Manitoba Museum

Our extended summer hours start on Saturday! From June 29, we'll be open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Keep it cool this summer and enjoy family fun at the Manitoba Museum with hands-on activities and engaging programming every day through July and August. Learn more about our summer programming here: https://ow.ly/nZXw50SozeA

Did you know that clams have been in the world’s oceans for hundreds of millions of years? Prairie grasslands were already millions of years old when people first arrived. Evidence of this long history is buried deep beneath the prairie. Sedimentary rock up to two kilometres thick overlies ancient Precambrian bedrock. Some layers of the sedimentary rock are rich in petroleum or potash, or host millions of fossils. The sediment can be seen when we diamond drill into the prairie, and also along river valleys such as the famous Wawanesa gorge. In some layers of rock below the prairie, we can discover evidence of warm seas from the Cretaceous Period – the latter part of the age of dinosaurs – with diverse fossils including giant reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates. Beautiful fossil clams, like this specimen, show that some life in those seas would still seem quite familiar today. Image © Manitoba Museum #FossilFriday

Although this species is called Alder-leaved Buckthorn (‘Endotropis alnifolia’), it doesn’t actually have thorns, unlike the other members of its family. It is a small shrub, less than 1-m tall, found in moist habitats in the boreal forest. It produces small, greenish, star-shaped flowers that mature to form blackish berries. However, the berries should not be eaten, as they produce a chemical that causes vomiting. To learn more about this small shrub check out: https://ow.ly/SN4g50Sy7X5 The Criddle family, who came to Manitoba in 1882, were famous naturalists. Many items that they collected or created were donated to the Manitoba Museum, including this watercolour by Norman Criddle, the Manitoba Government’s first official Provincial Entomologist. Image: © Manitoba Museum, H9-23-321 #WildflowerWednesday

Can you get rocket fuel from water? Join Science Communicator Rhianna in the Explore Science Zone to conduct some hydrogen electrolysis and learn about rockets! Catch 'Forward to the Moon' in the Planetarium this summer! Plan your visit today: https://ow.ly/e24L50SKlib

Don’t miss the new exhibit, ‘Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator,’ in the Welcome Gallery and Discovery Room on your next visit! This exhibit celebrates the beauty and resilience of the Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples, and commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO). Featuring objects from the 34 Nations represented by SCO, ‘Manidoo Miiniigooizowin, A Gift from the Creator’ is a celebration of the past, present, and future. Plan your visit today: https://ow.ly/hbXz50SKuuq This exhibition was produced with the Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO). #SCOINCMB #ManidooMiiniigooizowin #MyMBMuseum

Don’t watch TV, play it! Popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, Atari was the OG home videogaming system first released in 1972, paving the way for the likes of Sega, Nintendo, and PlayStation. This Atari CX-2600 system joined our collection in 2013 and was used by the donor and his sister when they were kids. You might be saying to yourself, “Hey! I had that toy, how can it be in a museum?!” Museums collect contemporary objects all the time in anticipation of future research, education, and exhibits well after we’ve all retired. Image © Manitoba Museum

Join Dr. Roland Sawatzky in the Winnipeg Gallery to take a closer look at the immigration table. In this video we check out the exhibit on children's experiences with immigration, and some of the toys and treasures they brought with them on their moves.

The endangered monarch ('Danaus plexippus') migrates over 3,500 km to Mexico in the fall. A new generation returns north in spring, where the caterpillars feed on milkweed. Herbicides and lack of habitat limit milkweeds, and insecticides threaten the butterflies. You can learn about pollinator-friendly gardening in this blog by Curator of Botany, Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson: https://ow.ly/P3pY50Syl3O Image © Manitoba Museum

Keep it cool this summer! Enjoy family fun at the Manitoba Museum with hands-on activities and engaging programming happening every afternoon throughout July & August. On Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, travel back 100 years into the past to explore Winnipeg at a time when it was the fastest growing city in North America and discover tools and technologies from the turn of the century. You’ll be able to tap out a Morse code message on a telegraph and look through a stereoscope to see 3-D images! We’re open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Plan your visit today! https://ow.ly/YUJl50SAE9k

You may be familiar with large, round, vinyl records for playing music, but do you know what was used to play recorded music before that? Join Learning Facilitator Erin in this video from outside the Ukrainian Booksellers and Publishers Ltd storefront in the Museum's Winnipeg 1920 Cityscape to learn more.