Let’s just start by saying that October isn’t high season for travel to Winnipeg! BUT, my husband had a conference there for a couple of days and so I decided to tag along. Not only was I off on maternity leave with my (then) 7 month old, but we have friends who live there so it was a great excuse to see them again. We knew that we would have fun but we were pleasantly surprised with how much fun we had. Between the incredible food and some fantastic sites, it’s a place I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Before we list our top 6 things to do and see in Winnipeg, some housekeeping items:
Transportation: We brought our car seat and cabbed from the airport to our hotel in downtown Winnipeg. The city is geographically huge and cabs can be VERY expensive depending on where you are staying. Research in advance whether a car rental makes more sense depending on your length of stay and what you plan on seeing.
Accommodation: We stayed at the Humphry Inn and Suites for a few nights while my husband had his conference. The location was super convenient – we were able to walk to everything we wanted to see except for Assiniboine Park/Zoo. The hotel was affordable, had a pool that our daughter LOVED and included a fairly good continental breakfast.
Without further ado here are our top 6 things to see and do in Winnipeg!
Transportation: We brought our car seat and cabbed from the airport to our hotel in downtown Winnipeg. The city is geographically huge and cabs can be VERY expensive depending on where you are staying. Research in advance whether a car rental makes more sense depending on your length of stay and what you plan on seeing.
Accommodation: We stayed at the Humphry Inn and Suites for a few nights while my husband had his conference. The location was super convenient – we were able to walk to everything we wanted to see except for Assiniboine Park/Zoo. The hotel was affordable, had a pool that our daughter LOVED and included a fairly good continental breakfast.
Without further ado here are our top 6 things to see and do in Winnipeg!
1. Eat Yummy Food
Eating is one of my favorite parts of traveling. We stayed with friends for a couple of days of our trip and knowing they were foodies, and that Winnipeg was an up and coming food destination, got me super excited. If you enjoy eating as much as we do here are some spots not to miss:
When we stopped for lunch at Stella’s and our waiter heard it was our first time there, they knew right away we were tourists. This is a favorite for Winnipegers. We enjoyed the all day breakfast (my huevos rancheros were SO good!) and our daughter made her mark by knocking over not one, but two glasses of ice water during our meal. There are 6 locations and we hear everyone is just as good.
Boon Burger, a completely vegan burger café, had us intrigued but the food was so good and even my carnivorous husband said it was one of the best burgers he’s had! With two locations, one of which is right downtown in the sort of entertainment district, and a super casual atmosphere it’s perfect for families. They have a kids menu with options like pizza that are vegan but I doubt your kids will notice!
Our friend’s parents were kind enough to offer to babysit our daughters one night so we could enjoy a kid free meal and we jumped at the opportunity. We went to Chew where the menu changes according to the season to ensure the freshest and most local ingredients. Everything we tried was incredible, even the foie gras ice cream (seriously! We were just as surprised at how good it was!)
Eating is one of my favorite parts of traveling. We stayed with friends for a couple of days of our trip and knowing they were foodies, and that Winnipeg was an up and coming food destination, got me super excited. If you enjoy eating as much as we do here are some spots not to miss:
When we stopped for lunch at Stella’s and our waiter heard it was our first time there, they knew right away we were tourists. This is a favorite for Winnipegers. We enjoyed the all day breakfast (my huevos rancheros were SO good!) and our daughter made her mark by knocking over not one, but two glasses of ice water during our meal. There are 6 locations and we hear everyone is just as good.
Boon Burger, a completely vegan burger café, had us intrigued but the food was so good and even my carnivorous husband said it was one of the best burgers he’s had! With two locations, one of which is right downtown in the sort of entertainment district, and a super casual atmosphere it’s perfect for families. They have a kids menu with options like pizza that are vegan but I doubt your kids will notice!
Our friend’s parents were kind enough to offer to babysit our daughters one night so we could enjoy a kid free meal and we jumped at the opportunity. We went to Chew where the menu changes according to the season to ensure the freshest and most local ingredients. Everything we tried was incredible, even the foie gras ice cream (seriously! We were just as surprised at how good it was!)
