photos: @catpmuseum
The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is the only museum in Canada dedicated entirely to the airmen who trained and fought for the Commonwealth during World War II. Showcasing aircraft, artifacts and memorabilia from the time period, it’s easy to see why this site has been named one of only six designated Signature Museums in the Province. Situated next door to the Brandon Regional airport, many of the sites original buildings serve as the backdrop for a snapshot in our military history. Sightseeing plane ride tours can also be booked in the Harvard!
Straddling the Canadian-U.S. border between the towns of Boissevain, Manitoba and Dunseith, North Dakota, the International Peace Garden offers 25 acres of scenic outdoors and botanical artistry. Offering trails for walking and biking, the garden also offers an onsite café, seasonal camping and plays host to a number of sport and music camps each year. Situated in a unique location, between recognized border crossings, it welcomes guests from both sides of the 49th parallel.
*Passports are required to visit this attraction – be sure to bring along!
photos: @kais.landtechnikfotografie / @shannonvanraes
The Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin holds the largest collection of vintage farm machinery in Canada with more than 500 implements, most dating back to the Pioneer era of Manitoba. The Homesteaders’ Village represents village life in the late 19th century with an 1883 schoolhouse, a post office that once served all of northwestern Manitoba, the typical log houses of the era, an elegant clapboard mansion, a general store, railway station, and more!
photos: Sandy Black
Fans of Canadian fiction may be familiar with the fabled community of “Manawaka” as featured in the writing of novelist Margaret Laurence. Her work is commonly believed to be based on her hometown of Neepawa where she spent her childhood. The Margaret Laurence Home is now a designated heritage site and features a wealth of original furnishings as well as artifacts which celebrate the writer’s career.
photos: Sandy Black / @just_north_of_49
Featuring more than 20 giant historical murals, Boissevain’s Outdoor Art Gallery has been a source of pride for the community for many years. Brochures are available to allow visitors to embark on a self-guided tour of this growing public art collection and celebrate the area’s history and culture in vivid, life-like detail.
photos: Craig and Nichole Photography
You may want to start your visit to the Brandon area with a stop at the city’s Riverbank Discovery Centre. A year-round visitor information depot, the site offers local and regional travel information as well as a variety of indoor displays and outdoor recreation space. The Centre serves as a starting point for the extensive Assiniboine Riverbank trail network and regularly hosts special events throughout the year.
Canada’s award winning Royal Canadian Artillery Museum tells the story of Canadian and Manitoba military history from colonial times to the present in a 24,000 square foot air-conditioned setting. With regular changes of the interior exhibits, the museum is also home to outdoor artillery displays. The RCA Museum is located in Shilo, and open year round to accommodate individuals and groups.
The iconic attraction in Souris is the famous Souris Swinging Bridge. First constructed in 1904, the span holds the distinction as Canada’s longest suspension bridge, measuring 604 feet (184 metres). Last re-constructed in 2013, the latest evolution of the bridge still features elements of its predecessors, though has been emboldened to carry up to 1,000 persons at a time.
photos: Craig and Nichole Photography
One wouldn’t expect to find a desert on the Canadian prairies, but that’s just one feature of Spruce Woods Provincial Park that awaits visitors. Providing a habitat for such rare species as the western plains hognose snake and the northern prairie skink, the park offers a beach and camping in the summer, as well as an excellent venue for cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter. The park is situated between the communities of Carberry and Glenboro.
photos: Westman Reptile Gardens
For a taste of the exotic, the Westman Reptile Gardens offers an up close and interactive experience with a wide array of reptiles, amphibians, arachnids and bugs. With a menagerie of animals including alligators, crocodiles, giant pythons, cobras, rattlesnakes and more, visitors are treated to a fun and educational introduction to many animal species. Expect the unexpected when you visit the gardens in Douglas, Manitoba.
photos: Sandy Black
After years of success in the food and beverage industry, Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk combined their farming experience with their service industry savvy and launched Farmery Beer. Using natural, homegrown ingredients, they created a beer that encompasses the taste of the prairies and built North America’s first estate brewery, Farmery Estate Brewery on their family farm near Neepawa. Visitors can see first-hand how the ingredients are grown and how the product is made from start to finish!
photos: Craig and Nichole Photography
Visit Sandhills Casino near Carberry and you’ll soon find out why it is an award-winning casino! With over 300 slot machines, Blackjack, Double Deck Blackjack, Roulette, and Live Poker for you to experience; their customer service is what sets them apart. Relish in a great dining experience in the on site Dunes Restaurant, featuring themed buffet nights. Relax and enjoy yourself at Oasis Lounge; the perfect spot to unwind, catch a game on one of the big screens or listen to free live music on the weekends.
*While Tourism Westman strongly recommends that all tourism businesses adhere to the operating protocols and capacity restrictions allowed by the Manitoba government, we cannot guarantee the compliance of any business or attraction featured in the content above. Please contact the business directly for operating hours and policies. Throughout the province, please continue to practice safe physical distancing and adhere to all recommended guidelines.
