Museums are great ways of learning about the history and culture of a place. Most often, when we hear these words, what comes to mind are long hallways with dusty objects on display or behind glass shelves. However, in the city of Winnipeg, there are certain museums that go beyond the just displaying works of arts or decorative pieces.
Here are some of the best museums in this section of Canada, all of them worth visiting especially with the kids and the whole family.
Manitoba Museum
The Manitoba Museum houses artefacts related to the province of Manitoba. Aside from that though, it also showcases exhibits about world and the universe in general. There are varied collections that cover human history – over 2,000,000 artefacts, and a section about natural history that showcases fossil and flora and fauna, along with displays of rocks and minerals. Two of the best attractions of the museum is the planetarium where kids will get to travel tour around the universe, and the Science Gallery which is dedicated in helping kids learn about the different laws of science, physics, and so on that governs life on earth. This interactive display is sure to spark the little Einstein in your kids.
Le Musee de Saint-Boniface Museum
This white and gray building used to be the convent of the Gray Nuns, but is now transformed to the Le Musee de Saint-Boniface Museum. There are many collections and exhibits in the museum, like French-Canadian furniture, First Nations People’s items like moccasins, and pioneer living items like plough and scythes. There are also collections of paintings and sculptures by various painters.
Western Canada Aviation Museum
This specialty museum specializes in aviation and its history. It aims to preserve, to restore and to display the avaiation heritage of Canada. Cheerful and friendly tour guides are there to help explain everything to you – from the small bush planes to the large passenger and cargo carriers. There is also an interactive area of the museum that kids will surely love – the Skyways. Here children are given the chance to fly and land airplanes hands on through their flight simulators.
Manitoba Children’s Museum
This is a museum that kids will surely love, as this was built with them in mind. This museum has over 10 themed rooms and galleries that are colourful and lively. The engine house for example, deals with things that run on cogs, gears and levers, while the Junction 9161 is dedicated to trains and their history in the Manitoba Province. One of the favourites is the Illusion tunnel where spiralling images create illusions that will test you and your kids. Other galleries include a Lasagna Lookout, Tumble Zone, Tot Spot, Mellow Marsh, and Milk Machine to name some. Aside from that, there is also a souvenir shop where you can buy your kids something fun and educational to take home.
Winnipeg Art Gallery
Founded in 1912, this art gallery is known to be Western Canada’s oldest gallery. There are various exhibits held in this art gallery, but the most famous ones are those of the Inuit arts. Of course, the museum also showcases some of the famous works of both local and internationals artists. There are also decorative arts made from varying materials like silver bowls, wares and more.
Museums have this ability to help us connect with our past and future as it shows us where we came from and where we might be headed. It teaches us about another countries customs and culture, its people and their lifestyle. Thus, be sure to include museums in your travel itineraries. Who knows, you may just learn a thing or two while you’re there.
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Photo by quinet on Flickr