Key Takeaways

• Winnipeg's major museums and attractions – the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Manitoba Museum, Assiniboine Park Zoo & The Leaf and WAG-Qaumajuq – each offer distinct accessibility features, from sensory kits and quiet rooms to adapted tours and fully accessible apps; details vary, so check each venue's website before you go.
• Nearly 20 provincial park beaches now have mobility mats installed, making sandy shores accessible to wheelchair users, those with mobility aids and parents with strollers.
• Several Winnipeg performing arts venues offer ASL-interpreted, audio-described and sensory-friendly performances. Check schedules in advance, as these are offered on select dates.
• Assisted Excursions MB organizes accessible group outings for seniors and individuals with mobility challenges, covering everything from cultural attractions and historic landmarks to scenic drives and seasonal experiences, all planned with accessibility in mind.
• Contact venues directly before visiting: accessibility features vary, and details like adapted tour availability and sensory bag lending change seasonally.

Museums, Galleries and Attractions

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

There is no other museum like the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) anywhere in the world. Built on the site of the historic Forks in Winnipeg – where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet – it's a stunning architectural landmark dedicated entirely to the evolution and future of human rights. Inside, ten permanent galleries take you through stories of courage, injustice and resilience from Canada and around the world, using immersive multimedia exhibits that are as moving as they are thought-provoking.

It was also built with accessibility at its core. Every exhibit is connected by ramps and elevators, entrances are stair-free and accessible parking is available along Israel Asper Way with a drop-off zone close to the front doors. Service animals are welcome throughout. What really sets the CMHR apart is its free mobile app, available in English, French, American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ). You can take a self-guided tour with audio guides narrated by museum staff, text transcripts, videos and an interactive map. For visitors who are blind or have low vision, the app's "Near Me" feature connects to Universal Access Points across the galleries. Wayfinding signage throughout the building includes Braille.

Manitoba Museum

The Manitoba Museum is one of those places Winnipeggers grow up visiting on school trips and keep coming back to as adults, especially as families with kids of their own. The museum’s galleries take you from the ancient geological story of Manitoba all the way to a full-scale replica of the Nonsuch, the 17th-century sailing ship that launched the fur trade. The Planetarium and Science Gallery add even more to explore and are highlights for young museum goers. Plan for at least a couple of hours as there's more here than most people expect.

When it comes to accessibility at the museum, both Rupert Avenue and Lily Street entrances have ramps. The Lily Street entrance has a small lift to reach the Planetarium and Science Gallery levels and the main floor galleries are accessible by elevator. If you need a moment to decompress, the museum's quiet room is available during regular hours – a calm, low-stimulation space designed for sensory breaks. Sensory kits, including noise-reducing ear covers and sensory toys, can be borrowed from the Box Office on a first-come, first-served basis. On the first Sunday morning of each month, the museum runs Sensory Sunday: sounds are turned down, lighting is softened and the quiet room stays open throughout.

WAG-Qaumajuq

WAG-Qaumajuq is two buildings in one: the original Winnipeg Art Gallery, founded in 1912 and home to an outstanding collection of Canadian and international art, and Qaumajuq, the striking Inuit art centre that opened in 2021 and holds the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The Visible Vault alone – a towering glass-enclosed space displaying thousands of Inuit stone carvings – is worth the visit.

The gallery is wheelchair accessible, with wheelchairs available at the front desk and accessible parking spots directly in front of the building on Memorial Boulevard. WAG-Qaumajuq offers adapted tours designed to help you experience art through multiple senses. These tours are available by advance registration; call 204-789-1291 or email cleduc@wag.ca to book. For visitors living with dementia, the Art to Inspire program offers a thoughtful, supported way to engage with the collection.

Assiniboine Park and Zoo and The Leaf

Assiniboine Park is one of Winnipeg's great outdoor gathering places with over 400 acres of gardens, pathways, sculptures and green space right in the heart of the city. The Zoo is home to species from the Canadian North and beyond, and The Leaf – Canada's Diversity Gardens is an extraordinary indoor botanical space celebrating plants and cultures from around the world through distinct biomes and a butterfly garden. It's a full day out, and genuinely one of the best things to do in Winnipeg regardless of the season.

If sensory overload is a concern, The Leaf is worth knowing about. In partnership with KultureCity, it offers sensory bags that are free to borrow from the Visitor Services desk and are packed with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools and visual cue cards. Weighted lap pads are also available and signage throughout the space flags areas where noise levels are higher.

Assiniboine Park was the first Canadian zoo and park to join the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program. If you have a non-visible disability and might need a little extra support, you can pick up a Sunflower item at the Visitor Services desk (no need to explain why). Staff and volunteers wearing a white sunflower item have been trained to help and they'll look out for you.

Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Centennial Concert Hall

The Centennial Concert Hall is the heart of Winnipeg's performing arts community, home to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and a season full of world-class performances. For visitors who need accessibility support, the hall offers wheelchair-accessible seating, ramps, elevators and restrooms. Assistive listening devices are available free from guest services – just ask when you arrive.

Rainbow Stage

There is something genuinely magical about watching a full-scale musical theatre production surrounded by the trees of Kildonan Park. Canada's largest and longest-running outdoor theatre has been doing exactly that since 1954, and it remains one of Winnipeg's most beloved summer traditions. From popular classics to Broadway hits, Rainbow Stage productions are spectacular, professional and a lot of fun.

The venue has wheelchair seating and accessible washrooms. Select performances each summer include ASL interpretation and audio-description services, though dates vary by production, so check the current season schedule on their website or contact 204-989-0888 or email boxoffice@rainbowstage.ca to find out which shows have interpretation available before you book.

