The southern part of Manitoba combines the majestic expanse of the Great Plains with distinct farming towns of Ukrainian, Russian, Icelandic and Mennonite heritage.

Canada's first costume museum presents yearly exhibitions of men's,women's and children's clothing and accessories, displayed in "tableaux vivant" (living picture) format.

Features include a 25,000-piece collection of clothing and textiles dating back to the 1500's; a unique Visual Storage area offers a view of hundreds of accessories; interpretive tours are available to view the Pioneer Home c.1886, the heritage building on site. A Victorian style tearoom and gift shop, stocked with cards, curios, books, gifts and souvenirs, complete the visit to the Museum.

There are special events throughout the year, including a Mother's Day Tea in May, a mid-summer Annual Garden Party, a Vintage Car and Train Show in late September, and a formal Masked Ball in November.

Hours Open April to November - Wednesday to Saturday 10-5, - Sunday 12-5
Larger group tours and School groups by appointment, please.
Tour packages available.

Regular Admissions: - Adult rate $3.75
- Students and Seniors $2.75
- Members Free
- Family Rate $10.00
- Pioneer Home Visit Tour $1.00

The Dugald Costume Museum Tea Room, located at the Museum itself, will transport you back through time in Victorian style. Enjoy our renowned Cream Tea, freshly baked scones served with Devonshire cream and fresh strawberry preserves, or perhaps one of our delicious whole-wheat cinnamon buns. Try our famous Prairie Heritage Tea, exclusively blended for the Museum, or an assortment of herbal blends. Light lunches, a daily special, fresh soups, sandwiches & salads, plus wonderful desserts complete the menu. The Tea Room also schedules luncheons, morning coffee and evening dessert for group tours during the week. Boxed lunches are also available for larger group tours, and if the weather permits, lunch can be served picnic-style on the grounds.

Open April to November -Wednesday to Saturday 10:30 - 4:30
- Sunday 12-4

For more information please call 1-204-853-2166

Everything you need for a family outing.

Enjoy a short stroll through the landscaped grounds to the"Tin Lizzie" Car Barn - a two-level "old"barn filled with vintage and classic autos and related memorabilia.

Shop in the Rumble Seat, Cream Can General Store or Fudge Bees Sweet Shoppe.

Open Year Round. Tour Groups Welcome.

Manitoba Threshermen's Reunion Days in July in Austin rev up the horse-, steam- and gas-powered farm equipment and put them to work and on parade at the Agricultural Museum.

The Central Canada Fiddle Festival plus the Manitoba Clydesdale Classic Horse Show take place at the same time, and you can also visit the museum dedicated to amateur radio, which holds a Ham Fest in August.

Austin also has two motocross tracks, which are very busy during the summer months.

The province’s second-largest city, Brandon (pop. 40,000), primarily an agricultural and industrial crossroads, is home to the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre (one of five farms established in 1886 under the Experimental Farm Stations Act) and the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (with great old biplanes and single-prop training planes).

But the biggest attraction in the area is east of Brandon, near Carberry(approx. 37 mi/63 km northeast of Brandon). Spruce Woods Provincial Park is the home of Manitoba’s oddest natural wonder, the Spirit Sands. Through much of the park you’ll find forest, but deep within the preserve you’ll come across an expanse of sand dunes (some as high as 50 ft/15 m) that will remind you a lot more of California’s Mojave Desert than Canada. This 10-sq-mi/25-sq-km area is home to prickly pear and other cacti, as well as the hognose snake and the northern prairie skink (a kind of lizard).

Built originally by Squire Sowden in 1903 to connect his properties on the two sides of the Souris River, and rebuilt in 1977 after it was destroyed by the flood of 1976, the Swinging Bridge is the longest swinging bridge in Canada at 582 feet. It is in daily use by the citizens of Souris.

We invite you to walk across. From the bridge you will get the best view of the house built by Squire Sowden's son, a building once known as Squire Hall, now Hillcrest Museum.

Canada's National Ukrainian Festival, a three day celebration of music, dance, food and Ukrainian traditions has been held annually in Dauphin since its inception in 1966, as a two day event in a downtown arena, filled with the sights and sounds of the rich and vibrant Ukrainian culture.

Later it was extended to 3 days and moved to "Selo Ukraina Site", developed in 1985 by the Ukrainian Folk Arts Organization as a permanent home for the Ukrainian Festival, nestled in the foot hills of the Riding Mountains.

One of Dauphin's biggest assets is Selo Ukrainia site, which is located ten kilometres south of Dauphin and is a 58 hectare blend of mountain, valley, creek, woods and farm land. A 10,000 seat amphitheatre is built onto the escarpment of the north slope of Riding Mountain National park and is unique in western Canada. The view from the top of the amphitheatre is truly spectacular with the stage backed by the trees and farmlands in the valley behind.

In addition to the professional outdoor stage and amphitheatre there isa festival square with over 6,000 feet of enclosed display area; food concession booths; beer gardens area; a covered ministage and seating for 1500 persons; a multi-purpose building which can serve banquets for up to 450 people, and facilities for recreational uses such as cross-country skiing, dog sled racing and archery. The site includes two large campgroundsand there are modern washrooms with hot and cold showers. Ukrainian Village is a restored homestead with a church and is also located on the site.

Professional Program managers prepare grandstand performances to delight and entertain audiences, with entertainers from across North America and Europe booked annually.

Travel to Steinbach to visit the Mennonite Heritage Village, where exhibits document the lives of the Mennonite settlers. Enjoy wandering through the museum’s restored prairie-sod house, print shop and blacksmith’s shop. And it’s always great to watch the windmill turn in the breeze.

Be sure to have lunch at the museum restaurant, which serves such Mennonite specialties as pluma moos (a cold fruit soup), varenyky (dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese) and platz (a rhubarb crumb pie).

Duffers seeking exotic golf grounds may want to consider the Links at Quarry Oaks.

Morris, the town that made stampede famous, is vying for another award this year, that of prettiest town in the Communities In Bloom national contest. So admire Main Street on your way to the Big M Entertainment Centre, which hosts Ag Expo in June and the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition in July, plus Polka Fest in September.

The Morris and District Centennial Museum is worth visiting for its depiction of pioneer life and a room-by-room display of antiques in a century home.

Morden's Apple Blossom Festival in May features the floral attractions at the Morden Research Station, whose immense gardens producing Manitoba-hardy hybrids are a gardener's delight.

The Back Forty Folk Festival in June features talented local musicians on two stages.

The Corn 'n' Apple Festival, an annual festival the 4th weekend in August, sports the second longest parade in Manitoba as well as a dynamite festival area that is FREE! No admission to entertainment, no charge for a cob of corn, no charge for a drink of apple cider, lots of booths to see, great kids entertainment, and a lot of local entertainment.