Welcome to Living Prairie Museum
Living Prairie Museum is a unique urban nature preserve that protects endangered tall grass prairie. The site has walking trails and an interpretive centre. Events and education programs are held year-round.
About Tall Grass Prairie
Prior to European settlement, tall grass prairie covered more than 1 million square kilometers in central North America, stretching from Texas to southern Manitoba. Today, this habitat is all but gone - only 1 percent of the original tall grass prairie remains. The Living Prairie Museum is one of the few remaining fragments of this once vast ecosystem.
The Living Prairie Museum has 13 hectares of tall-grass prairie. Set aside in 1968, the preserve is home to more than 150 different grass and wildflower species and an array of prairie wildlife.
Upcoming Events
Volunteer Seed Harvesting
Wednesday, September 4 - 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Wednesday, September 11 - 10:00 a.m. to Noon
Wednesday, September 18 - 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 19 - 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Help us gather the seeds we use to restore and improve prairie habitat at Living Prairie Museum and around Winnipeg. Learn about native seed harvesting and you can keep some of what you collect!
Register for one or more session by contacting us at prairie@winnipeg.ca or 204-832-0167. All sessions will be held at Living Prairie Museum (2795 Ness Ave.) Please contact us for questions or more information.
Friends of the Living Prairie Museum – Fall Speaker
Native Plants for Native Lawns
Ash Burkowski, Friends of the Living Prairie Museum
Wednesday, October 2, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
In-person (prairie@winnipeg.ca or 204-832-0167) and virtual
Say goodbye to high-maintenance, non-native grass lawns and hello to a beautiful, sustainable native garden! Join Ash Burkowski, local native plant expert and avid gardener, for an updated presentation highlighting low-growing and mowable native species while sharing practical techniques for creating a stunning and eco-friendly yard.
Visiting Living Prairie Museum
Self-Guided Trails
Our self-guided trails are open from dawn until dusk. The trail system is an opportunity to see and learn about some of the most endangered habitat in the world.
Trails are woodchipped and are of various widths.
Please stay on the designated paths during your visit. This is an on-leash park – please clean up after your pets.
The Self-guided Trail Booklet is also available at the Museum.
Interpretive Centre Hours
May and June – Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
July and August – Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
September – Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Outside of public hours, please call to make an appointment.
Living Prairie Museum Medicine Garden
As part of our commitment to reconciliation, a medicine garden has been planted in collaboration with the Living Prairie Museum, Indigenous Relations Division, and a local Indigenous Elder. The garden features sage and sweetgrass, two of the four Sacred Medicines which naturally occur in the tall grass prairie.
The medicine garden is located in the nature park west of the preserve at the north end of Prairie View Road at Ness Avenue. It can be harvested by the public during the summer, but care and attention are needed to maintain the garden. Only harvest what is needed, taking only the leaves and leaving roots and seeds to allow the plants to regenerate between harvests.
It is good practice to consult with an Elder to learn more on the harvest and use of sacred medicines.
More information on the Directional Teachings and the Four Sacred Medicines, as shared by Elder Carolyn Moar.
Environmental Education Programs and Group Bookings
Living Prairie Museum offers a variety of in-person environmental education programs. Programs are available for schools and groups ages 5 to adult. Each program includes an interactive presentation and an outdoor adventure. Curriculum links are available for most of our programs. We also offer snowshoeing and Nature Comes to You programming in winter.
2024-25 Environmental Education brochure
More information
- Activity Booklet for Kids - Learn about prairie wildlife and how you can become a citizen scientist
- For more information regarding history, videos, and herbarium visit: livingprairie.org
- To become a Friend of the Living Prairie Museum visit: Friends of the Living Prairie Museum
- For a walk through the prairie past, including historical photography visit virtualmuseum.ca
Location and contact information
The Interpretive Centre is located at:
2795 Ness Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 3S4
Phone: 204-832-0167
Email: prairie@winnipeg.ca
Fax: 311
Living Prairie Museum can be reached by car, by active transportation on the Yellow Ribbon Greenway, and on the #24, #25, #83 bus routes.
Contact us for accessibility information for building, trails, and programs.