The Manitoba Agricultural Museum has officially opened for the 2025 season, with Quilt Week and the Homesteaders’ Village welcoming visitors as of May 12. Located near Austin, the museum now operates daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This season features a mix of tradition and new experiences across the site, which includes more than 25 heritage and replica buildings.
Historic village features new public access
The Homesteaders’ Village gives visitors a chance to step into early 20th-century prairie life, showcasing buildings such as log homes, a general store, barns, and a blacksmith shop.
New this year, the museum has opened its restored tree planting railcar to the public, complete with a new conservation roof. A previously closed MTS telecommunications building also now features a plexiglass viewing area.
“It’s really cool,” says Tricia Dyck, collections and programming manager. “There’s lots of little electrical components and circuitry in there that’s really quite interesting to see.”
Quilt Week runs until May 18
One of the museum’s long-standing spring traditions, Quilt Week features between 30 and 40 quilts displayed across the Homesteaders’ Village and in the Pioneer Building. Visitors will see a mix of heritage quilts from the museum’s collection alongside contemporary works from local quilters.
“In our Pioneer Building, we have lots of quilts on display from some of the local quilters,” Dyck adds.
Aquaculture exhibit opens at the end of May
Coming May 30, a new travelling exhibit from the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa will explore aquaculture — the farming of fish and aquatic life.
The exhibit includes digital and hands-on learning elements and aims to educate families and students about aquaculture’s role in Canadian food systems.
Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede returns in July
The Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion and Stampede will take place July 24 to 27.
This year’s Expo will feature John Deere equipment, from horse-drawn tools to modern machinery, with hundreds of items expected on display.
“We’re really excited to be looking at having a variety of their legacy machinery going right back to horse drawn equipment,” says Elliott Sims, executive director of the museum.
The four-day festival includes nightly rodeos, music, kids' activities, a vintage car show, heavy horse competitions, and steam-powered threshing demonstrations. First held in 1954, the reunion is one of the largest rural heritage events in Canada.
“We usually get over 11,000 visitors,” Sims notes. “With a feature like John Deere, we expect even more.”
Preserving Manitoba’s agricultural roots
Established in 1953, the Manitoba Agricultural Museum is a not-for-profit charitable organization, governed by a twelve-member board of directors elected annually by the museum’s membership.
The museum’s mission is to immerse visitors in rural Manitoba’s past, offering insight into how the province’s agricultural story has shaped its present and future. Its vision is to enable generations to walk in the footsteps of those who built Manitoba’s farming legacy.