2. Human Rights Museum
This was one of the highlights for me. I had heard amazing things about this new museum and it did not disappoint. The building itself is stunning and every area was interesting, educational and interactive. While they could have easily focused on the many ways in which the world has become a better, safer, more inclusive place, there were lots of times during our visit where we were confronted with how we continue to fall short. The museum was different from many others I’ve visited in that the focus wasn’t on artifacts curated for you to look at but more on stories and first hand accounts using to help you learn and experience. I particularly loved the “Canadian Journeys” gallery where there were 18 mini rooms dedicated to the various ways that Canada has succeeded and failed at ensuring human rights for all. From the ways that individuals with disabilities were institutionalized and made to work without pay to the Japanese internment and Chinese head tax we spent the majority of our time in this gallery. The “what are human rights” gallery, which is the first that you encounter when you enter the museum, was also fantastic. It has a massive timeline with 100 moments critical to human rights and helped introduce the idea that we have made steps forward and backward throughout history. The museum has lots of video and written content and would be most appreciated by older children, however I do think that there is enough to keep the interest of children aged 5ish and above. The good news is that children under 7 get in for free and entry is also free on the first Wednesday of every month from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. All other Wednesday evenings of the month you can visit for just 5 dollars.
This was one of the highlights for me. I had heard amazing things about this new museum and it did not disappoint. The building itself is stunning and every area was interesting, educational and interactive. While they could have easily focused on the many ways in which the world has become a better, safer, more inclusive place, there were lots of times during our visit where we were confronted with how we continue to fall short. The museum was different from many others I’ve visited in that the focus wasn’t on artifacts curated for you to look at but more on stories and first hand accounts using to help you learn and experience. I particularly loved the “Canadian Journeys” gallery where there were 18 mini rooms dedicated to the various ways that Canada has succeeded and failed at ensuring human rights for all. From the ways that individuals with disabilities were institutionalized and made to work without pay to the Japanese internment and Chinese head tax we spent the majority of our time in this gallery. The “what are human rights” gallery, which is the first that you encounter when you enter the museum, was also fantastic. It has a massive timeline with 100 moments critical to human rights and helped introduce the idea that we have made steps forward and backward throughout history. The museum has lots of video and written content and would be most appreciated by older children, however I do think that there is enough to keep the interest of children aged 5ish and above. The good news is that children under 7 get in for free and entry is also free on the first Wednesday of every month from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. All other Wednesday evenings of the month you can visit for just 5 dollars.
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3. Cheering on the Winnipeg Jets
We are huge hockey fans and so when we happened to be there during hockey season we jumped at the opportunity to go to see the Jets play. We hadn’t been to a hockey game since my daughter was 3 weeks old and I had forgotten to pack her baby bandz ear protection so I was nervous that after buying tickets and showing up at the game – which started at the exact same time she usually went to bed – that I might end up not being able to enjoy much of the action. She rose to the occasion though and enjoyed watching the game, other spectators and playing with the game program for the first period and then fell asleep for the second and third period. I wore her in the carrier and the staff were wonderful – allowing me to stand in the entry way as needed and encouraging me to use the first aid station for breastfeeding privacy. Once my daughter was asleep I just put one hand over her ear and she actually managed to sleep soundly right up until our walk back to the hotel!
We are huge hockey fans and so when we happened to be there during hockey season we jumped at the opportunity to go to see the Jets play. We hadn’t been to a hockey game since my daughter was 3 weeks old and I had forgotten to pack her baby bandz ear protection so I was nervous that after buying tickets and showing up at the game – which started at the exact same time she usually went to bed – that I might end up not being able to enjoy much of the action. She rose to the occasion though and enjoyed watching the game, other spectators and playing with the game program for the first period and then fell asleep for the second and third period. I wore her in the carrier and the staff were wonderful – allowing me to stand in the entry way as needed and encouraging me to use the first aid station for breastfeeding privacy. Once my daughter was asleep I just put one hand over her ear and she actually managed to sleep soundly right up until our walk back to the hotel!
