Winnipeg In Central Canada

Winnipeg is known internationally as the home of the Winnipeg Jets, the city's NHL team. It is the capital of Manitoba and is nationally known for its outstanding arts and cultural scene.

The city is situated equidistant from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In central Canada, Winnipeg is located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. One of the popular attractions in the city is The Forks.

The Forks is popular both in summer and winter. It is a shopping and entertainment venue located in a number of historic buildings. At one time this site was a railway repair facility and today offers shops, restaurants, and museums.

The Forks Market is the main building with fruit and vegetable vendors in the main hall. Food vendors off a variety of delicious dishes. There are a variety of stores on two levels. You can get fantastic views of the city and river from the lookout tower. 

Riverwalk is a walking trail stretching along the riverfront. 

The walk will take you to one of the main attractions in the city the Legislative Building. The building was built with local Tyndall stone and Italian marble in the neo-Classical style. Tours are offered weekly.

The grounds surrounding the building have manicured gardens, statues, and monuments. The Golden Boy is a statue atop the 72-meter dome. A torch in his right hand and a sheaf of wheat on his left arm symbolize the enduring agricultural prosperity of Manitoba.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights has become a state-of-the-art landmark in the city. It has displays reflecting human rights in Canada and all over the world. The museum is known for its impressive building design and unique concept presenting human rights stories. The museum has six levels with eleven galleries.

The Israel Asper Tower of Hope offers great views over the city.

The Manitoba Museum is devoted to the human and natural history of the province. There are nine galleries that highlight the best of what the province offers. Visitors enjoy the interactive Science Gallery and Planetarium. Among the highlights here are a display recreating the Northern Lights and a recreated Hudson Bay fur trading post. A famous exhibit is the Nonshuch, a 17th-century replica ketch sailing ship that you can board. 

Assiniboine Park is the oldest park in Winnipeg. There are grassy lawns, trees, cultural facilities, and an English garden.

The park is home to the Assiniboine Park Zoo with a wide variety of animals, flora, and fauna. A special emphasis is placed on animals from the northern latitudes among them polar bears. The exotic species are represented by Siberian tigers and red kangaroos.

The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden also within the park has an extensive collection of brass art pieces by Ukrainian-Canadian stained glass artist, painter, and sculptor Leo Mol. His artwork is displayed in a garden with water features and mature trees. You can see the restored schoolhouse in which the artist created many of his artworks.

Visitors enjoy riding the 4-8-2 miniature steam train around Assiniboine Park. It runs on a narrow gauge in the summer.

A popular festival in winter is the Festival du Voyageur takes place every February. This event celebrates the traditions of the French Voyageurs, the fur traders of early Canada. In Voyageur Park and other sites in the city, large tents are set up and you can enjoy live music, food, dancing, and much more.

The Winnipeg Art Gallery is housed in a modern building shaped like the bow of a ship. It has 25,000 art pieces of classic and contemporary art by Canadian, American, Inuit, and European artists. It hosts various events and has a unique triangular rooftop sculpture garden.

In 2021 the former Inuit Art Gallery was renamed Quamajuq. The architecturally impressive building has more than 14,000 pieces of Inuit Art.

Fort Whyte Alive is known for its five lakes, grassy parkland, and bog boardwalks. This is an interpretive center with an aquarium and nature exhibits including burrowing owls. Outside visitors can see the bison herd, visit the bird-feeding stations, see the sod house, and watch the prairie dogs at the Prairie Dog Town.

Fort Whyte Alive has walking and cycling trails. You can take sailing and paddling courses in the summer on the small lakes. Activities in the winter include ice skating, a toboggan run, and cross-country skiing trails.

The Royal Canadian Mint produces coins for Canada and for a number of other countries. More than 55 billion coins have been produced here. In the tour area you can see the minting process and interactive displays show how coins are manufactured. The on-site museum informs about the ancient history of how coins and currency started. This is an ultra-modern, triangular building that also has a tropical garden and fountain.

Corydon Avenue is a tree-lined street with small, trendy shops and restaurants with outdoor patios in the summer. There is interesting street art with eight large metal figures on display every summer representing Spain, Greece, Argentina, Japan, Ukraine, Italy, France, and Scotland. On Friday and Saturday nights, there are concerts.

St Boniface Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in western Canada. It is an impressive example of French Romanesque architecture. The cemetery is western Canada's oldest Catholic burial ground.

Nearby is the St Boniface Museum housed in the oldest building in Winnipeg. It was built for the Gray Nuns and was the first convent, hospital girls' school, and orphanage in western Canada.

The Manitoba Children's Museum is located at The Forks. It is housed in a unique building with twelve interactive permanent galleries. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits and hosts special events on holidays like Halloween and Christmas.

The Manitoba Centennial Centre includes the Centennial Concert Hall, the Manitoba Museum, and the Manitoba Theatre Centre. It is home to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Manitoba Opera. The building is surrounded by beautiful terraced gardens with fountains and sculptures.

Riel House National Historic Site includes the Riel House which once belonged to Louis Riel who was the leader of the Metis and the founder of Manitoba. In 1885 he was executed and his body lay in state at the house for two days. His descendants lived here since 1969.

Kildonan Park has some of the province's most ancient trees. There are beautiful flower gardens and a Hansel and Gretel Witch's Hut.

Recreation trails stretch along the Red River. It is a good place for birdwatchers. The park is home to Rainbow Stage the longest-running open-air theater in Canada. There is also an outdoor swimming pool and golf course.

Prairie Dog Central Railway is a fully-restored steam-powered locomotive. It takes people on rides from Winnipeg to Grosse Isle. The railway offers themed excursions among them train robberies, Halloween events, and more,