8 Things to Do in Winnipeg on a Quick Road Trip Stop

We visited Winnipeg twice so far and truly LOVE this city in the Prairies and the list of things to do in Winnipeg goes beyond the main highlights like the Assiniboine Park Zoo, The Forks, and Canadian Human Rights Museum..

We first visited Winnipeg during our second road trip across Canada in 2023. We had three nights and four full days to explore the city and its surroundings, and we packed a lot in. We can back recently during the fall on our way to Riding Mountain National Park.

This guide pulls together our favourite family-friendly stops to help you plan your own adventure. We’ve included a mix of well-known attractions and a few lesser-known experiences we found during our visit

P.S. If you drive to Winnipeg from the East, please don’t miss the Whiteshells Provincial Park and the Center of Canada Park (one of the best roadside attractions on a cross-country road trip!)

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Things to Do in Winnipeg downtown

1. Walk Through History in Old Saint-Boniface

Just across the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge, you’ll step into Saint-Boniface, It’s Winnipeg’s French Quarter and home to the largest Francophone community in Western Canada. The vibe changes as soon as you cross the river, with European-style buildings, cafés, and heritage landmarks. 

It’s like the Quebec City of the West.

We joined a 1h30 guided walking tour that starts at Tourisme Riel and includes stops like the Saint-Boniface Cathedral ruins, City Hall, and the Collège Universitaire. It’s a great way to learn about the area’s French-Canadian and Métis history, including the life of Louis Riel.

🗺️ Family tip: To be honest, my kids were a bit too young to fully appreciate it, but I loved every minute of it. If you have younger kids, consider walking part of the route on your own so you can go at your own pace.

The tour ended at the Saint-Boniface Museum.

Saint-Boniface Museum

Housed in Winnipeg’s oldest building, the Saint-Boniface Museum is a small but powerful stop, especially if you’re exploring French and Métis heritage. Inside, you’ll find artifacts, photos, and exhibits that tell the story of Louis Riel, the Métis leader who played a major role in Manitoba’s history.

2. Eat, Shop & Relax at The Forks Market

The Forks Market is one of the best spots in Winnipeg for a family-friendly lunch break. It’s a vibrant food hall inside a former train warehouse, filled with local vendors, coffee shops, and unique eats… all in one cozy, casual space.

We grabbed lunch at Wienerpeg (hot dogs + pulled pork sandwiches = happy kids), followed by frozen yogurt from Fro-Gurts and a latte from Fools & Horses. It was nice that everyone could choose what they wanted and sit down together in the shared seating area. No restaurant battles here.

You’ll also find small shops selling books, games, and gifts.

💡 Note: All Forks parking lots are paid. Don’t forget to grab a ticket!

3. Explore History at The Forks National Historic Site

🧭 Family tip: Look out for the iconic red Parks Canada chairs scattered around the site. There are two sets of red chairs at the Forks National Historic Site. And don’t miss the Winnipeg Sign (located near the main festival stage).

Right next to the market, the Forks National Historic Site is a large green space packed with history, art, and room to roam. This riverside spot has been a gathering place for over 6,000 years, and today it blends public art, historic landmarks, and family play areas.

You’ll find interactive sculptures, a recreated prairie garden, and a viewing platform where you can watch the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet. If you’re traveling with young kids, don’t miss the Fort Parka playground. It has a boat structure and water features that are a big hit in warmer months.

During summer, you might catch a guided Parks Canada tour, but you can also explore on your own using their free self-guided tour. During our visit, we enjoyed some of the Parks’ Canada displays.

🚶 Book your self-guided walking tour of the Forks National Historic Site.

4. Visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is one of Winnipeg’s most iconic buildings (it’s worth a visit just to admire the architecture). And it’s the only museum in the world dedicated entirely to human rights. 

While the topics can be heavy, the museum does a great job of making the experience interactive and accessible, even for school-age kids.

There’s a motion-activated light game on the second floor that was a big hit with our kids, and the architecture itself is fun to explore. And don’t miss the glass elevator ride up to the Tower of Hope. The view over the city is amazing.

That said, if you’re visiting with younger children, some of the exhibits might go over their heads. During our visit, we didn’t stay as long as I wanted, because the kids were getting bored sadly. It’s still a valuable stop, especially if you’re ready to have meaningful conversations afterward.

You can check the museum’s website for age-specific guides or suggested routes for families.

