The Orientation Gallery welcomes you to Manitoba, a name derived from the Cree “where the spirit lives.” It offers a taste of what will come, touching on themes woven throughout the galleries. We will express inclusive and balanced messages about Manitoba’s natural and social history and orient visitors to their experience in the Museum.

At the confluence of two rivers, Winnipeg has been a meeting place and settlement for thousands of years. As a magnet that has attracted waves of immigrants, along with their colourful stories and traditions, we see that Winnipeg is a multifaceted urban centre.

The prairies seem eternal, and yet the Grasslands Gallery suggests that immense changes have occurred in just 200 years – largely the result of increased human occupation. The majority of Manitobans now live on the Prairies, and this is where most of our important stories take place. We will present diverse stories of both newcomers […]

Our signature Nonsuch ship, a 54-foot replica of a 17th-century ketch, retains pride of place as the climactic visitor experience. Housed in a purpose-built gallery, the Nonsuch instantly transports every visitor back through history, to a time when the HBC was exploring trade routes and forging new trading partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.