Manitoba’s Best Museums

The largest outdoor park of its kind in Canada, featuring 13 aircraft tracing the history of military flight in Canada, ranging from a Second World War aircraft to a CF-5 fighter. See rare artifacts including two Victoria Crosses and one of only twelve remaining Battle of Britain Lace Tapestries in the world.

Hours: Indoor museum open Mon-Fri 10 am-3 pm. Guided tours by appt please call ahead.
Admission: Free.
Location: The Air Command Air Force Way, north of Sharp Blvd

This discovery centre is home to the most extensive collection of marine reptile fossils in Canada and features the world’s largest mosasaur Bruce, who swam the deep seas approximately 80 million years ago. Museum tours available for booking.

Hours: Mon-Fri 10am – 6pm; Sat-Sun noon – 6pm
Admission: Adults $9.75; Students $6.75 (5 – 18 y/o and University/College Students); Family $19.75 (2 adults, any number of children)
Location: 111-B Gilmour St, Morden, 204-822-3406

The CMHR is the first museum dedicated solely to the history, evolution, celebration, and future of human rights. This national museum aims to educate and inspire Canadians to take action against hate and oppression, working towards a better world. Follow its gorgeous design through rotating exhibitions up to a beautiful glass-paned tower for an unequaled view of the city.

Hours:  Tue – Sat 10 am-5 pm
Admission: $18/adult, $8/youth, $14/students and seniors, members and children under 6 free.
Location: 85 Israel Asper Way, 204‑289‑2000 or 1‑877‑877‑6037

See how the city’s upper crust lived at this turn-of-the-last-century home. The restored home of Sir Hugh John Macdonald, former Premier of Manitoba, is one of Winnipeg’s finest examples of Queen Anne Revival architecture. The lavish interior is decorated with period antiques dating back to the Victorian era.

Hours: Wed-Sun 12 pm-4 pm.
Admission: Adults $10, seniors/students $9, children $6
Location:61  Carlton St, 204-943‑2835, friendsofdalnavert.ca

Lower Fort Garry is a historic trading post that offers insight into the lives of Hudson’s Bay Company trappers and Canada’s First Nations people. Self-guided tours through the site’s stone buildings demonstrate 19th century skills like blacksmithing, wool processing, and hearth cooking. Also the location where Treaty 1 was signed.

Hours: Mon-Fri 10am – 4pm (until Sep 2/24)
Admission: Adult $13.25, Senior $11.25, Youth free
Location: 5925 Provincial Trunk Hwy 9, St. Andrews, MB, 204-785-6055

Located in Austin, this museum is a wealth of prairie and pioneer history. You can explore churches, log cabins, grist mills and schools, as there are over 20 pioneer buildings on‑site. The grounds also includes the Manitoba Amateur Radio Museum.

Hours: Daily 10am – 4pm (until Sep 30/24)
Admission: Adult $10, senior/student $8, kids $5, under 5 years free, Family (2 adults and up to 4 kids) $30
Location: 1.5 hours west of Winnipeg, 1‑204‑637‑2354, ag-museum.mb.ca

Enchanting exhibits made for tiny hands and inquisitive minds create an exciting environment for learning and play. A variety of interactive exhibits are perfect for little ones with big imaginations and energy levels.

Hours: Daily 9:30am – 4:30pm
Admission: All Ages $12.75
Location: 45 Forks Market Rd, 204-924-4000

Explore the history of electricity in Manitoba from the 1800s to the future. Interactive and interesting exhibits include a replica turn-of-the-last-century tram car and a towering robot made of 50 home appliances.

Hours: Tue-Sat 1-4 pm
Admission: adults/youth $5 (5 & under free)

Location: 680 Harrow St, 204-360-7905

Start amid a stampeding buffalo hunt and travel through Manitoba’s history at this celebrated museum. Gaze up at towering dinosaurs, walk the deck of the famous Nonsuch ketch, watch a silent movie in 1920s Winnipeg and explore the ancient Ordovician Sea that once covered Churchill. Explore the Arctic/Sub-Arctic gallery, and learn about Manitoba’s barren northland.

Hours: Tue-Fri 10 am-4 pm, Sat & Sun 11 am-5 pm. Adult $12, senior/student $10, youth $7, under 3 free
Admission: Adult $17, senior/student $15, youth $10, under 3 free.
Location: Centennial Centre, 190  Rupert Ave, 204-956‑2830 or 204‑943‑3139

Whether it’s curling or hockey, golf or softball, Manitoba has been the breeding ground for some great athletes. Here you’ll see their smiling portraits, signed jerseys, vintage equipment and other artifacts including the AVCO Cup and Clara Hughes’s bike from the ‘96 Olympics. Take a look at the evolution of sport in Manitoba, from uniforms to stadiums.

Hours: Tues-Sat 11 am-3 pm
Admission: By donation.
Location: 145 Pacific Ave, 204‑925‑5936

Set on 17 hectares of land that spread out from one village street, the park replicates life in an early Mennonite village. It includes period houses, a blacksmith shop, general store, the Old Colony Church, schools and a replica 1877 windmill. Learn more about the Mennonite experience from 1525 to the present at the on-site museum and visit the Livery Barn for a sample of traditional foods.

Hours: Open May 1 – October 1, Mon-Sat 9 am-5 pm, Sun 11:30 am – 5 pm
Admission: Adult $15, senior/student $12, children (6-12) $8, 5 and under free, annual family pass $50.
Location: Forty minutes east of Winnipeg, 2 km north of Steinbach, 1‑204‑326‑9661 or 1‑866‑280‑8741

Located in the Icelandic community of Gimli, the New Iceland Heritage Museum allows you to visit ywo exhibits in two locations. At the Waterfront Centre, the story of New Iceland is told through multi‑media exhibits. Discover the history of Lake Winnipeg and see its inhabitants in a 500‑gallon aquarium at the Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre. Call for hours.

Admission: Adults $8, seniors/youth $7, children under 6 free, family $17, guided group tour $4/person.
Location: Gimli, one hour north of Winnipeg on Hwy 8, 204‑642‑4001

A newly renovated and reimagined gallery focusing on Canada’s aviation and aerospace heritage. Filled to the brim with 90 reconstructed aircraft and 70,000 artifacts. While visiting, be sure to climb aboard the Vicker’s Viscount vintage airplane, which illustrates the former luxury and style of commercial flight. 

Hours: Daily 10am – 5pm
Admission: Adult $16, Senior/Student $13, youth 3-12 $9.50, under 3 free
Location: 2088 Wellington Ave, 204-786-5503

Nine galleries feature constantly changing exhibitions of local, Canadian and international art. The Qaumajuq centre houses the world’s largest collection of contemporary Inuit art; a two-storey glass vault holds nearly 5,000 stone sculptures. The Gallery Shop on-site.

Admission: WAG members free, adults $18, seniors/students $15, youth free
Location: 300 Memorial Blvd, 204‑786‑6641

Hours: Wed-Sun 11 am-5 pm

See artifacts showing the history of the Winnipeg police force. Displays include an exhibit of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, original bomb suits and a 1925 police patrol wagon.

Hours: Tue-Fri 10 am-3 pm. Group tours available.
Admission: Free.
Location: Winnipeg Police Headquarters, 245 Smith St, 204‑986‑3976

The railway played a major role in the development of this city and the museum’s goal is to preserve that heritage. Among other artifacts the museum is home to the first steam locomotive on the Canadian prairies, The Countess of Dufferin.

Hours:  Temp closed – virtual tours only at wpgrailwaymuseum.com  
Admission:  N / A
Location: VIA Rail Station, 123  Main St, 204‑942‑4632