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
Saturday Drop-in Activities at Living Prairie
Come visit the prairie and then warm up inside with some FREE drop-in activities. These are great for any age, all are welcome!
Early spring schedule
Interpretive Centre OPEN Saturdays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Please note that we are closed Saturday, April 4, 2026.
March 7 – Animals in Winter – Explore tracks, hibernation, migration and how animals survive in the frozen months! Complete a scavenger hunt for winter signs of animals indoors or outdoors.
March 14 (change in date) – Wild Dogs of Manitoba - Learn more about foxes, coyotes, and wolves by exploring artifacts and info. Understand how we can safely share our city with wild dogs and create a take-home button of your favourite canine.
March 21 (change in date) - Indigenous History Walk and Talk with Brian Rice - Join Brian Rice for a walk, a talk (or both!). Brian is an Indigenous land-based educator and professor at the University of Manitoba. He will share stories and information about the Indigenous heritage of the area while leading a walk to visit and experience the land.
10:30 a.m. Meet at Grant's Old Mill. Walk and learn with Brian up Sturgeon Creek to Indigenous history sites nearby, before ending at Living Prairie Museum around 12 p.m. (Please note that the walk will not happen if it is below -15°C. If that occurs, we will post on social media the morning of the talk).
12:00 p.m. Talk at Living Prairie Museum – learn more about what has been in the area around Living Prairie Museum and what has changed. We will also discuss how we can incorporate history, health, nature, and culture as we move around the city and interact with the land.
March 28 – Nature Journals - Customize your own mini nature journal, and use the prompts to draw, write, and observe the natural world!
April 4 – Closed for long weekend
April 11 - Wild Dogs of Manitoba - Learn more about foxes, coyotes, and wolves by exploring artifacts and info. Understand how we can safely share our city with wild dogs and create a take-home button of your favourite canine.
April 18- Exploring Owls - Early spring is owl mating season. Stop by to learn more, listen to owl calls, scope out owl pellets and feathers, and check your wingspan against Manitoba's owls.
April 25 - Nature Journals - Customize your own mini nature journal, and use the prompts to draw, write, and observe the natural world!
Spring Break Week at Living Prairie Museum
Our Interpretive Centre will be open for Spring Break week from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday March 30 through Thursday April 2.
Drop-in to visit the hands-on displays and plant your own prairie flower to take home! Admission is free.
Can't wait to get outside? You can also take a walk on the Living Prairie Museum trails and visit the Nature Playground, which are open all day, every day of the year.
Prairie Planting Workshops
Our popular Prairie Planting Workshops are back for 2026! Join us to learn more about how to start, grow, and care for native prairie plants, and learn all about why you should try creating your own little prairie.
Expert instructors will help guide you through site selection and preparation, seeding and growing out plants, and how to manage a prairie planting. These beginner workshops will primarily focus on urban and residential plantings but may include content suitable for people managing rural prairie restorations. Four workshops are available, each focusing on a different prairie planting subject.
Workshops will be held in-person at the Living Prairie Museum at 2795 Ness Ave. Some are also hybrid, with an option to join online.
Price per workshop: $5 or free for Friends of the Living Prairie members.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED. To register: Contact us at prairie@winnipeg.ca or call 204-832-0167.
Introduction to Planting Native Manitoba Wildflowers, Grasses & Shrubs – with Laura Reeves (Prairie Shore Botanicals)
Sunday March 29th 1:00p.m.- 2:30p.m.
Hybrid: In-person at the Living Prairie Museum, 2795 Ness Ave. or join online
Learn about the rationale and benefits of landscaping with Manitoba's native plants. Beautiful, hardy and perennial, native Manitoba species add colour, visual interest, attract songbirds and pollinators, and build a connection to our natural heritage. This workshop will provide an introduction to the how and why of planting native plants.
Introduction to Growing Manitoba Native Plants from Seed
Sunday, April 12th, 1:00pm-2:30pm
In-person at the Living Prairie Museum, 2795 Ness Ave.
Growing native plants from seed is a rewarding process, and an economical way to establish a native prairie garden for pollinators, wildlife, and your own enjoyment. This workshop teaches you practical tips for germinating and nurturing native plants from seed. We'll send you home with a native seed package to get you started!
Planning your Home Prairie: Preparation, Design, and Plant Selection
Sunday April 19, 1:00pm-2:30pm
Hybrid: In-person at the Living Prairie Museum, 2795 Ness Ave. or join online
This workshop will outline the considerations for how to plan your prairie planting, including site choice and preparation, and design considerations. It will also cover a variety of prairie plants to better understand their different needs and uses in a prairie planting.
Managing your Native Manitoba Landscape
Sunday April 26, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Hybrid: In-person at the Living Prairie Museum, 2795 Ness Ave. or join online.
This workshop is for those who already have a native planting. How to deal with non-native weeds, enhance diversity by adding species, attracting butterflies and other pollinators. This session will assist you in maintaining the health and beauty of your existing native planting. Also suitable for people lucky enough to have an original native prairie remnant and wishing to know how best to manage your land.
Visiting Living Prairie Museum
Self-Guided Trails
Our self-guided trails are open everyday. 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 – Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
October to April – Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Access to the Interpretive Centre at other times can be arranged by Appointment. Contact us at 204-832-0167 or prairie@winnipeg.ca
Our Centre is small, so please contact us in advance for group visits during our open hours.
Prairie Bookstore and Seed Sales
Living Prairie Museum's Bookstore has many great books about nature and the prairies. We also sell seeds for many tall-grass prairie plants. Seeds are $3/package. Visit us during Interpretive Centre hours or make an appointment. View our current Book and Seed Inventory.
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.
2025-26 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 #D15 and 220 bus routes.
Contact us for accessibility information for building, trails, and programs.