Manitoba
List of Provincial Attractions for Manitoba
I. National Land
National Parks
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Riding Mountain National Park
A park of about 2,969 square kilometers (1,146 square miles) that rises like a green island from the surrounding prairie along the Manitoba Escarpment, created in 1929. Aspen parkland, boreal forest and grassland meet here, and visitors can hike, canoe, camp and cycle, or look for black bears, moose, elk and wolves. A herd of plains bison lives in an enclosure near Lake Audy, and the resort town of Wasagaming sits on the shore of Clear Lake.
Location: Western Manitoba, near Wasagaming and Onanole
Website: Official Site
Phone: 204-848-7275 -
Wapusk National Park
A very remote park of about 11,475 square kilometers (4,430 square miles) on the Hudson Bay coast, created in 1996, that protects one of the largest known polar bear maternity denning areas in the world. The word Wapusk means "white bear" in Cree. The landscape is subarctic tundra, wetland and the edge of the boreal forest, and the park has no roads and no facilities, so it is visited only through guided trips from Churchill.
Location: Hudson Bay coast, southeast of Churchill
Website: Official Site
Phone: Phone number:204-675-8863
National Recreation Areas
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The Forks National Historic Pak
A riverside gathering place at the meeting of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in downtown Winnipeg, used by Indigenous peoples for about 6,000 years. It is managed by a partnership of the federal, provincial and city governments, and it holds a public market, riverside trails, a skating trail on the frozen river in winter, an amphitheatre, a children's museum and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Location: Downtown Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Phone: 204-785-6050 -
Trans Canada Trail in Manitoba
The Manitoba section of the national trail network crosses the province through the prairies, parkland and forest, with long stretches of rail trail used for walking, cycling, horse riding and winter sports. It is not federal land, but it is part of the national trail system.
Location: Across southern and central Manitoba
Website: Official Site
Phone: 1-800-465-3636 ext: 4402
E-mail:info@tctrail.ca
National Monuments
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Riel House National Historic Site
The family home of Louis Riel, the Métis leader who led the Red River Resistance of 1869 and 1870 and is recognized as the founder of Manitoba. The restored house, set in the former river lot community of St. Vital, shows how a Métis family lived in the 1880s, and costumed guides explain Riel's story.
Location: St. Vital, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Phone: Phone number:204-785-6050 -
St. Andrew's Rectory National Historic Site
A stone house on the Red River built in 1854 for the Anglican rector of the parish, one of the oldest surviving stone buildings in the Red River Settlement. It sits beside the historic Lockport area and holds exhibits on the early settlement.
Location: Lockport, north of Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Phone: Phone number:204-785-6050 -
Cape Merry Battery National Historic Site
A coastal battery built in the 1740s at the mouth of the Churchill River to guard the Hudson's Bay Company's fort. The site has cannon, sweeping views over Hudson Bay and a good chance to see belugas in summer and the northern lights in fall.
Location: Churchill
Website: Official Site
Phone: 204-675-8863 -
York Factory National Historic Site
A very remote fur trade headquarters on Hudson Bay that operated for nearly 275 years, one of the oldest and most important Hudson's Bay Company posts. The surviving depot building and archaeological remains can be reached only by charter flight or by guided trip, and the site tells the story of the fur trade with Cree, Dene and other peoples.
Location: Hudson Bay coast, southeast of Churchill
Website: Official Site
Phone: 204-675-8863
National Historic Parks
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Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site
The best preserved stone fur trading post in North America, built by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1830s on the Red River. Costumed interpreters work as blacksmiths, cooks and fur traders, and the site also tells the story of Métis, First Nations and settler life. In 1871, Treaty One was signed nearby, and the fort is a good place to explore the early history of Manitoba.
Location: Selkirk, north of Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Phone: 204-675-8863 -
The Forks National Historic Site
The national historic site at the heart of the Forks, which preserves the story of 6,000 years of use as a meeting and trading place, including the Indigenous peoples, fur traders, Métis and settlers who passed through. Interpretive trails, river views and archaeological displays tell the story.
