Fort Edmonton Park was approved in principle by City Council in 1966. In 1967 Fort Edmonton Park was under the auspices of the Parks and Recreation Department’s Historical Division. In order to develop as authentic an experience as possible, the creation of Fort Edmonton Park generated an extraordinary amount of research concerning Edmonton’s past. The Fort officially opened in 1974, and expanded over the next decades.
Fort Edmonton Park is owned by the City of Edmonton. They are supported by the Fort Edmonton Historical Foundation, a charitable organization established in 1969 to promote the creation and development of the park; to assist in the preservation of buildings, artifacts, and records; to establish and maintain a fund to do this work, including taking donations; and to apply the capital and income of the funds for this purpose.
In 2009, City Council approved the creation of the Fort Edmonton Management Company, to operate and manage the Park. Responsibilities of the Company include the development of all capital projects subject to the approval of City Council.