Parks fascinate kids and adults equally. Kids get to play and enjoy fun rides and experience something new, whereas adults get out of their rigid routine, breathe, and relax. Assiniboine Park is a great place that provides a similar privilege to get a break and enjoy as it’s the perfect weekend location. The natural beauty provides incredible views, which feel like a blessing to the eyes. There is a playground on-site, beautiful gardens, and a water play area where you can enjoy yourself and have some family fun.
Points of Attraction at the Assiniboine Park
Assiniboine Park has a zoo, which is one of the top attractions in Winnipeg. Explore the wildlife and animal kingdom at the zoo with your kids and family, admire the beautiful tropical flowers at the conservatory and English garden, get on board the miniature train and discover the Nature playground for kids.
1. Leo Mol Sculpture Garden, Winnipeg
The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden flaunts a superb collection of bronze sculptures by internationally renowned Ukrainian Canadian Dr. Leo Mol free of cost. The garden is an amazing amalgamation of aesthetics and natural beauty, truly a treat to the eyes.
The garden is located adjacent to the north-western side of Assiniboine Park. During the 60s, Leo Mol bought the erstwhile schoolhouse. This is the same place where he sculpted most of his masterpieces in the 70s and 80s. The intramural Schoolhouse is kept as it was, along with the plastic replicas and molds to showcase to the tourists how the bronze sculptures were made.
The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden is open year-round daily from 9 in the morning till 9 PM. You can visit anytime and even host or plan a program, events out there. Smoking is prohibited in the premises of the garden.
2. Lyric Theatre
The Lyric Theatre continues the tradition of summer concert entertainments through the bands in the park and is one of the most loved places nearby Assiniboine Park. The huge open-air stage organizes plenty of offerings for everyone; it almost feels like a performance garden. The variety includes movies, music concerts, or possibly all the major genres such as jazz, ballet, and more. Many individuals and groups also host their events and parties in the Lyric Theatre as it’s such a large place!
3. Mcfeetors Heavy Horse Centre
The McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre is home to the majestic Percheron horses, which connect visitors to Manitoba’s age-old rural and agricultural roots while offering seasonal wagon and sleigh rides. It is situated on the north side of the Assiniboine Park zoo and covers around 4.7 acres of land.
The exhibitions, which last all year long, offer the sights of pastures, barn, carriage shed, and paddocks. If you’re heading to the Assiniboine Park Zoo, try going through this beautiful barn over here, which will make you acquire tidbits from the past of this province, back in time when horses were “overriding” for all the works; road construction, forestry, agriculture, mining and what not!
Along with the Percheron Draft horse, you also get to see and ride the Clydesdale Draft horses as well. The horse rides are usually 6 to 10 minutes long.
4. The Corn Maze
Corn Maze in and around Winnipeg is a must experience if you have not yet. You’ll have to drive barely 15 minutes in the south to get to the area, which is an activity for the entire family. There’s a maze, a pumpkin barn, a tiny farm, and a zip line as well.
The corn maze is open daily between August and October (8 am – 8:00 pm). It’s situated in the east of the Museum grounds. Visitors may enter the main gates and Assiniboine park zoo either in the main parking lot (if they also visit the museum) or within a left overflow parking lot. The maze lies at 26,52 Saskatchewan Avenue E, Por.
Ticket entry at a Corn Maze takes cash. Donations shall be given to the charity bank on the exit path to the labyrinth. It is empty and stored every 3-4 days.
5. Nature Playground
Nature playground welcomes visitors throughout the year from 9 AM till sunset. This is the park where children can play freely with a variety of species of plants, flora, and fauna and the other kids of their age. They can have a feel of going to the beach at the sand and water play area where they can make castles from the sand or just run around.
The Nature Playground houses all that a kid can wish for; slides, tree tunnels made up of old and big willows, nests of the birds far up on the trees, basket swings, Pooh gallery, net bridges, a huge nest of Robin, the Children’s Garden of the Streuber family and the multicolored rubber mountains; your kids will feel like they’ve landed up in a fictional fairy world.
6. Events at Assiniboine Park Zoo
At any time of the year, multiple events and programs are organized at the Assiniboine Park and the Zoo. The events keep changing, so there are chances of you coming at the same time another year and getting to see a whole new event, different than what you had estimated.
1. Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo is a spooky yet fun event that takes place in the evening at the park post visiting hours in the Assiniboine Park Zoo. It is a well-planned event for families with kids, as this will entertain all the members equally with its amazing visuals and presentations.
2. Teacher Appreciation Day
The Assiniboine Park had offered a complimentary visit to the Assiniboine Zoo for all the teachers on the 24th of October 2021. They also gave a coupon to the teachers with 20% off on their wildlife products in the shop, along with the free entry. The park keeps organizing such events.
3. Halloween Events
At Manitoba and Winnipeg, and all around the area, including Assiniboine Park Zoo, you’ll land upon a lot of Halloween events specially hosted for kids, adults, or everyone.
At Assiniboine Park Zoo, especially for those who couldn’t make it for the Boo at the Zoo event, there was an event held on every weekend of the entire October in 2021, which was named Halloween Spooktacular. This event had included admission and various activities based on the Halloween theme.
7. Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winter
With the beautified features, Assiniboine emerges as one of the most loved attractions of guests s on their journey to Winnipeg, Canada, during the Winter season. The Duck Pond of the Riley family solidifies due to the snowfall, giving an opportunity to skate around. It is situated right in the middle of the Assiniboine Park and Zoo. However, you’ll have to bring your own essentials as rentals are not available here. Apart from Skating, you can also try cross-country skiing, toboggan on Toboggan Hill, which is just near the Duck Pond.
