This year, Dalnavert is offering three FREE activities for Doors Open Winnipeg: guided tours of the first floor, short talks on Everything In Its Place, and our Homeland of the Métis Nation walking tour! No need to book ahead this year!
First Floor Tours
If only these walls could talk… Well, at Dalnavert Museum they can! Explore the ground floor of this beautiful home and discover what life was like in turn-of-the-century Winnipeg for a prominent middle-class family and the servants who tended to them.
Guided tours will run throughout the day starting at 10:00am, with the last tour departing at 4:00pm. Tours last approximately 30 minutes.
Everything In Its Place
Be sure to check out Everything In Its Place, an exhibition produced in partnership with students from the University of Manitoba, which showcases the remarkable tales of everyday Victorian objects. Join us for short talks from some of the exhibit’s co-curators.
Talks are at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and 3:00pm and last 20 minutes.
May 27 Schedule
12:00pm - Virginia Page Jähne (Stereoscope)
1:00pm - Meghann Robern (Wall Plaque)
2:00pm - Virginia Page Jähne (Stereoscope)
3:00pm -Meghann Robern (Wall Plaque)
May 28 Schedule
12:00pm - Shelby Steele (Tussy Mussy)
1:00pm - Sean Hetherington (Chamber Pot)
2:00pm - Shelby Steele (Tussy Mussy)
3:00pm - Sean Hetherington (Chamber Pot)
Homeland of the Métis Nation: Downtown Winnipeg Walking Tour
Tours depart at 10am and 1pm
The story of the Métis Nation and the role it has played in Manitoba's wider history is often overlooked and oversimplified. On this tour, we will explore some of Downtown Winnipeg's most popular locations from a Métis perspective. Learn about the emergence of the Métis Nation during the early colonial period and how they mounted an enduring resistance against the Canadian government under the leadership of Louis Riel; examine the contrasting fortunes of Settler families who prospered under Westward colonial expansion; and explore how this Indigenous nation fought hard for its place in Canada.
Tours will proceed rain or shine but may be cancelled at the discretion of the guide in the event of unsafe conditions. The tour departs from Dalnavert Museum and ends at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Tours last approximately 90 minutes and run at 10am and 1pm. There is a maximum of 8 people per tour. Recommended for ages 10+.
Accessibility
The majority of the first floor is wheelchair accessible. There are two small steps up and then two small steps down to access the solarium and study. The Visitors’ Centre (in which Everything In Its Place and its talks take place) is wheelchair accessible.
The Homeland of the Métis Nation walking tour can be adapted to avoid stairs, but you may encounter uneven terrain and sidewalks that may be in poor condition and challenging to navigate.