Best for
- All ages, coffee lovers and history/architecture fans
A working coffeehouse at 308 Red River Road, run largely by volunteers under a group called Urban Abbey, whose page says the proceeds fund its service to the community. Northern Wilds describes the building as a converted church with stained glass windows and booths made from church pews. Hours are not posted anywhere official, so phone 807-768-8923 before you drive over. The building is the point, and so is where the money goes.
Trowbridge Falls
Flock · trails & nature- Plan for
- about 20 to 30 minutes to the falls and back, longer on the full trail loop (an estimate)
- Access
- Nothing is published on the path surface or the grade between the parking area and the falls, and the campground washrooms are closed for the season. Contact the City of Thunder Bay before you count on either
- Best for
- All ages for the short walk; hikers for the full loop
A set of cascades on the Current River, inside a park that also has hiking and biking trails. The campground beside the falls ran from 29 May to 7 September 2026 and is shut for the year, which takes its washrooms and showers with it. Nothing is published about whether the trails stay open past that, or what the path to the falls is made of.
Frederica Street, Westfort
Walk · downtown & streets- Plan for
- 30 to 60 minutes
- Access
- Frederica Street West is a public street with sidewalks. Nothing is published on curb cuts, door widths or which shops have a step at the door. Black Cat Antiques can be reached at 807-623-5502
- Best for
- All ages, antique and vintage shoppers
Westfort was surveyed in 1859 and 1860 as the original Fort William town plot, and Frederica Street West is still the spine of it. Black Cat Antiques has been selling antiques and running estate sales since 1993. The Business Improvement Area lists the rest of the street, shops and restaurants together, and most of it fits inside a half hour of walking. Hours for the individual shops are not published in one place, so phone ahead if you are driving across the city for one of them.
Where to eat on Frederica Street
Pork · where to eat- Plan for
- 30 to 60 minutes
- Access
- Westfort Foods is listed as wheelchair accessible with free parking in the regional tourism directory. The Sal publishes nothing about accessibility, so phone 807-577-8635 before you plan around it
- Best for
- All ages, a sit down meal or something to take with you
Frederica Street West is where to eat on this side of the city. The Sal, at 118 Frederica Street West, does all day breakfast, burgers, fish and chips, sandwiches, tacos and poutine, with kids' meals, and it is closed Mondays. Also on the block, at 111 Frederica Street West, Westfort Foods is a specialty grocer and deli, which is the better call if you want lunch in the car. Neither one publishes allergen or dietary information, so ask at the counter. The Habit, back on Red River Road, is the coffee stop, but its hours are not posted anywhere official.
Fort William Historical Park & Fort William First Nation
Talk · museums & history- Plan for
- 1 to 2 hours for the park; the nation's own sites are their own trip
- Access
- Support persons with a PAL card get in free. Nothing is published on wheelchair loans, accessible parking or path surfaces at the park. Phone 807-473-2344 before you plan a visit around a mobility aid
- Best for
- All ages, especially history and Indigenous-culture learners
Fort William Historical Park is a rebuilt version of the North West Company's old inland fur-trade headquarters, costumed interpreters included. What the reconstruction gets right is who else was there. Paintings from 1805 and 1808 record an Anishinaabe encampment at the south eastern corner of the fort, and Indigenous labourers were employed at Fort William in the canoe shed, fur stores, kitchen and farm. That community is still here. Fort William First Nation's reserve was established in 1853 after the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850. From 28 September 2026 to 14 May 2027 the fort opens Monday to Friday only, so a winter weekend drive out there will find the gates shut.
Before you go. From 28 September 2026 to 14 May 2027 the park is open Monday to Friday only. Its own pages disagree about which entrance is open, so phone 807-473-2344 before you drive out.
Ahnisnabae Art Gallery
Chalk · art & craft- Plan for
- 20 to 45 minutes
- Access
- Nothing about accessibility is published on the gallery's pages. Phone 807-577-2656 before you go
- Best for
- Adults and older kids, art and Indigenous-culture fans
Ahnisnabae Art has been going since 1997, owned and operated by Louise Thomas, at 14 Court Street South. The gallery's stated purpose is building appreciation and awareness of Indigenous culture through art, and it is open to the public. Sunday and Monday are by appointment only, so the middle of the week is the safe bet. Ditch's opinion, not a plaque: it's one of the more serious places in the country to see this kind of work in person.
Parking, washrooms and what's open
Checked September 20, 2026. Rates, hours and seasons change, so use the links in the local links below before you rely on them.
Checked on 20 September 2026 against Fort William Historical Park, the City of Thunder Bay, Tourism Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Ahnisnabae Art Gallery, Urban Abbey and the Westfort Business Improvement Area. None of it is from a visit.
- Parking
- The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has free visitor parking in the lot directly across from its main entrance, per the gallery. No official parking rule was found for Fort William Historical Park, the Habit, the Ahnisnabae gallery or Frederica Street, so treat those as street parking until a sign tells you otherwise.