Are you planning on visiting a few museums while in Winnipeg?
If so, you might want to consider purchasing the Winnipeg Attraction Pass. This pass will give you access to 5 of the most popular attractions in Winnipeg including Manitoba Museum,  Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, Royal Canadian Mint and FortWhyte Alive.

5. See Winnipeg From the Water on a River Tour

If you want to see Winnipeg from a completely different perspective, I’d recommend booking a river tour with Winnipeg Waterways River Tour. The starting point is right from The Forks.

The boat tour lasts about 35 minutes and takes you along Winnipeg’s rivers (Winnipeg sits at the fork of the Red River and the Assiniboine River). Our guide was SO knowledgeable, and even after spending a few days exploring Winnipeg on foot, I learned a lot about the city’s history, architecture and Indigenous heritage.

I especially loved seeing some of the landmarks we had already visited from the water, including the Manitoba Legislative Building and the Saint-Boniface Cathedral ruins. It gave us a completely different perspective of the city.

6. Discover Science & Space at the Manitoba Museum

If you only visit one museum in Winnipeg with kids, make it the Manitoba Museum. It’s three attractions in one: the Museum Galleries, the Science Gallery, and the Planetarium. 

You can choose one section or bundle them together for a full afternoon of exploring. I would recommend planning for at least 2 hours (but you’ll most likely need more!)

Start with the Museum Galleries, where you’ll see wildlife dioramas, Indigenous artifacts, and the full-size replica of the Nonsuch, a 17th-century trading ship docked in a recreated port town. It’s one of the most impressive museum exhibits we’ve seen in Canada.

Then head downstairs to the Science Gallery, where kids can test pulleys, build bridges, and try hands-on experiments. If you have time, the Planetarium offers live and narrated shows about space.

 💡 Free street parking is limited—give yourself a few extra minutes to find a spot

7. Enjoy Dinner in the Exchange District

Okay, I have to say it: Manitoba surprised us a lot with its food scene. We went to a few different restaurants, and they were all so good (a lot better than the Alberta food scene if I’m being honest 🤫). And the Exchange District is a good place for a delicious dinner.

This historic neighbourhood is full of charm, with brick warehouses, boutique shops, and a growing list of family-friendly restaurants and it’s just a quick walk from the Manitoba Museum.  In 1997, the Exchange District was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, making it a fun area to simply walk around before or after dinner.

During our first visit to Winnipeg, we ate at Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria, a South American cuisine and it was delicious. The pizzas are baked fresh with a Latin twist, and the empanadas were a big hit with the kids. The vibe is casual and welcoming.

But on our recent stay, we stopped at Cibo Waterfront Café in the East Exchange District, and the setting is beautiful. The restaurant is inside a repurposed industrial building along the Red River that was once used as a pump and screen house for Winnipeg’s Downtown Steam Heating Plant.

I ordered the salmon, and it was perfect. The boys decided to skip the kids’ menu and shared pasta from the regular menu instead. And, of course, we finished by sharing dessert.

Other Things to Do Around Winnipeg

8. Visit The Leaf at Assiniboine Park

If you’re visiting Assiniboine Park, make time for The Leaf. It’s an indoor botanical garden where you can walk through completely different climates without leaving Winnipeg.

The Leaf is divided into four distinct areas: the Tropical Biome, Mediterranean Biome, Babs Asper Display House and Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden. The building itself is beautiful, but there’s lots for kids to discover inside too.

One of the highlights of the Tropical Biome is Canada’s tallest indoor waterfall. But while you’re looking up at the waterfall and all the tropical plants, don’t forget to look a little closer. There’s an unofficial scavenger hunt to find a tiny pineapple hidden somewhere among the plants. We searched for it with the boys, which made walking through the biome even more fun.

But the Butterfly Garden was easily the boys’ favourite part. There are butterflies flying freely throughout the space, and we ended up spending way more time in there than expected watching them and waiting to see if one would land on us.

The Leaf is a great family stop in Winnipeg, especially if you want something indoors or the weather isn’t cooperating. I’d allow at least an hour, and possibly longer if your kids get as distracted by the butterflies as ours did.

9. See Polar Bears at the Journey to Churchill Exhibit

Seeing polar bears in Churchill is one of those once-in-a-lifetime Canadian bucket list experiences I’d LOVE to do with the boys one day. But Churchill is remote, and a family trip there can get expensive pretty quickly.

Until then, the Journey to Churchill exhibit at Assiniboine Park Zoo is a pretty amazing introduction to Manitoba’s North.

