20 free things to do in Winnipeg

Winnipeg doesn't charge admission for most of what makes it worth visiting. Parks, river trails, murals, markets, and even a few of the city's biggest museums have a no-cost way in if you know when to go. Here are twenty ways to spend a day, or several, without opening your wallet.

Parks and green space

• Assiniboine Park. The city's largest park is free to enter and covers an English garden, a sculpture garden, and miles of walking and cycling paths along the Assiniboine River. (The zoo and The Leaf's biomes inside the park charge admission; the park grounds themselves do not.)
• The Forks riverwalk. The paved and boardwalk paths along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers at The Forks are free to walk any time of year, and in winter the frozen river trail (when conditions allow) is one of the longest naturally maintained skating trails in the world; skate rentals cost extra, but walking it doesn't.
• Kildonan Park. An older, mature-tree park on the Red River in North Kildonan with a duck pond, an outdoor theatre, and a formal rose garden that blooms through summer.
• St. Vital Park. A quieter riverside park on the city's south side with walking trails, a duck pond, and a Nature Play area for kids.
• Vimy Ridge Memorial Park. A riverside park along the Assiniboine with a splash pad in summer and a wooded trail that follows the water.

Public art and architecture

• The Exchange District's murals and warehouses. Wander the Exchange District, a National Historic Site of roughly twenty blocks of early-1900s warehouse architecture; no ticket required to walk the streets and look up.
• Downtown and West End murals. Winnipeg has one of the largest collections of outdoor murals in Canada, with a concentration in the West End and the Exchange District; the Wall-to-Wall mural map (searchable online) marks where to find them.
• The Manitoba Legislative Building grounds. The grounds, the Golden Boy statue, and the building's public areas are free to visit; guided interior tours are also free but need advance booking.
• Winnipeg's Union Station. A grand Beaux-Arts train station near The Forks with a domed rotunda worth stepping into even if you're not catching a train.

Museums and free-admission days

• Winnipeg Art Gallery, first Friday evenings. The WAG (and Qaumajuq, its Inuit art centre next door) typically waives admission on the first Friday evening of the month; check wag.ca for the current schedule before planning around it.
• The Manitoba Museum's free days. The Manitoba Museum offers a handful of free-admission days through the year, often tied to holidays; confirm dates on the museum's site since they change annually.
• Millennium Library. Downtown's central library has a rooftop garden, reading rooms, and rotating exhibits, all free and open to the public, library card or not.

Markets and neighbourhood strolls

• The Forks Market. Browsing the market hall costs nothing even if you don't buy; the building itself, a former railway stable, is worth a look.
• St. Norbert Farmers' Market and other seasonal markets. Entry to Winnipeg's outdoor farmers' markets is free; you only pay for what you carry out.
• Corydon Avenue and Osborne Village. Both strips reward an aimless walk, window shopping and people-watching included, whether or not you stop for a patio.
• Provencher Boulevard, St. Boniface. The French Quarter across the Red River has a different pace and streetscape from downtown, reachable on foot via the Esplanade Riel pedestrian bridge.

Free events, seasonal

• Canada Day at The Forks. Free outdoor programming and fireworks on July 1, one of the city's biggest free days out.
• Nuit Blanche and open-studio events. Winnipeg's arts scene runs periodic free open-house nights; check the Winnipeg Arts Council's calendar for current dates.
• Assiniboine Park's summer concert series. Several outdoor concerts through the summer are free to attend on a first-come lawn basis; check the park's event calendar for the current lineup.

A practical note

Hours, free-admission days, and event schedules change year to year, so treat the museum and event items here as a starting point and confirm current dates on the venue's own site before building a day around them. The parks, murals, and neighbourhood strolls don't have that problem: they're free every day, all year.