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Meridiela.

Assiniboine Park

A city park with a polar bear exhibit fed by orphaned bears from Churchill and a tropical biome under glass.

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Typeurban park
WhereManitoba
Nearest cityWinnipeg
Best seasonMay to September
Time to allowA day
Getting thereManitoba; road or bus from central Winnipeg, about 8 km
EntryFree park; zoo and Leaf charged

Assiniboine Park covers about a hundred and fifteen hectares along the river and holds the city's zoo, an English garden, a conservatory and a sculpture garden dedicated to Leo Mol, a Ukrainian-born Winnipeg sculptor. The Journey to Churchill exhibit is the zoo's centrepiece: polar bears in a large enclosure with an underwater viewing tunnel, populated by orphaned cubs from Manitoba's north that cannot be released, under an arrangement with the province. The Leaf, opened in 2022, is a horticultural building with a tropical biome, a Mediterranean biome and an indoor waterfall of about twelve metres.

What you actually see

  • Journey to Churchill - polar bears with an underwater viewing tunnel.
  • The Leaf - tropical and Mediterranean biomes with an indoor waterfall.
  • The Leo Mol sculpture garden - bronzes in a formal garden setting.
  • The English garden - formal planting along the Assiniboine River.

When to go

May to September for the gardens and outdoor zoo; the Leaf and indoor zoo areas work year-round, and polar bears are more active in cold weather. Winter is bitter but the bears enjoy it.

Honest expectations

The zoo and the Leaf are separate tickets on top of free park entry. Polar bears may be indoors or out of view. Summer weekends are crowded.

Nearby

The Forks lies east; downtown Winnipeg is beyond it.

What to pack for Assiniboine Park

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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