Did you know that there are almost 200 museums in Manitoba? According to the Association of Manitoban Museums (AMM), there are more than 40 in Winnipeg alone. You will never run out of choices!

Visiting a museum is one of the most entertaining ways you can learn about your new country. Visualize historical events, learn about the great men and women who have built this country, and see its great achievements through interpretive exhibits and displays. Information comes to life as you engage all of your senses.

What will I learn?

Museums can focus on a range of topics. It can be “from art and history to science and nature, from sports and leisure to transportation and industry” (About Museums in Manitoba, AMM).

Nowadays, museums can be a whole building, a house, open air, or even a whole block. Gone are the days of boring and stuffy museums where all you see are glass cases. They are now activity hubs that make learning fun. They make you think, wonder and be amazed. Some museums, like the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, feature interactive exhibits. Visitors are encouraged to touch, feel, manipulate, and move around objects or devices that are part of the exhibit. This makes for a total sensory experience that leaves a lasting impression on visitors.

Manitoba has:

• art galleries
• community museums
• cultural centres
• heritage centres
• historical societies
• historic buildings
• sites and parks
• natural history
• science museums
• nature centres

Which ones should you go to?

So many great choices! Your best bet would be to start with some of the major museums like the Manitoba Museum, Dalnavert Museum, Le Musée de Saint-Boniface, Manitoba Children’s Museum, Manitoba Electrical Museum, Winnipeg Railway Museum, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, and of course the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

You can also start with a museum that specializes in something that is close to your heart. Manitoba has several specialty museums like the Airforce Heritage Park & Museum, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame or the Winnipeg Police Museum. If you would like to know more about your city or municipality, go to your community museum for local history. Here’s a list of museums where you will find their contact information and short description.

Is the admission free?

Most museums have reasonable admission fees. The funds are used for upkeep and maintenance so that people can appreciate the museum collections for many generations. Some offer discounts and even free admission on certain occasions and seasons. For example, the admission is free at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights every Friday after 5:00 pm. (as of January 2023).

Other museums are financed by corporations, special interest groups, government entities, or through donations.

Check this Travel Manitoba page to learn about the various museums all over Manitoba: Museums
 
Article update January 25, 2023.