Location: Downtown Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
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Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site
A huge stone fortress built by the Hudson's Bay Company between 1731 and 1771 at the mouth of the Churchill River, with walls about 12 meters (40 feet) thick in places and cannon that still point toward the bay. It was captured by a French force in 1782 and never rebuilt. Visits are by boat from Churchill and are timed with Parks Canada guides.
Location: Churchill, across the river mouth
Website: Official Site
Phone: 204-675-8863
National Scenic Area
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Pimachiowin Aki (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
A very large area of boreal forest, lakes and rivers shared by Manitoba and Ontario, listed by UNESCO in 2018 for the living culture of the Anishinaabe people and their traditional stewardship of the land. In Manitoba it includes the Atikaki and Nopiming parks and the Poplar River First Nation, and access is mostly by air or by canoe.
Location: East of Lake Winnipeg, along the Ontario border
Website: Official Site
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Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve
A UNESCO biosphere reserve, designated in 1986, that surrounds the national park and brings together farms, forests and communities that work to protect the escarpment landscape. It is one of the most biologically diverse parts of the Prairies.
Location: Western Manitoba
Website: Official Site
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Seal River Canadian Heritage River
A wild river that flows about 260 kilometers (160 miles) across the tundra and taiga to Hudson Bay, with polar bears, caribou, beluga whales and some of the most remote country in the province. It is visited by experienced paddlers and by guided wilderness trips.
Location: Northern Manitoba, north of Churchill
Website: Official Site
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Oak Hammock Marsh (Ramsar Wetland of International Importance)
A restored prairie wetland north of Winnipeg that is internationally recognized for its birdlife. In spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of snow geese and many other waterfowl stop here on their migration, and boardwalks and a visitor center make it easy to see them.
Location: Near Stonewall, north of Winnipeg
Websites:
Marsh Unit | Wildlife Unit Phone: (204) 467-3300
II. Provincial Land
Provincial Parks
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Whiteshell Provincial Park
A large park of about 2,729 square kilometers (1,054 square miles) of lakes, granite outcrops and forest on the Canadian Shield, along the Ontario border. It offers beaches, camping, cottage communities, canoe routes and hiking trails, and it holds the Bannock Point Petroforms, ancient Indigenous rock arrangements. West Hawk Lake, the deepest lake in the province, fills a meteorite crater.
Location: Southeastern Manitoba, near Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake
Website: Official Site
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Spruce Woods Provincial Park
A park in the Assiniboine River valley best known for the Spirit Sands, a patch of shifting sand dunes and prairie that looks like a desert in the middle of the grasslands. A trail leads through the dunes to the Devil's Punch Bowl, a bright green spring-fed pond, and the park is home to the rare northern prairie skink.
Location: Near Carberry, southwestern Manitoba
Website: Official Site
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Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park
An island park on Lake Winnipeg that is joined to the mainland by a causeway, with beaches, a lighthouse, a historic Icelandic fishing village, hiking trails and wildlife. Hecla Village shows how Icelandic settlers lived in the late 1800s, and the park is a good place to see moose, deer and many birds.
Location: Interlake region, Lake Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
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Duck Mountain Provincial Park
A large forested park on the Manitoba Escarpment with the highest point in the province, Baldy Mountain. It has lakes, hiking trails, fishing, camping and winter skiing and snowmobiling, and it is a good place for moose and elk.
Location: Northwestern Manitoba, near Swan River
Website: Official Site
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Birds Hill Provincial Park
A popular park just north of Winnipeg, with hills of gravel left by glaciers, a spring-fed lake with a beach, a campground, riding trails and bison viewing. It hosts the Winnipeg Folk Festival each July.
