The Forks National Historic Site

I’ve been riding the river trails for the past week. It sure beats going through downtown and the rough conditions of our roads and sidewalks. I have a bad habit of taking photos constantly as I already envision it before I capture it. It sure has changed drastically. I can’t believe how much homeless shelters are by the path heading West towards The Golden Boy. There’s even more after Osborne as well. It’s getting wild out there. Stay safe and keep on rolling through.

This is such a beautiful location with a fantastic multi use combination of history, indigenous recognition, nature, architecture, children's areas, and modern conveniences. One of the few locations I can think of that has everything and free as well. You can spend 30 minutes walking around or easily relax for the entire day here. No park pass or admission needed to walk the grounds.

A truly beautiful and picturesque park. Nature from trees, flowers and wildlife, all alongside the river makes this park unique. I love the different walking paths and many resting/picnic benches and tables everywhere.

awesome space, every-time i come i see something new, many spaces to explore, i want to come back again and again. good job on landscape design.

Hands down, the Forks is the best place to visit in Winnipeg! Very romantic park setting and scenic along the Red River. In the summer, we took the guided boat tour which is inexpensive and about 90 minutes long. You'll see numerous musical shows on weekends. Temperatures that summer in July were about 82 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter in November and March when it was 14 degrees (which is considered balmy here), the area which usually has events becomes an ice-skating rink and there's a small makeshift hockey rink across from it. The Forks Market was a pleasant surprise. Every lunch and dinner location we tried was delicious and fairly priced. The BEST croissants I've ever tasted are at the Tall Grass Prairie Bakery. Don't let the long line scare you as you'll be served within minutes. In my most recent stay, I was at the Inn at the Forks. It's very pricey, but worth it to get a great scenic view in the morning and is in the heart of the park. It's only a 15-20 minute walk to downtown Winnipeg. On a negative note, on my last night in 2020, I took some souvenir photos at midnight along the scenic river and was followed all the way back to the hotel by a meth addict who thought I was taking photos of him and yelling at me. I had to kick the guy out of the hotel as no one from the front desk wanted to get involved or call police. Sadly, there were some high profile events in 2022 of folks being beaten, stabbed and robbed in the Forks...and this occurred in daylight. I hope they will add cameras in the park that were lacking when I was last there. Because of the growing drug and crime issue in the area, I was going to give it a 4 star review instead of a 5. Hopefully, law enforcement will beef up their presence here because it really is a BEAUTIFUL place to be, regarding of the season. I hope the Forks will give you the same enjoyment and positive memories that it gave me and will ALWAYS hold a special place in my heart!

It's such a beautiful place suitable for any family gatherings or romantic dates. Nature and civilization are perfectly blended here. You'll need a couple of hours to explore it. Put it on your bucket list when you come to Winnipeg😉

Absolutely beautiful place to enjoy the summers. The calmness of the Red river with the greeneries around is a cherry on cake. It's pretty close to the Forks Market and you can enjoy walking along the banks of the river or bir along the banks of the river. It's popularly called the heart of Winnipeg Downtown and it literally lives up to its popularity.

This is a fun place, we didn't explore the whole area as we weren't dressed for the cold at the time but the indoor market area is a fun place to sit, enjoy some coffee/tea and explore if you have a little time to kill.

Whenever I return to Winnipeg, I try to drop by The Forks. On my recent trip, I did briefly at night before flying home the following afternoon. I feel like I'm a broken record with my recent reviews when I describe The Forks. Here's the last time I say almost the same thing. The Forks is located at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. It is known as a meeting place for over 6,000 years. Indigenous peoples traded at The Forks, followed by European fur traders, Scottish settlers, railway pioneers, and immigrants. The Forks was an abandoned railyard. The area has been repurposed over the decades to include shopping, dining, skating, and more. The Forks comprise a number of areas of interest: - The Forks Market - Johnson Terminal - Canadian Museum for Human Rights - Manitoba Children's Museum - Shaw Performing Arts Centre - Citytv - Travel Manitoba Visitor Information Centre - Inn at the Forks I'll briefly summarize each of them. The Forks Market has two floors in a former horse stable and hayloft building. The main floor is a food hall with many stalls offering good eats and drinks. The second floor has local artisan and retail stores where you can pick out unique gifts. Johnson Terminal is a four-storey building across from the Forks Market. It's a municipally designated historic site. It's a fun place to check out specialty boutiques, stores, offices, and restaurants. The main and second floors have retailers and eateries. The third and fourth floors are leased to office tenants. The basement features the Johnston Terminal Antique Mall, which has more than thirty consigners. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is also at The Forks. It's the first national museum in Canada located outside of Ottawa, which opened to the public in 2014. Its location is one of archaeological importance relating to First Nations history. This museum is fascinating and eye-opening. I highly recommend visiting it. The Manitoba Theatre for Young People is a theatre for children and young adults. It's located at the Shaw Performing Arts Centre, which used to be the Canwest Performing Arts Centre. It's a cool place for professional theatre and training in the theatre realm for both children and young adults. CItytv operates and broadcasts from the Forks Market. I remember watching its morning program before I went to work and watching the news at night. It features local news, and was helpful figure out what was going on in the city and abroad. Since The Forks is a tourist attraction, it makes sense that the Travel Manitoba Visitor Information Centre is located here. It's the visitor information centre for Manitoba, offering travel counselling and trip planning services. It's helpful to tourist and locals alike. I have never stayed at Inn at the Forks. It's a five-storey hotel with just under 120 guest rooms and suites, meeting and reception space, fitness facilities, The Current Restaurant & Lounge, and Riverstone Spa. In the summertime, it's nice to walk around and enjoy the rivers as a backdrop. There's the Assiniboine riverwalk that's enjoyable to take a walk by the water. Canada Day festivities happen here, along with outdoor concerts. In the winter, you can skate here. I have been here for New Year's Eve fireworks. I was crazy enough to watch them outdoors when it was -28°C years ago. Parking can be a bit of a challenge, especially when there's an event. It's free, which is nice. It's a cool place to visit. I learned that there's a Winnipeg sign that I need to check out the next time that I'm there. (111)

