Battlefield Tourism

Following the close of the War of 1812, because both sides claimed victory here, the battlefield became a popular tourist destination. For many decades, veterans of the battle were available to conduct personal tours. In 1845, the first of five viewing towers was erected, mostly wooden frame structures with a lofty viewing platform overlooking the battlefield. One of these towers was built on this hilltop by Adam Fralick, owner of the adjacent tavern which is now the Battle Ground Hotel Museum.

Fralick’s tower was a prominent landmark in the city, visible for several kilometres. In the late 1800s, the tower was dismantled and replaced with a steel structure known as the Lundy’s Lane observatory. Until 1921, its steam operated elevator whisked visitors to a viewing platform

31 metres (102 ft) high. Interest in the battlefield as a destination waned when the American Civil War provided Americans with new battlefields to visit and other local attractions gained popularity.

The Battle Ground Hotel Museum

Adam Fralick, a descendant of a United Empire Loyalist family, watched as the tourist industry grew  around the War of 1812 battlefield at Lundy’s Lane.  In 1836, he purchased this property and built the Battle Ground Hotel.  Later, in 1850, Fralick built a wooden frame observation tower enclosed with latticework to the east of his hotel.  Guest registers still in existence bear thousands of signatures as silent witness to the tower’s popularity as a tourist attraction.