Dalnavert facts for kids
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| Location | 61 Carlton Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Type | Historic house museum |
| Official name: Dalnavert National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1990 |
| Municipally Designated Site | |
| Official name | Macdonald House |
| Designation | Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure |
| Recognized | April 4, 1995 |
| CRHP listing | October 25, 2007 |
| Recognition authority | City of Winnipeg |
| ID | 8120 |
Dalnavert, also known as MacDonald House, is a special old house in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is now a historic house museum, which means it's a museum inside an old home. It helps people learn about life in the past.
In 1990, Dalnavert was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it's a very important place in Canadian history.
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A Glimpse into the Past
Dalnavert was built in 1895. It was the home of a very important family. The house shows what life was like in the late Victorian era. This was a time when Queen Victoria ruled England.
The house belonged to Sir Hugh John Macdonald. He was a leader in Manitoba, serving as its Premier. A Premier is like a governor for a province. Sir Hugh John Macdonald was also the son of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. A Prime Minister is the main leader of a country.
Sir Hugh John Macdonald lived here with his wife, Gertrude Agnes VanKoughnet, and their children, Daisy and Jack.
The House's Unique Style
Dalnavert is built in a style called Queen Anne Revival architecture. This means it has a fancy, detailed look. It often includes towers, bay windows, and decorative wood. The inside of the house is filled with furniture and items from the late 1800s. This helps visitors imagine what it was like to live there long ago.
Over time, the house needed a lot of care. The Manitoba Historical Society worked hard to restore it. They wanted to make it look just as it did when the Macdonald family lived there. Experts like John Chivers, an architect, and George Walker, an interior designer, helped with this big project.
Many people helped furnish the house. The Junior League of Winnipeg helped get equipment for the kitchen. Other groups and individuals also helped fill the rest of the house with period items.
In 2005, a new Visitors Centre was built. This center helps people learn more before they enter the old house. Wins Bridgman was the architect for this new building. Today, the Friends of Dalnavert group takes care of both the museum and the Visitors Centre.
The museum had to close for a short time in November 2013. But thanks to a lot of support from the community, it reopened in May 2015. Now, Dalnavert is a popular place to visit. It is especially busy and festive around Christmas time.
You can visit the Dalnavert Museum all year round. During the summer, it is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. In the winter, it is open from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Dalnavert para niños
