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Despite having the nickname “Winter-peg,” Manitoba’s capital city really is lovely in the winter. After all, it’s home to Festival Du Voyageur, the largest winter festival in western Canada, and trust us when we say Winnipeggers know how to throw a party!
Alright, you still want to visit in the summer. Fair enough. Winnipeg has plenty to offer summer visitors – check out our top three must do’s for summer fun in the ‘Peg.
Discover Assiniboine Park
One of Canada’s largest urban nature parks, there’s something for everyone at Assininboine Park. Spanning 1,100 acres, the park includes the 700-acre Assiniboine Forest, 90-acre Assiniboine Park Zoo, the historic Assiniboine Park Pavilion, a sculpture garden, a miniature railway, an outdoor theatre, nature playground and more. The beautiful Conservatory and English Garden are open 365 days of year at no charge – an incredible gift to the public.
Nature Playground at Assiniboine Park. Credit: Assiniboine Park Conservancy
More than 300 animals are housed at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, one of only five Canadian zoos to be accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. The newly opened exhibit Journey to Churchill draws attention to the various polar bear habitats of northern Manitoba, and offers a rare glimpse into the lives of our Canadian polar bears.
Stay a while at The Children’s Museum
At popular destination spot The Forks, you’ll find the oldest surviving train repair facility in Manitoba. It’s been renovated and re-imagined as the city’s delightful Children’s Museum. The museum features 12 permanent galleries plus travelling exhibits designed to spark creativity and learning in visitors of all ages. Though not an exceptionally large building, the premise of each exhibit is to encourage interactivity and a hands-on approach, and you’ll see children become immersed in certain activities for long periods of time. Don’t be surprised if your kids spend hours in the Illusion Tunnel, the Tumble Zone or Mellow Marsh.
The premise of each exhibit at the Children’s Museum is to encourage interactivity and a hands-on approach. Credit: Children’s Museum
If you’ve got tiny tots, the gated Tot Spot will keep the littlest of your group happy while older children are free to explore.
You’re permitted to bring your own food and beverages into the museum – we highly recommend picking up a few treats from nearby Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company.
Visit FortWhyte Alive
It’s hard to believe FortWhyte Alive is a reclaimed clay mine and cement factory. Today, it’s a 640-acre environmental, recreational and educational facility and park with vast expanses of prairie, lakes, forest and wetlands.
Bison Safari at FortWhyte Alive. Credit: Dan Harper
Visitors can stroll along interpretive nature trails, tour the family treehouse, gaze at bison, songbirds, deer and other animals in their natural habitat or spend an afternoon in peaceful contemplation fishing or kayaking.
In the state-of-the-art Interpretive Centre, Manitoba’s largest indoor aquarium offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about what lives in the province’s freshwater lakes. It’s really a great place that offers entertainment for everyone in the family, regardless of age.
Where To Stay When You Go:
We recommend staying at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Winnipeg Downtown, part of the InterContinental Hotel Group. It has a good sized pool and hot tub, ample comfy poolside seating plus a dry playroom for little ones, and top notch customer service.
IHG Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Winnipeg Downtown