- Public washrooms
- The Terry Fox Monument and Visitor Centre at 1000 Highway 11/17 has washrooms and is open year round, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., per Tourism Thunder Bay. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has an accessible washroom. The Trowbridge Falls campground washrooms closed with the campground season on 7 September 2026, per the city.
- Fort William Historical Park season and hours
- Open seven days, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to 27 September 2026. From 28 September 2026 to 14 May 2027 it is Monday to Friday only, with tours at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., per the park. Several holidays are closed days, including the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day.
- Fort William admission and getting in
- Admission to 27 September 2026: $16 adult, $14 senior or student, $13 youth 6 to 12, free for children 5 and under, Indigenous persons, military, veterans and support persons with a PAL card. Off season it is $13, per the park. The park's pages disagree about which entrance is open, so phone 807-473-2344 first.
- Trowbridge Falls
- The campground ran 29 May to 7 September 2026 and its washrooms and showers were seasonal, per the city. The city page does not say whether the falls trails stay open after that, or describe the path surface. Two addresses are published for the site: 125 Copenhagen Road and 16 Copenhagen Road.
- Ahnisnabae Art Gallery hours
- Tuesday to Friday 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., per the gallery. Sunday and Monday are by appointment. It is at 14 Court Street South; phone 807-577-2656.
- If it rains or turns cold
- The Thunder Bay Art Gallery at 1080 Keewatin Street is open Tuesday to Thursday 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday to Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., closed Monday. Admission is $5 for adults, free under 12 and free on Wednesdays, per the gallery. Phone 807-577-6427.
- Wheelchair users, service animals and support persons
- The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is on one level, with an accessible washroom, an automatic door, service animals welcome and no admission charge for support persons, per the gallery. Support persons with a PAL card are free at Fort William Historical Park. Nothing is published on wheelchair loans, path surfaces, seating or walking distances; phone 807-473-2344 or 807-577-2656.
- Food and coffee
- The Sal at 118 Frederica Street West is open Sunday 9:00 to 3:00 and Tuesday to Saturday 9:00 to 9:00, closed Monday, per the restaurant; phone 807-577-8635. Westfort Foods at 111 Frederica Street West is a grocer and deli, listed as wheelchair accessible with free parking. The Habit does not publish hours.
Every stop, on the map
Some pins overlap because these stops share one location (stops 3 and 4), so their pins stack and only the top one shows. The numbered list below still names every stop.
- The Habit Coffee & Bakeshop
- Trowbridge Falls
- Frederica Street, Westfort (same spot as 4)
- Where to eat on Frederica Street (same spot as 3)
- Fort William Historical Park & Fort William First Nation
- Ahnisnabae Art Gallery
How to spend an hour, a half day or a full day
One hour, on the north side: the Habit at 308 Red River Road and the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery on Court Street South, a few blocks apart. The gallery is open by appointment only on Sundays and Mondays, so check before you build an hour around it. A half day: add Trowbridge Falls at the north end of the city, where the campground has shut for the year, so plan on no washrooms. A full day: cross to the south side, where Fort William Historical Park and the Frederica Street shops in Westfort sit far closer to each other than either sits to the falls. Go on a weekday between late September and mid May or the fort will be shut. If it rains or turns cold, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on Keewatin Street is on one level and open six days a week.
Local links for planning your stop in Thunder Bay
Official and regional sources for hours, events and current conditions, since those change faster than a guide can.
- City of Thunder Bay
- Tourism Thunder Bay
- City events calendar City of Thunder Bay
- Fort William Historical Park
- Ontario 511 road conditions Ministry of Transportation
Every place in this guide
Addresses as published by each place or the town, checked September 20, 2026.
- The Habit Coffee & Bakeshop308 Red River Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 1B1Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Trowbridge Falls125 Copenhagen Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6B3Two addresses are published for this site: the city page gives 125 Copenhagen Road, the tourism directory gives 16 Copenhagen Rd, and one geocoder places 125 Copenhagen in Shuniah.Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Frederica Street WestFrederica Street West, Thunder Bay, ONOpen in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Black Cat AntiquesFrederica Street West, Thunder Bay, ONStreet number not confirmed by a first-party source; the pin is the Frederica Street West block.Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- The Sal118 Frederica Street West, Thunder Bay, ONCoordinates are the Frederica Street West block, not a geocode of the street number.Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Westfort Foods111 Frederica Street West, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 3V4Coordinates are the Frederica Street West block, not a geocode of the street number.Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Fort William Historical Park1350 King Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7K 1L7Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Ahnisnabae Art Gallery14 Court Street S, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 2W3Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Thunder Bay Art Gallery1080 Keewatin Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6T7Named in the closing plan and the practical block as the rain and cold option. The dossier has no geocode for this address, so coordinates still need checking.Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
- Terry Fox Monument and Visitor Centre1000 Hwy. 11/17, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 0A1Coordinates come from a single source and the address geocode failed, so treat the pin as unconfirmed.Open in Google Maps (opens in new tab)
