The outpost was built in 1875 as a part of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) larger effort to curtail American rum and whisky runners in the region, and to establish relationships with the Indigenous peoples of the territory.

The historic park initially documented the NWMP role in the area, although its scope was expanded to focus on the Calgary's history in 1995.

The confluence of the Bow and Elbow River, where the fort was built, is on the traditional territory of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy; Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the îyârhe Nakoda (Chiniki, Bearspaw, Wesley), the Tsuut'ina people and Métis Nation, Region 3, and has been a significant age-old gathering place.

[citation needed] By the early 1870s, American whisky and rum runners were conducting trade with First Nations in the area.

The fort was initially planned to be located near present-day Holy Cross Centre, with an advanced troupe of "F" Troop marking a spot near the site.

[6] The fort was originally bounded by a wooden palisade with several structures inside it; including a stables, barracks, guard room, and storage facilities.

[9] Combined with Brisebois' poor leadership, the members of "F" Troop mutinied during the winter of 1875–76 and sent a delegation to the headquarters in Fort Macleod to list out complaints against the commander.

[13] In August 1882, the outpost was designated as a "district post," and its detachment was reinforced to provide a permanent police presence as well as enforce legal ordinances for the Canadian Pacific Railway reserve adjacent to the fort.

[14][15] James Walker, a former NWMP member and owner of the Bow River Saw and Planing Mill was contracted to expand the outpost.

[15] The contract called for the construction of a barracks, a guardroom with 12 holding cells, a hospital, officers' quarters, a sergeants' mess, and facilities for tradesmen.

[16] All the fort's remaining buildings were demolished by Grand Truck Pacific Railway to make way for a rail terminal.

[10][19] That year, archaeologists unearthed parts of the original wooden fort and its artifacts, although they were forced to quickly re-cover them due to their rapid and uncontrolled disintegration while exposed to open air.

[19] Initially, the museum's exhibits were focused on the NWMP and their relationship with the First Nations, and the force's perception in popular culture.

[10] After the final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was released in 2015, the museum's administration shifted its focus to better include indigenous perspectives of the site.

[21] Exhibits and audio-visual and interactive presentations of Calgary's history and the NWMP are situated in the 1888 barracks and the interpretive centre.

[23] In 2016, an art installation was unveiled at the site, with vertical wood slats topped with metal and placed on the outline of the original fort.

It currently features a restaurant called Deane House and has undergone significant renovations as part of the MakeHistory upgrades to Fort Calgary.

It was built between 1876 and 1881 for Métis employees of the Hudson's Bay Company store located at 8th Street and 9th Avenue SE.

buildings, the Hunt House did not employ post-on-sill construction, but rather the dovetail corner method typical of southern Alberta and expressive of American cultural influences.