My favourite go-to place in Winnipeg. I used to come here all the time when I lived in Manitoba. While I was back in town, I knew I had to come here. I'm happy to report that the place is still just as charming and beautiful as I remember it. There's something to do for everyone here, from the riverwalk to the antique shops to a children's museum to a hotel to a travel info centre to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. I could go on and on about more specifics about what you can find here, but I won't do that. I LOVE how everything you find here is locally made and not commercialized. There's also excellent food options here, the majority of them all local! This is great to see, especially if you want to get a taste of Winnipeg. Classics like Fergie's Fish and Chips and The Original Pancake House can be found here, as well as some delicious pizza and food from all over the world. There's also a small observatory you can go up to get a good view of The Forks, and during winter time, from what I remember, there's an ice skating rink too. Parking can be a bit tricky sometimes but there should be plenty, regardless of when you visit. If you're debating whether or not to visit... DO VISIT. It's 100% worth the trip. I'll certainly be back here the next time I'm in the Winnipeg area.

Cozy little market place with surrounding artwork and trails. The ice skating trail was fun! But since it was getting a little bit warmer there were parts of the ice that were slushy and sunk so you could fall. Totally worth the $6 for skate rental. No time limit!

I'll never not like The Forks. Sure it's not like the attractions you get in Toronto or New York, but for a city this size it's certainly a great place with things to do for everyone. During summer, the walking trails are wonderful to observe history and generally have a relaxing time. When winter time comes, many walking trails become ice trails and The Forks becomes a winter paradise. There's also the Forks Market, with lots of great food options (eg: Red Ember, Fergie's, Kyu, Nuburger, all day breakfast) and the common for drinks. It's bustling all the time and fun is had by all. All this, of course, comes with a cost of parking, recently added earlier this year. However someone's gotta pay for all the operations here. Thankfully Winnipeg Transit runs a free bus shuttle during the day connecting the downtown core with The Forks, and I believe there's one from Assiniboine Park as well. I'll never say no to coming here when I encounter tourists in the city.

The Forks National Historic Site of Canada is located at the confluence of the Red River and Assiniboine River. For at least 6000 years, the Forks has been the meeting place for early Aboriginal peoples, and since colonization has also been a meeting place for European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants. Also here are the Forks Market, the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, the Winnipeg International Children's Festival, a skate park, the world's longest skating rink, Canadian Museum of Human Rights, and the Esplanade Riel. I was here on one Indian Summer afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed walking through the Forks area, across the Esplanade Riel and into St. Boniface (the French Quarter). It was crisp, scenic, and a welcome sojourn into the breadbasket of Canada.

I went to the Forks on a Friday night, and it was a lot less busy than i thought it would be. There are a lot of shops, cool things to look at. Unfortunately, when I went, the antique section at the Johnston terminal was closer. I ate at Fergies fish and chips, which was AMAZING, and got a croissant for breakfast. Everyone was really friendly! I would go during the day, as it is pretty dark and dim during the day. It is a great place for date night though! I took a picture from the observatory, definitely a good place to see the skyline of Winnipeg!

What a great place, lots of history, walking paths, great views and of course food! We spent 2 hours at the market eating across the world cuisines, wish it was after 12 so I could have a pint at their market tap room. After devouring the delish cinnamon rolls, the empanadas, doubles and quite a few more items we walked around upstairs in the nice array of stores. With more coming, including a McNall's bookstore!!! Design was nice and open concept. Would come back here for sure. Make sure to catch the free shuttle in front of the market to DT!