Location: North of Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
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Turtle Mountain Provincial Park
A forested upland near the U.S. border with many small lakes, hiking trails and camping, and a tranquil place for birdwatching. The International Peace Garden, which straddles the Manitoba and North Dakota border, is next door.
Location: Near Boissevain, southwestern Manitoba
Website: Official Site
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Asessippi Provincial Park
A park on a large reservoir in the Assiniboine River valley, with a boat launch, a beach, a ski hill in winter and the Shellmouth Dam. It is known for the Assiniboine River's cliffs and excellent fishing.
Location: Near Russell, western Manitoba
Website: Official Site
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Clearwater Lake Provincial Park
A northern park centered on a very clear lake with limestone cliffs, a sandy beach and a campground. The lake is known for fishing for lake trout and walleye, and it is one of the best-known wilderness parks in northern Manitoba.
Location: Near The Pas, northern Manitoba
Website: Official Site
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Pembina Valley Provincial Park
A park on the Pembina River valley with steep slopes, hardwood forest and some of the best fall colors in southern Manitoba. It is a good place for hiking and a quieter alternative to the larger parks.
Location: Near Manitou, south-central Manitoba
Website: Official Site
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Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park
A very large wilderness park of about 3,981 square kilometers (1,537 square miles) on the Canadian Shield, with rivers, rock paintings (pictographs) and wild canoe routes along the Bloodvein River. It has no roads, and trips are by canoe or air.
Location: East of Lake Winnipeg, along the Ontario border
Website: Official Site
Provincial Wildlife Areas
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Oak Hammock Marsh Wildlife Management Area
A restored marsh of about 36 square kilometers (14 square miles) with trails and an interpretive centre, where hundreds of thousands of snow geese and other birds stop each spring and fall. Boardwalks and an observation tower make birdwatching easy.
Location: Near Stonewall, north of Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Narcisse Wildlife Management Area
A site in the Interlake where tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes gather at limestone sinkholes in late April and May, one of the largest concentrations of snakes in the world. A fenced viewing area, boardwalks and an interpretive center let visitors see them safely.
Location: Narcisse, Interlake region
Website: Official Site -
Churchill Wildlife Management Area
A large protected area of tundra and boreal forest around Churchill that is a main polar bear viewing area and an important site for migrating birds. Much of the area is closed to the public to protect the bears, and visits are by guided tour.
Location: Around Churchill, Hudson Bay
Website: Official Site -
Delta Marsh Wildlife Management Area
One of the largest coastal marshes on the Prairies, on the south shore of Lake Manitoba, home to hundreds of thousands of waterfowl in migration. It has a research station run by the University of Manitoba and good birdwatching.
Location: Near Portage la Prairie, south of Lake Manitoba
Website: Official Site -
Netley-Libau Marsh
A large freshwater delta where the Red River enters Lake Winnipeg, important for waterfowl, shorebirds and fish. It is a prime spot for birdwatching and canoeing.
Location: South end of Lake Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Provincial Beaches
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Grand Beach Provincial Park
Often called the best freshwater beach in Canada, with a long stretch of fine white sand, high dunes, a lagoon and warm shallow water on the southeast shore of Lake Winnipeg. It is a big summer destination for Winnipeggers, with a boardwalk, picnic areas and a campground.
Location: Southeast shore of Lake Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park
A long beach and boardwalk in a resort town that was once the site of a famous amusement park reached by train, the "Moonlight Special." Today it has a pier, a sandy beach and a popular summer market.
Location: Lake Winnipeg, north of Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Gimli Beach
A broad sandy beach and harbour in the Icelandic capital of Manitoba, with a long pier, a Viking statue and a lively summer scene. The Gimli Harbour is also a base for fishing on Lake Winnipeg.
Location: Gimli, Lake Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Clear Lake Beach (Wasagaming)
A town beach on the shore of Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, with a wide sandy shore and a marina, the center of summer life in Wasagaming. The lake is cold and clear, with rental boats and trails nearby.
