Dalnavert Museum & Visitors’ Centre

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Dalnavert Museum | Location | Hours | Admission | Programs | Birthday Parties | Event Tours | Room Rental | Film & Photos | Gift Shop | Volunteers | Contact Us

Dalnavert Museum

The Dalnavert Museum is a designated National Historic Site of Canada whose mission is to foster an appreciation and an understanding of the late Victorian era in Winnipeg through the preservation, exhibition and interpretation of the building and the museum’s collection.

Dalnavert is one of Winnipeg’s finest examples of Queen Anne Revival architecture. It is the restored 1895 home of Sir Hugh John Macdonald: lawyer, Premier of Manitoba in 1900, later Police Magistrate for Winnipeg, and son of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. A chronology of the house is available here. Like similar upper middle class family homes of the period, Dalnavert is decorated opulently with period antiques that give visitors the feeling of traveling back in time.

Dalnavert is owned and operated by the Manitoba Historical Society. The Museum is open throughout the year. A guided tour, provided by experienced interpreters, provides a focus on Winnipeg’s early cultural and social life. Coming soon, in 2013, we will be expanding our tour options by offering an audio tour. We also host a variety of seasonal public programs, particularly at Halloween and Christmas.

The award-winning Dalnavert Visitors’ Centre, designed by Winnipeg architect Wins Bridgman and constructed in 2005, lies serenely around the Museum. With numerous energy and water conservation features, and built in part from recycled materials, the Visitors’ Centre hosts a fine gift shop, a museum reception centre, offices for museum staff, and the administrative office of the Manitoba Historical Society. A room is available for meetings of up to 75 people.

Dalnavert is a popular tourist destination open for visits throughout the year. In December let your senses experience moments of a Victorian Christmas and perhaps rekindle memories of long ago. In the summer the garden plantings and green lawns create a pleasant oasis in the midst of downtown Winnipeg. At Halloween, explore the history of ghost stories and spooky photography.

Dalnavert is a terrific destination for school field trips with five Manitoba curriculum-connected programs to choose from. Dalnavert also has a Birthday Party Program, which is available year-round.

Location

Dalnavert is located in downtown Winnipeg at 61 Carlton Street (south of Broadway). It is situated one and one-half blocks south of the Winnipeg Convention Centre, three blocks east of the Manitoba Legislative Building, and six blocks west of The Forks.

Free parking is available at the north side of the museum.

Click here for information on contacting the staff of Dalnavert Museum.

Hours of Operation

2 July to 31 August	Wednesdays to Saturdays	10 AM to 4 PM
	Sundays to Tuesdays	Closed
1 September to 1 July	Wednesdays to Saturdays	12 PM to 4 PM
	Sundays to Tuesdays	Closed

Dalnavert is open four days a week year-round for walk-in tours. Tour groups, private events, and photography may also be booked outside operating hours. Contact Jennifer Bisch, Chief Program Officer and Curator, for inquiries or to arrange bookings.

Admission

Adults (18-64)	$6
Senior citizens (65+)	$5
Youths (4 to 17)	$4
Guided tours	$50 up to and including seven persons per guide
Curriculum-connected school programs	$5 per student
Birthday parties	$12 per person
Specialty tour programs	Coming soon!

All prices include GST. For groups of seven or more, please contact Jennifer Bisch, Chief Program Officer and Curator, to make a reservation.

Event Tours

Tours for guests of private events booked in our Visitors’ Centre will be charged at a rate of $6 per person during regular operating hours and $15 per person after operating hours. To best accommodate your group, tours should be booked at least two weeks in advance.

Room Rentals

The restored Victorian residence of Dalnavert Museum, combined with contemporary meeting space, is a unique and lovely setting for business meetings, conferences, and private functions.

The W. Steward Martin Auditorium is available for meetings of up to 75 people (64 people banquet style). The facility features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the museum and grounds; a galley-style catering kitchen with bar fridge, stove, microwave, dishwasher and prep area, china, glassware and cutlery for 36 guests, 6-foot-long banquet tables, white table cloths, and black chairs. Renters who wish to serve wine or other alcoholic beverages will require a liquor license issued by the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission.

Room rental fees are as follows:

Daytime (3 hours or less)	$125 plus GST
Daytime (over 3 hours)	$175 plus GST
Evenings after regular operating hours	$175 plus GST

• There is an additional supervisory fee of $30 per hour for times when the museum is not normally open, during the day or in evening.
• Coffee/tea service is charged at the rate of $1.00 per person.
• A 50% non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking.

To arrange a rental, please contact us at bookings@mhs.mb.ca.

Dalnavert Gift Shop

Dalnavert’s Gift Shop caters to the discriminating shopper. In addition to a wide range of speciality items, you will also find books by local authors and the publications of the Manitoba Historical Society.

Page revised: 15 February 2013