The Manitoba Children’s Museum: A Funtastic Family Destination!

By Ihor Cap

Few museums are open to children year round. The Manitoba Children’s Museum is the fifth such museum in Canada and the first of its kind in Western Canada. The Museum is a registered, charitable, not-for-profit 4,000-square foot space complex located in the historic Forks area in downtown Winnipeg. Government funding only represents 16% of the yearly budget. Linda Isitt and her friends first entertained the concept of a museum for kids back in 1982.  It was incorporated as a charitable organization a year later. Linda became its Executive Director. The Museum first opened its doors to a wide-eyed audience of 65,000 in 1986. Today, some 130,000 children and families visit the Children’s Museum every year. That’s well over 2.5 million visitors since 1986. As well, over 115,000 underprivileged children came through these Museum doors at no cost to them whatsoever. The very generous individual donors, corporations and businesses and fund raising events that finance the Museum’s Free Access Program, make this possible. Each year the funds provide some 5000 kids from the Winnipeg School Division with free programming.

It is a “hands-on” museum for children between 2 to 13 years old. The children come to understand themselves and their worlds around them through an interactive learning environment.  The museum environment features several permanent exhibits, display areas and multi-purpose rooms that can host everything from award presentations, family reunions, and press conferences to traveling exhibitions. The Museum hosts a whopping 600+ birthday parties a year! Please wait a few minutes for slideshow to download.

Many exciting events and exhibits take place at the Museum yearly.  This year, our 5-year old son had the pleasure of discovering two far away fascinating cultures of China and India as part of the “Tigers and Dragons” traveling Exhibit.  Mom explored the galleries together with us because the museum offers free admission to all moms on Mother’s Day.  We also spent a little time at the special guided crafts table. Every Monday, children get to hear stories read aloud to them in the TV studio. Unfortunately, we missed story time because we came on Sunday.  Children dress up as an astronaut and prepare to explore the heavens above as their space rocket is about to take off in the safety of the Museum’s environment. They can learn the many components of the huge and authentic 1910 Canadian National passenger train that resides in the Museum’s premises or they can pretend to be a forest critter and learn about other animals of the forest. Alternatively, they can choose to slide down the 17-foot tree trunk and climb the beaver dam. The kids just loved to touch and feel everything they can get their hands on. In fact, they are encouraged to do so. There are troughs filled with pebbles and running water to run your fingers through, cars to sit in, cranes to maneuver, fairy tale characters walking about and many more kid worthy surprises that will guarantee one “funtastic” day at the Forks!

Author: Ihor Cap, Ph.D.

Bibliography

Manitoba Children’s NEWSeum. April 2008.

Manitoba Children’s Museum. History. Exhibits. Sheet.

Facility Rentals. Unique Spaces for unique Events. Manitoba Children’s Museum Brochure.

Birthday Parties. Parties are a piece of cake at Manitoba Children’s Museum. Brochure

Slide Show Now Playing and Video Coming Soon!

Author: Ihor Cap, Ph.D.