Manitoba Museums At a Glance:

• Museums across Manitoba offer a chance to discover more about the province's rich history.
• From historic artifacts to fascinating fossils, each museum has something unique to uncover.
• Even if you've visited before, there's always something new to learn or a hidden gem you may have missed.
• Check seasonal hours and temporary closures before travelling, especially when visiting museums outside Winnipeg.

The Royal Canadian Mint - Winnipeg

Visit this high-tech, high-volume manufacturing facility where coins from more than 75 countries around the world have been made. Every single coin in Canadian circulation gets its start here, resulting in billions being made every year. Sign up for an insightful tour of the facility to fully appreciate the nuances of the minting process. Check out the interactive coin museum and boutique that allows visitors to strike their own coin, purchase rare collector coins and get up close a pure gold bar worth over $700,000.

New Icelandic Heritage Museum - Gimli

The New Iceland Heritage Museum has two exhibit sites in Gimli — the Waterfront Centre (year-round) and the Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre (seasonal). At the Waterfront Centre, exhibits focus on the arrival of the first Icelanders in Manitoba, but be sure to read the history of the first Ukrainians in the area and the important role of Indigenous leaders, such as John Ramsay, had in the survival of those first settlers. Save time to allow the kids to dress up in Viking garb for a photo-op.

Manitoba Museum - Winnipeg

Visitors and locals alike need to journey through the human and natural history of Manitoba. If you haven't been in a while, the museum features a Prairies Gallery, where you can view the beautiful plains tipi and Red River cabin and cart. Always a highlight, the full scale replica of the Nonsuch ship helps visitors relive Manitoba's fur trading past. Additionally, the iconic stampeding herd of bison still greets you as you enter the gallery space.

Musée St. Boniface Museum - Winnipeg

Located in the heart of Winnipeg's French Quarter, this historic museum chronicles Franco-Manitoban and Métis history in the province. A former Grey Nuns Convent building, it is the largest oak structure in North America and the oldest building in Winnipeg. The museum boasts the largest collection of Louis Riel artifacts in the world and one of the most intriguing items is Louis Riel's coffin. "Wouldn't he be buried in it?" you ask. Turns out Riel had three coffins and the pine box in the museum is the one that transported his body back to Winnipeg after he was hanged in Regina. Please note that the museum is gradually reopening to the public starting October 19..

Manitoba Agricultural Museum - Austin

Dedicated solely to agricultural history in Manitoba, this museum is the only one in Canada that operates a range of its own antique equipment; a spectacle that comes to fruition during the annual Threshermen’s Reunion. Be sure to step inside The Carrothers’ House, a landmark on the quaint one-street Homesteader’s Village. The Carrothers family was instrumental in the museum’s creation, donating the land on which it stands. The house is a fine example of an early 1900 farmhouse typically found on the Canadian prairies.

Sam Waller Museum - The Pas

Renowned for its collection of curiosities and oddities, the Sam Waller is a Manitoba Star Attraction and always worth a quick tour when in the north. Stare in wonder at quirky natural history pieces such as a two-headed calf, fleas dressed in clothes and a squirrel toasting to your good health. The museum is located in the historic (and haunted?) court house, hence why visitors should spend some time getting to know the jail cell on display.

Canadian Fossil Discover Centre - Morden

Bruce, the massive mosasaur fossil on display at Morden’s Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre holds the Guinness World Record in this category. At 13.05 m (42.815 ft), it took two years to excavate 80 million-year-old Bruce after he was discovered in 1974 in a local farmer’s field. It's worth the trip to say hello to Bruce, his pal Suzy (a 9-meter long mosasaur) and all the other fascinating creatures in Canada’s largest collect of marine reptile fossils.

Manitoba Electrical Museum - Winnipeg

At the Manitoba Electrical Museum & Education Centre you learn about the history of hydroelectric development in Manitoba from the 1870s to present day. Climb aboard a vintage Winnipeg Electric Streetcar from the early 1900s, peek into a 1940s farm kitchen and see how electric appliances have changed and have some hair-raising fun with the 500 kilovolt Van de Graaff generator. Be sure to check out the exhibit "Sustainable Development: Caring for Our Common Future" to learn how hydroelectricity, as a sustainable source of power, can help protect our planet for future generations.

A museum visit can change depending on what catches your eye. One small artifact or unexpected story can completely shift how you see a place you thought you already knew.

Take your time and look a little closer to see what you uncover on your next museum visit.

*Blog originally written by Jillian Recksiedler*