Food was prepared in the kitchen, located behind the Great Hall. A fur press converted the bulky furs into easily handled cargo. About 60 beaver pelts, piled atop 4 binding cords and sandwiched in burlap or muslin, were pressed and tied into a compact 90-pound bale. During the company's heyday, all trade goods going to outposts in the Canadian fur country and all furs bound for Montreal were funneled through Grand Portage. Thus, the cedar-picket palisade was designed mainly as secure storage for extensive inventories of goods rather than as defense against attack.
Visitors can climb the lookout tower for a view of the grounds and Lake Superior.
Outside the palisade is a reconstructed canoe warehouse . Its location indicates that the original building might have belonged to an independent trader. It also may have provided extra storage space when warehouses inside the palisade were full. Now the building exhibits historic items, including two birchbark canoes constructed by traditional methods. The Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul also exhibits art and artifacts related to the fur trade.