Prairie Theatre Exchange

Prairie Theatre Exchange (PTE) has been championing bold, Canadian storytelling for decades. If you want theatre that takes risks and tells stories you won't find anywhere else, PTE is the place. Its season spans everything from new works by emerging Canadian playwrights to productions that tackle big, urgent ideas.

The theatre offers accessible seating and hearing assistive devices, and presents relaxed, ASL-interpreted and audio-described performances throughout its season. If you've never been to a relaxed performance before, they're worth trying. Lower sound levels, adjusted lighting and a welcoming atmosphere are for anyone who needs more flexibility during a show.

Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (RMTC) is one of Canada's premier regional theatres – a powerhouse institution that has been producing exceptional work in Winnipeg since 1958. With two stages, the John Hirsch Mainstage and the Tom Hendry Warehouse Theatre, the RMTC presents a full season of drama, comedy and everything in between. It's a cornerstone of Winnipeg's cultural life and a night here is always well spent.

The RMTC offers accessible seating, assistive listening devices, sensory-friendly performances and support person ticket options – a useful set of accessibility features from a venue that takes its responsibility to its whole community seriously. Entrances at both theatres are ground-level with push-button door openers.

Trails, Beaches and Outdoor Experiences

Beaches with Mobility Mats

Manitoba's provincial park beaches are home to beautiful stretches of sand and water, including Grand Beach's famous dunes, the crystal-clear water of Clearwater Lake, the wide open shores of Birds Hill. Nearly 20 provincial park beaches now have mobility mats installed, which are firm, non-slip pathways that roll right across the sand and give wheelchair users, people using mobility aids and parents with strollers a clear route to the water.

Parks with mats include Birds Hill, Grand Beach, Clearwater Lake, St. Malo and Duck Mountain's Wellman Lake beach, among others. Mats go in before the Canada Day weekend each year, so plan your beach day from late June through summer for the best access. The full current list is on Manitoba Parks’ website and it's worth calling the park office ahead of time to confirm mats are out when you plan to visit.

Accessible Trails

Manitoba's provincial parks hold some of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country – boreal forest, rolling prairie, river valleys, lakeshores and waterfalls. More of that landscape is becoming accessible every year, with trails featuring paved or flat hard-packed limestone, boardwalks, handrails, nearby parking, interpretative signage available in alternate formats and guided tours throughout the summer.

Here are some options to try:

• Blue Trail, St. Malo Provincial Park: A 1 km flat, hard-packed limestone path that winds along the lakeshore between the main beach and the quieter Sunset Shores beach. A lovely, crowd-free alternative to the busier parts of the park.
• Brokenhead Wetland Interpretive Trail: A 1 km boardwalk through a rare cedar bog, with interpretive signs sharing the Ojibway connection to the land. Guided tours are available.
• Hecla Village Self-guiding Trail, Hecla/Grindstone Provincial Park: A 1 km hard-packed limestone loop around the historic Hecla Village, with heritage buildings and sites from the original Icelandic settlers.
• Lakeview Trail, Birds Hill Provincial Park: A 7 km paved loop through prairie, forest and wetlands around Kingfisher Lake, accessible from the Overlook Site, campground or beach.
• Kiche Manitou Trails, Spruce Woods Provincial Park: Over 5 km of hard-packed limestone paths winding around the campground area and an oxbow lake. Watch for birds and wildlife, and stop into the Visitor Centre to explore the interpretive exhibits.
• Pisew Falls Walkway, Pisew Falls Provincial Park: A 1 km hard-packed low-grade sloped gravel path with handrails leading to two different viewing platforms of the iconic falls.
• Lakeshore Trail: Main Beach to Deep Bay, Riding Mountain National Park. A 3.6 km packed gravel shoreline trail, mainly flat with one paved ramp about 1 km in. Stop at the public docks along the lake before continuing on to Deep Bay.

Trail conditions and accessibility features can vary, so it's always a good idea to contact the local park office before your visit to find out what works best for your needs.

Camping and Glamping

An overnight stay in Manitoba's parks is one of the great pleasures of summer here, and it's more accessible than you might think.

Most campgrounds across Manitoba's provincial parks have designated accessible campsites with flat, level ground, picnic tables customized to accommodate wheelchairs, and nearby accessible washrooms. Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park takes that further: it's one of the most fully accessible campgrounds in the province, with hard-surfaced sites, a mobi-mat leading to the water and accessible washroom and shower buildings. A genuinely comfortable base for a weekend by the lake.

If you'd prefer something with walls and a roof, Manitoba's Comfort Camping program offers furnished yurts and cabins at parks across the province. Yurts are available at Asessippi, Bakers Narrows, Camp Morton, Campers Cove, Childs Lake, Nutimik Lake, Paint Lake, Spruce Woods, Stephenfield and Tulabi Falls provincial parks, and many units are wheelchair accessible.

Because accessibility varies by specific unit, not just by park, it's worth calling the Parks Reservation Service before you book. Staff can confirm which yurt or cabin units are accessible and what's available for your dates. Reach them at 1-888-482-2267 or book online. Accessible campsites can only be reserved by phone or in-person at the Customer Information Unit in Winnipeg (1181 Portage Ave. Main Floor).

In Riding Mountain National Park, oTENTiks #706, #713, #715 and #716 all have ramps for easier access and all washrooms throughout the Wasagaming Campground have accessible access, including showers in #1, #2, #10 and #12. There's also a selection of accessible campsites located in the fully serviced, electric and water/electric areas. These campsites can be reserved by contacting RMNP directly 204-848-7275.

Plan Your Trip

Accessibility features in Manitoba vary between locations and they're improving regularly. Before you go check official venue websites for the most current accessibility information. When in doubt, contact venues directly with specific questions. Most are glad to help and a quick call before you arrive is worth it.

Manitoba is a genuinely welcoming destination for travellers with a range of accessibility needs. Start planning your trip today!