The exhibit focuses on northern species, including polar bears, muskoxen, Arctic foxes and wolves. But what I found particularly interesting is how much effort has gone into recreating the environment and telling the story of Churchill. Some of the buildings and spaces are inspired by what you would actually see in the northern Manitoba town.

Of course, the polar bears were the highlight for us. There are several polar bears living at the zoo, and the exhibit has different viewing areas where you can watch them explore their habitat. If you’re lucky, you might even see one swimming above you from the underwater viewing tunnels.

It’s not just about seeing the animals either. There are interactive displays and information about Arctic ecosystems, conservation and climate change, which made the experience educational without feeling like we were simply walking through another zoo.

If you’re visiting Winnipeg with kids, I’d make Journey to Churchill the priority during your visit to Assiniboine Park Zoo. And hopefully, one day, we’ll get to see the polar bears in Churchill too.

10. Get Outside at FortWhyte Alive

FortWhyte Alive is a huge outdoor space with trails, lakes, wildlife, and tons of hands-on experiences for kids. It’s the parking place to get into nature without leaving the city.

You can walk across the floating boardwalk, spot the resident bison herd, and let the kids grab a net to scoop for critters near the water. There’s also a Nature Centre with interactive exhibits and an onsite café if you need a snack break.

We loved how calm and open it felt. It was the perfect stop after a few days of museums and city sights.

The trails are stroller-friendly, and there are plenty of benches if you need to take breaks along the way.

If you’re hungry after walking one of the many trails at FortWhyte Alive, you can grab lunch (or a snack) at Buffalo Stone Cafe.

11. Climb Inside Planes at the Royal Aviation Museum

The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada is a great stop if your kids are into planes, engines, or just love to climb and explore. The bright, modern space features more than 20 aircraft, including bush planes, passenger jets, and helicopters, some of which you can actually sit inside.

There’s a Kids’ Zone with hands-on aviation-themed activities and a fun flight simulator for older kids. Outside, when the weather’s good, little ones can try the pedal planes.

✈️ Family tip: The Royal Aviation Museum is located near the airport, so it’s a great stop before or after your flight if you have extra time.

12. Take a Tour of the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is where every single Canadian circulation coin is made (there is one in Winnipeg and one in Ottawa). And it’s a surprisingly fun and educational stop for families.

You can only visit the Mint on a guided tour, which lasts about 45 minutes and includes a look at the coin-making process from start to finish. We learned that they also make coins for more than 70 other countries!

Kids can see real gold bars, touch displays, and watch machines in action behind glass. The guides are engaging and explain things in a way that works for both adults and school-age kids.

Younger kids might lose interest toward the end, but the first half is very visual and interactive.

Where to Stay in Winnipeg

We stayed at Inn at the Forks, and if you want to explore downtown Winnipeg without constantly getting back in the car, the location is hard to beat.

The boutique hotel is located right at The Forks National Historic Site, within walking distance of The Forks Market, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, riverfront trails and several other downtown attractions.

🛏️ Book here: Inn at the Forks (in the heart of downtown Winnipeg)

Our room overlooked the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the park with the Winnipeg sign, which was a pretty great view to wake up to.

But what I appreciated most was being able to leave the car parked. We could walk out of the hotel and immediately start exploring The Forks and downtown Winnipeg.

There’s also the Riverstone Spa and SMITH Restaurant right at the hotel, which makes it an easy home base if you want to combine sightseeing with a little downtime.

For a first visit to Winnipeg, especially if you only have a few days, I’d absolutely stay around The Forks again.

FAQ – Visiting Winnipeg With Kids

Final Thoughts: What to Do in Winnipeg?

Winnipeg surprised us both times….in the best way possible. We came in with a short list of things to see and left with way more memories than we expected and a strong desire to visit again!

The city offers a mix of outdoor adventure, cultural experiences, and easy wins for families.  While some attractions like The Forks or the Zoo are well known, others, like FortWhyte Alive or the Royal Canadian Mint, were more like hidden gems we were glad we didn’t skip.

My boys LOVED the Aviation Museum, FortWhyte Alive and the Manitoba Museum… and of course everything we did at Assiniboine Park. I personally LOVED visiting Saint-Boniface (as a French-Canadian, everything related to French culture and language interests me!).  

We visited twice and we’d absolutely come back. There’s still more to explore, and for families crossing the country or just passing through Manitoba, Winnipeg is 100% worth the stop.