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 cool old house in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It's now a museum where you can learn about life in the late 1800s. This special house was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990, meaning it's an important part of Canada's history!
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Dalnavert Museum is a historic house museum. This means it's a house that has been kept or restored to look like it did in a specific time period. Visitors can explore the rooms and imagine what life was like for the people who lived there long ago.
A Glimpse into the Past
The Dalnavert house was built in 1895. It was the home of Sir Hugh John Macdonald and his family. Sir Hugh John Macdonald was an important person because he was once the Premier of Manitoba. Even more interesting, his father was Sir John A. Macdonald, who was Canada's very first Prime Minister!
The house shows off a style called Queen Anne Revival architecture. This style was popular back then and often features unique shapes, towers, and decorative details. Inside, the museum is filled with furniture and items from the late Victorian era. This is the time when Queen Victoria ruled, and it was a period of many changes and new inventions.
The Manitoba Historical Society helped restore the house to its original look. Experts like John Chivers (an architect) and George Walker (an interior designer) worked hard to bring the house back to life. Volunteers also helped furnish the house, making it feel like a real home from the past.
In 2005, a Visitors Centre was built. This is where people start their visit and learn more about the museum. Today, the Friends of Dalnavert group helps run the museum and the Visitors Centre.
Visiting the Museum Today
Dalnavert Museum had to close for a short time in 2013. But thanks to lots of support from the community and a group called the Friends of Dalnavert, it reopened in May 2015! Now, it's a popular place for tourists, especially around Christmas when it's decorated beautifully.
You can visit the Dalnavert Museum almost all year round. During the summer, it's open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In the winter, it's open Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The museum works with other big museum groups like the CMA and CHIN.