5. Assiniboine Zoo
At 7 months old, I wasn’t sure how much my daughter would enjoy the zoo but my friend’s 3 year old was really excited to show us around one of her favorite places in Winnipeg! I was pleasantly surprised how vocal and interested our babe was in the different animals. I could always tell when she finally saw the moving creature because she would stop looking around and start babbling excitedly. The seals were especially a hit! There’s an indoor play area and a cafeteria that looks out toward where the polar bears and wolves roam with lots of food and drink options. In better weather, I would have loved to explore the Assiniboine Park next door where there is an amazing children’s playground, lots of trails and even a statue of Winnie the Pooh! Next time!
At 7 months old, I wasn’t sure how much my daughter would enjoy the zoo but my friend’s 3 year old was really excited to show us around one of her favorite places in Winnipeg! I was pleasantly surprised how vocal and interested our babe was in the different animals. I could always tell when she finally saw the moving creature because she would stop looking around and start babbling excitedly. The seals were especially a hit! There’s an indoor play area and a cafeteria that looks out toward where the polar bears and wolves roam with lots of food and drink options. In better weather, I would have loved to explore the Assiniboine Park next door where there is an amazing children’s playground, lots of trails and even a statue of Winnie the Pooh! Next time!
5. Manitoba Legislature
This might seem like it could be a snooze-fest for those who aren’t politically inclined BUT we took a short self guided tour and really enjoyed it! The building was beautiful, with two 2 ½ ton bronze bison that were said to have been slid in on slabs of ice cut from the Assiniboine River so as not to scratch the marble floors and statues modeled after the caryatids from the temple of erechthion in Athens. While it isn’t overly kid friendly there are lots of things, like the bison, statues and the golden boy perched on the top of the building, that you can try and spot together.
6. Children’s Museum
We didn’t have a chance to check it out on this trip, but I have heard from lots of people that it is an awesome place to take kids, especially if the weather isn’t so great. It’s located in The Forks which also has great food farmer’s markets, and festivals, and is walking distance to a lot of other attractions in the downtown area (like the Human Rights Museum). There are 12 fun permanent exhibits that will have your little ones climbing, building and creating. With silly names like lasagna lookout and one exhibit specifically for the tiny tots, this place seems to be totally geared to making sure little ones have a blast. Admission is 11 dollars per person for everyone over the age of 1.
This might seem like it could be a snooze-fest for those who aren’t politically inclined BUT we took a short self guided tour and really enjoyed it! The building was beautiful, with two 2 ½ ton bronze bison that were said to have been slid in on slabs of ice cut from the Assiniboine River so as not to scratch the marble floors and statues modeled after the caryatids from the temple of erechthion in Athens. While it isn’t overly kid friendly there are lots of things, like the bison, statues and the golden boy perched on the top of the building, that you can try and spot together.
6. Children’s Museum
We didn’t have a chance to check it out on this trip, but I have heard from lots of people that it is an awesome place to take kids, especially if the weather isn’t so great. It’s located in The Forks which also has great food farmer’s markets, and festivals, and is walking distance to a lot of other attractions in the downtown area (like the Human Rights Museum). There are 12 fun permanent exhibits that will have your little ones climbing, building and creating. With silly names like lasagna lookout and one exhibit specifically for the tiny tots, this place seems to be totally geared to making sure little ones have a blast. Admission is 11 dollars per person for everyone over the age of 1.
There is SO much to do in Winnipeg at any time of the year. In the winter you can cheer on the Jets, enjoy the Festival du Voyageur, or skate or toboggan at the Forks. In the summer and early fall you can cheer on the Blue Bombers, enjoy the family friendly International Children’s Festival or the all night art festival Nuit Blanche. You can take a picnic to the Assiniboine Park or venture an hour out of town to relax at one of Manitoba’s beautiful beaches. And any time of year is perfect to check out the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra or see whether there are family friendly plays, or concerts in town. So get out there and explore together!