Location: Wasagaming, Riding Mountain National Park
Website: Official Site -
Victoria Beach
A cottage community on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg where cars are not allowed in the summer, a quiet beach town with long sand stretches and a relaxed pace.
Location: East shore of Lake Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
West Hawk Lake
The deepest lake in Manitoba, at about 115 meters (377 feet), formed in a crater left by a meteorite roughly 100 million years ago. It has sandy beaches, clear water and cabins in the Whiteshell.
Location: Whiteshell Provincial Park
Website: Official Site
Provincial Scenic Areas
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Bannock Point Petroforms
A sacred Indigenous site in the Whiteshell with boulder arrangements in the shapes of turtles, snakes and other figures, laid out on exposed granite. The petroforms are still used for ceremonies and visitors are asked to show respect.
Location: Whiteshell Provincial Park
Website: Official Site -
Pembina Escarpment
A long ridge in south-central Manitoba that rises about 150 meters (500 feet) above the Pembina River valley, with sweeping views over the prairie, orchards and the town of Morden. It is a main attraction for fall colors and for scenic drives.
Location: Pembina Valley, south-central Manitoba
Website: Official Site -
Souris Swinging Bridge
A pedestrian suspension bridge over the Souris River, one of the longest of its kind in Canada at about 177 meters (580 feet), originally built in 1904 and rebuilt after floods. It is a landmark for the town of Souris and a well-loved photo stop.
Location: Souris, southwestern Manitoba
Website: Official Site -
Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park
The ruins of an early hydroelectric dam on the Winnipeg River, with trails, a suspension bridge and a quiet setting on the water, popular for walks and photos.
Location: Pinawa, southeastern Manitoba
Website: Official Site -
International Peace Garden
A garden of about 930 hectares (2,300 acres) that straddles the border between Manitoba and North Dakota, dedicated in 1932 as a symbol of friendship between Canada and the United States. It has formal flower gardens, a floral clock, a peace tower and a chapel, and it is a short drive from Turtle Mountain.
Location: Near Boissevain, on the U.S. border
Website: Official Site
III. Private Attractions
Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Aquariums
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Assiniboine Park Zoo
A large zoo in Winnipeg with animals from around the world, best known for its Journey to Churchill exhibit, a large arctic habitat with polar bears, seals, muskoxen and the Gateway to the Arctic building with an underwater tunnel. The zoo also cares for orphaned polar bear cubs through its conservation center.
Location: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
The Leaf
A large botanical garden and conservatory in Assiniboine Park, with a tropical biome, a Mediterranean biome, a butterfly garden and a rooftop garden. Its glass pavilions are heated and open all year.
Location: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
FortWhyte Alive
A nature park of about 260 hectares (640 acres) in south Winnipeg with a herd of plains bison, lakes, trails and a nature center, and a good place for canoeing, snowshoeing and birdwatching. The site is built on former gravel pits that have been turned back to nature.
Location: Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Living Prairie Museum
A protected remnant of tall grass prairie of about 12 hectares (30 acres) within the city of Winnipeg, with native grasses and wildflowers and an interpretive center. It shows what the landscape looked like before farming.
Location: Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Assiniboine Park English Garden and Formal Gardens
A beautiful public garden with formal flower beds, sculptures and the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, a collection of works by the Ukrainian-Canadian sculptor Leo Mol. It is free to enter.
Location: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Major Museums
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Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The first national museum built outside the capital region and the first in the world dedicated to human rights, opened in 2014. Its striking building of glass and stone, with a tall tower at its center, holds galleries on Indigenous perspectives, the Holocaust and the history of rights in Canada.
Location: The Forks, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Manitoba Museum
The province's main museum of natural and human history, with a full-size replica of the 17th-century ship Nonsuch sailing into a dockside, a recreated Winnipeg street scene from the early 1900s, a large Arctic and Subarctic gallery and a planetarium.
