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Winnipeg Art Gallery -

Get to know Manitoba's capital city by first browsing Winnipeg Art Gallery and the building called Quamajuq. Here you'll find the world's largest collection of Inuit art, in fact over 14,000 pieces with decorative carvings and sculpture making up nearly two thirds of the exhibits.

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Manitoba Legislative Building -

Inaugurated in 1920, Manitoba's seat of parliament is certainly worth browsing for its assortment of architectural curios, things like hidden hieroglyphics, Freemason symbols, and secret numerical codes. A guided tour led by an expert historian helps unravel these mysteries and more.

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The Manitoba Museum -

Set aside a couple of hours or so to discover the Manitoba Museum. There are star-gazing activities to be enjoyed at the Planetarium and a Science Center to explore. Afterwards, walk through the museum's five fantastic galleries, one of which, the Earth History Gallery, is inhabited by the skeletal remains of huge dinosaurs.

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Canadian Museum of Human Rights -

Another top-of-the-list Winnipeg visitor attraction is the excellent Canadian Museum of Human Rights. This state-of-the-art landmark facilitates exploration of human rights issues not just in Canada but around the world. Themed exhibits include Indigenous concepts of human rights and the Holocaust.

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The Forks -

Spend some downtime in The Forks, Winnipeg's premier shopping and entertainment district. This year-round destination contains a market, food hall, and numerous specialty shops, stores, and boutiques. There's also a cluster of historic buildings to admire.

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Manitoba Children's Museum -

Traveling with kids? Then the Manitoba Children's Museum at The Forks will nourish the curiosity of young minds. Twelve interactive galleries feature a wealth of amusing and educative displays where kids can test their perceptions in the giant Illusion Tunnel, perform water experiments in the Splash Lab, and pull all the levers in the giant Engine House. Great fun for all the family!

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Assiniboine Park and Zoo -

Assiniboine Park and Zoo affords visitors close up encounters with all sorts of charismatic creatures, among them tigers, leopards, bison, and this handsome fella, a gray wolf.

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The Royal Canadian Mint -

You can't miss the Royal Canadian Mint. Its premises, an ultra-modern triangular-shaped building set in manicured gardens, appears like a contemporary art installation. The Mint can be visited by joining a guided tour of the facility, the starting point of which is the on-site museum. On display are shimmering examples of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins as well as medals, medallions, and tokens.

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Exchange District -

Winnipeg's venerable Exchange District is where to admire the city's finest examples of turn-of-the-century Victorian and Edwardian commercial architecture. The neighborhood also serves as a vibrant and fashionable hub for a number of up-market salons, cultural venues, and plenty of noted bars and restaurants.

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Saint Boniface Cathedral -

Saint Boniface Cathedral enjoys a special place in the hearts of many Manitobans. The oldest cathedral in western Canada has survived two devastating fires over its nearly 200 years of history, and is where Louis Riel, the founder of Manitoba, is buried.

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Manitoba Centennial Centre -

Winnipeg comes alive in the evening. To plan a memorable night out, peruse the program of shows and concerts at the Manitoba Centennial Centre. The venue is home to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Manitoba Opera. It's also where the Manitoba Museum is housed.

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Esplanade Riel -

On warm summer evenings, take a stroll along the city's Esplanade Riel, the iconic footbridge that spans the Red River and which is named for Louis Riel, one of the province's most revered historical figures.

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Fort Whyte Alive -

No, not a fortress but a series of lakes sunk into grassy parkland, Fort Whyte Alive is an outdoor oasis crisscrossed by walking and cycling trails. In summer, the lakes provide sailing and canoeing opportunities. In winter, it's all about ice-skating and cross-country skiing. And year round there's always plenty of birdlife to admire.

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Festival du Voyageur -

If you travel to Winnipeg in February, why not join the fun at the Festival du Voyageur? This is the city's most popular winter festival, and celebrates the traditions of the French Voyageurs—the fur traders of early Canada.

