Manitoba 150: Build it and they will come to these 8 architectural and engineering gems

Posted August 16, 2021 | Author Breanne Sewards

Get rewarded for exploring Manitoba with the Explore 150 app - where no two destinations are the same, and you earn more entries for visiting harder-to-reach locations!

To get started, download the app to your phone. Inside, you'll find 150 locations for you to visit located all over the province. The harder it is to get to, the more entries you'll get. Those are marked in the green circle on each location. There are also challenges you can complete (click on the little trophy icon in the bottom right corner to see them) that will earn you badges. There are prizes too--monthly and grand prizes, including a trip to Churchill to see the polar bears.

Our next challenge -- 'Build it' contains eight locations that will have you marvelling at unique architecture, amazing engineering feats and relics from our industrial past. Be sure to check out our other challenges: 'Ruin Your Day', 'Oddities' and 'Achieve the Impossible'.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights - 1 entry

As the first national museum in Canada to be built outside of the capital region, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights is both a reminder of and homage to the darkness of days past and a beacon of hope towards a brighter and better future. Architect Antoine Predock designed the museum to bring visitors from darkness to light - from the subterranean entrance and the illuminated Spanish alabaster ramps to the Mongolian basalt rock-strewn Garden of Contemplation and the spiralling panoramas in the Israel Asper Tower of Hope.

Silhouette of two people holding hands looking up at the lit alabaster walkways in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Winnipeg Art Gallery - 1 entry

The Winnipeg Art Gallery was opened in 1970 and designed by architect Gustavo Da Rosa. The arrowhead-shaped museum, slicing northward, is clad in Manitoba’s unique fossil-bearing Tyndall stone. It was a foreword thinking piece of architecture at the time, engaging with its exterior surroundings while being airy, welcoming and technologically advanced on the inside. New to the museum is the awe-inspiring Qaumajuq, home of the largest public collection of Inuit art in the world. Designed by Michael Maltzan, the stunning space features a white stone facade and a glass-filled lobby.

Manitoba Legislative Building - 1 entry

Did you know that the Manitoba Legislative Building is one of the most fascinating buildings in the world? While you won't be able to find out all the secrets within these walls quite yet (Hermetic Code Tours are currently on hold), walking the beautiful grounds and seeing the Beaux-Arts classical-style building from your own perspective is rewarding on its own.

Esplanade Riel - 1 entry

Named after Métis hero Louis Riel, this pedestrian bridge was warmly welcomed by Winnipeggers when it opened in 2003. Its iconic white spires rise like an elegant sail over the Red River with its peak soaring 57 meters high. The bridge is more than a crossing path; it’s a meeting place in the middle of a river.

VIA Rail / Union Station - 1 entry

What does Winnipeg's Union Station have in common with New York City's iconic Grand Central Station? They were both designed by NYC architectural firm Warren and Wetmore. Built in 1908-1911, Union Station is an excellent example of the Beaux-Arts style, with key elements such as heroic scale, Tyndall limestone and of course the magnificent dome that centres on the main entrance.

Pinawa Dam - 5 entries

Built in 1906, Pinawa Dam was Manitoba's first hydro-electric generating station and was crucial to providing power to a burgeoning Winnipeg at the turn of the 20th century. Turning off the power in the 1950s, the dam is now a popular heritage park and day trip destination. Spend the day exploring the ruins (and taking plenty of photographs) and have a picnic lunch against the backdrop of rushing waters.

Stonewall Quarry Park - 5 entries

Stonewall has humble beginnings as an industrial town, but all that remain of the old limestone quarries are the towering kilns at the north end of Main Street. Visit these relics and explore Quarry Park, which spans over 80 acres and includes a man-made lake, walking trails, an Interpretive Centre and more.

Souris Swinging Bridge - 5 entries

This Manitoba Star Attraction attracts brave visitors from across the province to the quaint town of Souris to see if they have what it takes to cross Canada's longest swinging pedestrian bridge. The 184-metre bridge was reinforced several times in the 1900's but had to be rebuilt completely after the floods of 1976 and 2011.

Looking along the edge of the Souris Swinging Bridge

About The Author

Hey! I'm Breanne, Editorial Content Specialist for Travel Manitoba. First to jump in the lake and last to make it down the River Trail. Lover of croissants, cats, and croissant-shaped cats. Got a story idea? Email me at bsewards@travelmanitoba.com.

Editorial Content Specialist