Location: Main Street, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Winnipeg Art Gallery - Qaumajuq
A major art gallery in a distinctive wedge-shaped building, with a very large collection of Inuit art. Its new Inuit art center, Qaumajuq, opened in 2021 and houses the world's largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in a glass vault.
Location: Memorial Boulevard, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
A large aviation museum with more than 50 aircraft, from bush planes and military jets to a Lancaster bomber, plus exhibits on the history of flying on the Prairies.
Location: Wellington Avenue, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre
A museum in Morden that holds the largest collection of marine reptile fossils in Canada, from the time when an inland sea covered the prairies about 80 million years ago. The star of the collection is Bruce, a huge mosasaur that is the largest on display in the world.
Location: Morden, Pembina Valley
Website: Official Site -
Mennonite Heritage Village
A living history village with restored buildings, a working windmill, a church and a farm, which tells the story of the Mennonite settlers who arrived in the 1870s. Visitors can taste traditional foods such as perishky and vereniki.
Location: Steinbach
Website: Official Site -
Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum
A museum in Brandon, set in a hangar from the Second World War, about the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan that trained about 130,000 aircrew in Canada. It holds a large collection of aircraft and personal stories.
Location: Brandon
Website: Official Site -
New Iceland Heritage Museum
A museum in Gimli about the story of the Icelandic settlers who arrived in 1875 and founded "New Iceland" on the shore of Lake Winnipeg. Exhibits tell of their journey, struggles and contributions.
Location: Gimli
Website: Official Site -
Manitoba Children's Museum
A hands-on museum at The Forks, designed for young children, with a play area built around a train and an arctic exhibit.
Location: The Forks, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum
A museum in the oldest building in Winnipeg, a former convent from 1846, with exhibits on the history of the French-speaking and Métis people of the Red River. It sits in the historic French quarter of Winnipeg.
Location: Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Prairie Dog Central Railway
A heritage railway that runs a vintage steam or diesel train from Winnipeg, with old wooden passenger cars, on a 36 kilometer (22 mile) trip to Grosse Isle. The train operates seasonally.
Location: Inwood Station, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Amusement and Water Parks
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Fun Mountain Water Slide Park
A water park north of Winnipeg, near Birds Hill Provincial Park, with a number of slides, a wave pool and a family play area. It is open only in summer.
Location: Near Birds Hill Provincial Park, north of Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
IV. Major Shopping Centers
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CF Polo Park
The largest shopping center in Manitoba, with department stores, fashion, electronics and a large food court, in the central part of Winnipeg. It has been a main gathering place since the 1950s.
Location: Portage Avenue, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Outlet Collection Winnipeg
An outlet mall near the airport with discount brand stores, restaurants and an outdoor feel.
Location: Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
St. Vital Centre
A large enclosed mall in south Winnipeg with department stores, a cinema and a food court.
Location: St. Vital, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Kildonan Place
A shopping mall in north Winnipeg with national retailers and services, serving the northeast part of the city.
Location: North Kildonan, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
The Forks Market
A year-round public market in restored railway stables, with local food, craft shops, restaurants and a view of the river from the Tower. It is a favorite for lunch and gifts.
Location: The Forks, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site
Phone:204-947-9236 -
Exchange District
A National Historic District of about 20 city blocks of early 20th-century warehouses and terra cotta buildings, now home to boutiques, galleries, restaurants and theatres. It is one of the best preserved collections of historic commercial buildings in North America.
Location: Downtown Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
St. Norbert Farmers' Market
One of the best known farmers' markets in the province, with local produce, baked goods, crafts and prepared foods on summer and fall Saturdays, and in winter at a nearby heritage site.
Location: St. Norbert, Winnipeg
Website: Official Site -
Shoppers Mall Brandon
A major shopping mall in Brandon, with national retailers and services, serving much of western Manitoba.
Location: Brandon
Website: Official Site -
Southland Mall
A mall in Steinbach with national retailers and restaurants, serving the southeastern part of the province.
Location: Steinbach
Website: Official Site
