The new settlers built many of their houses in the French style of a century before, giving the new town a historic character.

During the days of the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War, refugee African-American slaves often crossed the Detroit river to escape to freedom in Canada, after the Crown abolished slavery.

DeBaptiste owned a lake steamboat that he used to offload refugees in town while docked ostensibly to load lumber.

The town is mentioned in Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the entry point of George and Eliza, after escaping from slavery in the United States.

At 20:01 Eastern Daylight Time on April 19, 2018, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake (with a depth of 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi)) occurred in Amherstburg, between the main portion of town and McGregor.

No damage was reported, but the 30-second shaking was felt in Windsor, Downtown Detroit, and the Downriver communities across the river, such as Grosse Ile, Michigan.

Some minor shaking was felt as far away as Toledo, Ohio along Lake Erie and Ann Arbor in the interior of Michigan.

This explores the history of African-American refugees in western Ontario, who sought freedom from slavery and made their homes here.

The 546-acre (2.21 km2) nature reserve contains over 2,000 feet (610 m) of beaches, picnic areas, a 2-kilometre (6,600 ft) trail along the edge of Big Creek Marsh.

Holiday Beach is considered a premiere spot to view the fall migration of raptors (birds of prey).

Local industry includes Diageo, a whiskey bottling plant for the Crown Royal Canadian whiskey, Windsor Mold's Precision Plastics, one of Ontario's largest full-service suppliers of industrial plastics and thermoplastic, and Honeywell Performance Materials and Technology.

[22] The plant's gypsum pond was identified in 2008 as the source of high levels of arsenic pollution in the area, which have been a provincial Ministry of the Environment concern since 2006.

[22][26][27] This site was used since 1920 to manufacture calcium chloride and other chemicals, which were shipped from a deep water port on the Detroit River.

Commercial rail service is provided through Essex Terminal Railway, which operates a 35 km line to Windsor.

The former Michigan Central Railway/CASO railway linking Amherstburg to Essex was converted into the Cypher Systems Group Greenway rail trail in stages beginning in 2007, with the two stream bridges being rehabilitated for public use again in 2017.

Small boats are welcome to call at any one of three local marinas that serve Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

In the first week of every August, Amherstburg holds a heritage festival, consisting of activities at several locations around town.

At Fort Malden, re-enactors depict eras ranging from the Roman Empire to the Second World War, establishing camps and performing battle demonstrations.