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Lake Winnipeg -

The southern tip of Lake Winnipeg lies about 55 km (34 mi) north of Winnipeg to make this expansive body of water an appealing destination, not least for the beach⁠—a hot spot for sunseekers in summer searching for sanctuary away from the city heat. The beach in fact forms the centerpiece of the region's Grand Beach Provincial Park.

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Gimli -

Set on the shores of Lake Winnipeg is the charming town of Gimli. Arrive here at the start of August to witness the wonderful Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, known as Islendingadagurinn.

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"Polar Bear Capital of the World" -

Located in northern Manitoba on the west shore of Hudson Bay, Churchill is famous as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." The large numbers of these majestic beasts draw thousands of tourists to the town each year. Fall is an especially rewarding time to visit, when the bears wander onto the ice floes in the bay to hunt seals.

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Churchill River -

While it's the bears that steal the limelight, Churchill is also home to a lesser-known star: the beluga whale. Every summer, upwards of 60,000 of these bewitching creatures flood the Hudson Bay estuaries to feed and give birth. You stand a good chance of seeing these Arctic cetaceans by taking a wildlife adventure cruise along the Churchill River.

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Riding Mountain National Park -

The Riding Mountain National Park is especially visitor-friendly for its accessible forest parkland, undulating prairies, and gentle hills. The park's deep blue lakes are popular with anglers, while wildlife enthusiasts are treated to a herd of free-roaming bison gathered in the vast and secure Lake Audy enclosure.

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Park wildlife -

Other wildlife in Riding Mountain National Park to look out for include the illusive Canadian lynx (pictured), moose, timber wolves, and white-tailed deer.

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Whiteshell Provincial Park -

Much of Whiteshell Provincial Park is of great spiritual significance to the region's Indigenous peoples: the Ojibway people and various other groups before them initially populated the area, and it was the Ojibway who first mapped some of the area on birch bark.

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Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site -

You can catch up with Manitoba's fur trade heritage at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site near Selkirk. The outpost was erected by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1830s and features as its star attraction the only stone fort from the fur trading era to survive intact anywhere in North America.

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Narcisse Snake Dens -

The Narcisse Snake Dens are the winter homes of tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes. In late April and early May, these slippery superstars emerge from hibernation and exit the dens. This unique spectacle of nature can be observed from observation platforms erected near the dens.

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Pinawa Dam Provincial Park -

Named for the ruins of the Pinawa Dam, Manitoba's first hydro-electric generating station, this provincial park affords visitors a chance to cast their eyes over the remains of the once mighty plant, which was decommissioned in 1951.

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Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park -

Reasons to include Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park on your itinerary include the Grassy Narrows Marsh, an important nesting area for Canada geese, and the Gull Harbor Trail System, a network of footpaths that connect campgrounds, swimming beaches, a golf course, picnic areas, and the welcoming Gull Harbor Resort.

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Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre -

This outstanding facility in Morden preserves the largest collection of marine reptile fossils in Canada. The showpiece exhibit is "Bruce," the world's largest publicly exhibited mosasaur of the species Tylosaurus pembinensis, a fact noted by Guinness World Records.

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Mennonite Heritage Village -

Manitoba's Mennonite cultural heritage is preserved at this engaging village in Steinbach, which recreates Mennonite life from the 16th century to the present day. More than 20 authentically furnished cottages and other buildings surround an old Dutch windmill.

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Riel House National Historic Site -

For a better idea of how Manitoba came about, spend time in the former family home of the man who founded the province, Louis Riel (1844–1885).

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Margaret Laurence House -

Jean Margaret Laurence (1926–1987) was one of Canada's most influential literary figures. The renowned novelist and short story writer was born in Neepawa, where she lived until she was 18. The property is now preserved as a Manitoba Provincial Heritage Site. 

Sources: (Nature North) (Manitoba Government) (Guinness World Records) (Britannica) (The Canadian Encyclopedia)

See also: Famous authors and their pen names

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