Fort Macleod is an Alberta gem. With charm and character, this small but mighty town has become a Hollywood hotspot featured in several movies and TV shows.

Visiting Fort Macleod

Located south of Calgary, Fort Macleod was incorporated as a town in 1892 but was known and beloved by others long before that.

“This area has always been inhabited by the Blackfoot people. They lived a nomadic lifestyle, following the food sources (buffalo) for the most part. The tribes did not always get along though, with many battles taking place over the years,” explains the town’s website.

“Eventually the Cree and Blackfoot negotiated peace and access to the Cypress Hills. This site is now known as Indian Battle Park in Lethbridge.”

Now, with 2025 hot on our heels the town is bustling and has even been featured in 19 movies, as well as HBO’s The Last of Us. 

Fort Mcleod in the movies

Whether you’re shopping, fishing, boating, or kayaking in the Oldman River Valley, keep your eyes open for the many incredible locations featured on the silver screen.

In addition to Brokeback Mountain, Ghostbusters: Afterlife was also filmed in the area and included a stunning shot of the iconic Empress Theatre. 

In 2019, Let Him Go, starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, was also filmed in the downtown area, as well as Interstellar with Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain.

Other projects that feature the area?

Passchendaele, In Cold Blood, and an episode of Fargo. 

If, of course, you’d like to explore its surrounding area, visitors can also check out the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Waterton, Writing-on-Stone National Park and the beautiful Lundbreck Falls.

As always, bundle up and keep your eyes open!

You never know what or who you might see in the area!

Fort Macleod, Alberta 

Where: Directions here

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Cassandra Stefanic

Regional Editor, Prairies –Cassandra is a Calgary-based journalist with a deep appreciation for music, film, food, travelling, and storytelling. When she’s not chasing a story, writing, or editing, you’ll likely find her in the mountains, binge-watching a new series, at a speakeasy, cooking, or getting lost in a Taylor Swift re-record.

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