The Manitoba Museum

 Winnipeg, MB

The Manitoba Museum

Today we took a short walk to The Manitoba Museum.  The museum displays the history of Manitoba.  For an extra fee you can also visit a planetarium and a science gallery.  The history part is big enough to fill a half a day so we went with just the history part.  It was huge and really cool.  It starts with Earth history and shows the fossils found in Manitoba.  Manitoba was underwater for much of the time so the fossils from this time tend to be aquatic.  As you explore the museum you travel through time to present day.

The museum has some amazing dioramas and taxidermy

The Creation of the World -  Daphne Odjig

There was a giant video of what the Manitoba area might have looked like underwater.

We learned about many of the fossils they had on display from this docent

"Oh crap!"

This stone figure is called an Inukshuk, an Inuit word meaning "something acting in the capacity of a human" or "resembling a person". Inukshuit (plural) are found throughout the Canadian Arctic.

Some of the dioramas leaned into a bit of gore.  I haven't seen this in other museum displays.

The museum featured some awesome fonts and period looking displays.

The Caribou feet were in full bloom!

More of that cool font

Even psychedelic

There were a few murals by Jackson Beardy.  I really liked them.

More of that gore

They had a giant insect display.

We went to Nonsuch brewing before I learned what it was referring to.  Nonsuch was the first boat from England to trade with the indigenous peoples here in the area.  It was so profitable The Hudson Bay Company was formed.

There was a replica of The Nonsuch you could board.  It was build to celebrate the 300th Anniversary of The Hudson's Bay Company and actually sailed 14,000 kilometers (8700 miles) in salt and fresh water before ending up in the museum.

Pipes

I took this photo

and then Donna pointed out that each of the figureheads had a different expression.  I admitted I hadn't noticed because I was looking at something else.

Donna sampling the finest furs for trade. She is making her "Oh so soft" face.

This is a lamb's head snuff mull (an oversized snuff box).

The Hudson's Bay Company provided The Smithsonian with many specimens for the museum.

Another view of The Nonsuch from the 2nd story.

The museum also featured some odd dead ends.  One might say liminal spaces.

And early snowmobile

and a cool looking ice fishing vehicle

Another liminal space

And more cool period displays and furniture 

They had an entire street with all sorts of shops set up.  You could go into the shops.

Waffles, waffles, waffles!

I am placing an order at a pharmacy but the photo makes me look like a Terry (apparently the male version of a Karen)

We watched a video that stated at one point Winnipeg was considered the most racist and unaccepting place in Canada so there was a concerted effort to change that including LGBTQ+ rights.

They had this cool place that made cool rainbow shadows.

We didn't have lunch in the café.

Lake of the Woods Brewing

After the museum we walked to Lake of the Woods Brewing.  It's 1 of 4 breweries that are in close walking distance to us and the last one we visited. Seating wasn't great due to space but the beer was good, the service was great, and you could order food from upstairs.  We got a burger and split fries.  Both were delicious.

Anniversary beer aged at the bottom of a lake.  We didn't get one.

My imperial IPA

And Donna's Kolsch

I don't think you would see a couple of these specials in the US.
1. Student Mondays - Students get $2 off all flights 6pm to Close
2. Merch Madness Saturdays - 5% off merch for each pint you drink up to 25% off.  Seems like it would promote binge drinking in The US

Manitoba Casual Pinball League

Tonight I headed back over to Phantom Amusement to play in the Manitoba Casual Pinball League.  This isn't a tournament but a weekly league where they take the top and bottom score and drop it and then rate players at the end of the season.  I will only be able to play in one so that will probably be my top and bottom score and it may get thrown out but it was fun to play with people and learn a few things.  

During the tournament I saw a dad teaching his son the cheating ropes.  They were having tons of fun.  There aren't any tickets so no harm no foul.

Whacking Moles!

The observation tower at The Forks Market.

There were only 13 players so we took a break after 4 rounds so people could refill their beers.  I took a walk around The Forks Market.  It was a really pretty night.

I took first place.  I will be the guy that shows up for one night, wins, and never shows up again. Oh well.

That's it for today.  If you missed WAG - Winnipeg Art Gallery, check it out.