Forty-four kilometers (27 miles) west of Lethbridge stands what was in 1873 the western headquarters of the Northwest Mounted Police. Named after Colonel MacLeod, the redcoat commander who brought peace to Canada's west, the reconstructed Fort Macleod is now a provincial park and is still patrolled by Mounties in their traditional uniforms.

The fort is filled with fascinating material on the frontier period. Among its treasured documents is the rule sheet of the old Macleod Hotel, written in 1882: "All guests are requested to rise at 6am. This is imperative as the sheets are needed for tablecloths. Assaults on the cook are prohibited. Boarders who get killed will not be allowed to remain in the house." The fort grounds also contain the Centennial Building, a museum devoted to the history of the local Plains Indians. A highlight of visiting the fort in summer is the Mounted Patrol Musical Ride at 10am, 11:30am, 2pm, and 3:30pm, with eight horseback Mounties performing a choreographed equestrian program to music.