Last May I went to Winnipeg for the first time, but unfortunately it was a really short trip as I only had a night stopover on a road trip out to Toronto. While I would have loved more time to explore Winnipeg I did get down to The Forks for a couple of hours before I needed to hit the road again. I must have been there pretty early because there weren't a lot of people around, and it didn't look like much was open aside from a restaurant. In any case I can't the fact I wasn't able to spend more time at The Forks against the city. It seems like a really cool place to check out, and even just wandering around seeing the Odeena Celebration Circle and walking by the river (although some of the paths close to the rivers were closed due to high water levels) was pretty neat. Also I have to say I was pretty impressed with the awesome looking kids playground I saw. Kids today are so lucky. Not sure if it was because I was there in sort of an off time, but I was able to score free parking, which is always a bonus when going to a popular attraction like this. I have no idea when I'll be back in Winnipeg, but when I am exploring more of The Forks is definitely on my to do list.

oh the Forks, how I've missed you. When I use to live in good old Winterpeg this was a go to, if we had visitors, to hang out, to grab lunch, to go for a walk if the river isn't high, go on a date if you're bored so on. It has a great market with local ingredients and good places to eat. And cool shops. A cool museum. In the winter you can go ice skating in the summer roller skating in the main square. Its a great place to go! Not much option in Winnipeg but this place is great!

One of the most amazing places we visited in Winnipeg. It's a shopping and eating experience. We only had a short time to visit so we couldn't really get the full experience of everything that's offered. The shops are very interesting and the eating stops are so inviting. I can't wait to return so i can try as many of the eating experiences as I can. It's like you can taste various world class restaurants all in the same location. Wow!

Great spot lots of nice little shops and very good places to eat. All types of food from burgers to pizza

A pretty cool location to visit and should not be confused with with Nearby Forks Market which is seems many people consider the two one and the same. The forks is a historical site in the heart of downtown Winnipeg that is a huge part of the local history. Well worth a visit during your adventures in Winnipeg clearly don't miss out on the nearby Forks Market.

Love the forks it's awesome there go there with the family and I like the mini donuts and the stores inside there always something going on at the forks

Probably the most diverse marketplace which I have seen in a long time. Great mix of food, boutiques, and music atmosphere. The farmer's market just outside of the Forks was open but a bit disappointing. Overall, I enjoyed it and free parking just across from the new museum for human rights. Rainy weather so perfect to walk indoors. Bathrooms are sparse so make sure to stop by when you see it. Cool shops to browse as well. There was a used book sale which we took a peak. Much better than the indoor marketplace which was across this one. Although the marketplace next door did have an amazing toy store which this one didn't have.

It's okay. I came here on a weekday after work, and it was very empty. It's a large space where I can see weekends are bustling with kids and families, and where they would hold events. But today, it was empty, and not much to see. The Forks Market seems a bit overrated.http://www.yelp.ca/biz/the-forks-market-winnipeg#hrid:WVFTDo_cWnfYM2dVIjV24Q But check out the Manitoba Crafts upstairs. I also discovered a non advertised area, that takes you to the top of the Market to over look the whole area. Unfortunately you don't see much, and it's covered by trees and rooftops. There's also the Johnson Terminal that didn't seem as interesting, but they house the Old Spaghetti Factory The park itself has a bridge that goes across to another park across the way. However, it's all very small and I walked around the place in 10 mins. I had dinner at the Beachcomber (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/beachcomber---the-forks-winnipeg) which was one of the places with a patio on such a nice day. After my sangria, I stumbled over to the Inn at the Forks to the Riverstone Spa. It was a really good relaxing evening. It's nice to have something near the river. They offer $10 boat rides for a tour on the river for a half hour. Free parking everywhere. In front of the Inn is free after 5:30pm

This excellent gathering place for thousands of years at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers is still incredible today. There is a farmers market, restaurants, shops, skating rink, 2 miles of river to slowly skate an entertainment stage, a skateboard park, riverboat cruise tours, water taxi and the future Museum of Human Rights all in one place. There is ample outdoor seating during those warm and sunny summer months. A delightful place to visit all year round.

The forks if central to most of Winnipeg. And pretty much you can go and do various things whether it involves classes, running,hanging out,eating,drinks,looking and scenery. Definitely a great place to go. And it also has the johnson terminal by it and mtyp, and a skateboard park. They also have a garage for 3 hours of free parking. It can be a bit hard to find parking certain times of day.

Ive been to The Forks a few times. Both in summer as well as winter! i have to say its one of the best places in Winnipeg and everyone needs to go their at least once! The shops are so much fun and there is so much to see and in winter the skating is my favorite! Will definitely be going back!

I enjoyed this place the most when I was visiting Winnipeg. It has a nice path by the river and higher up there's a path through the park. This is quite a historic site so there is quite a bit of interesting signage about the history. If you have kids there is an amazing adventure playground that is brand new and has all these different areas that are reflective of winnipeg's history. There is also the Forks Market and the Johnston Terminal which have many shops and restaurants. Check out the antique store in the basement of the Johnston Terminal as it is quite interesting just to browse. The Forks Market has an observation tower and make sure you get a cinnamon bun from the Tall Grass Prarie Bakery, very yummy. Also check out the Ceremonial Circle as it a very well designed art piece which is aligned to see certain constellations on certain days. There are also a couple of museums and things in this area as well. I can imagine this area gets very busy but I found it very relaxing to just wander through here on a sunny September day

A must visit in the heart of Winnipeg. There is shopping, restaurants, a riverwalk and in the winter an ice skating rink and the frozen river transforms into a long ice trail to walk or skate on. Events regularly scheduled such as live bands, fireworks, or more recently the hometown heroes, The Winnpeg Jets held an official practice session at The Forks.

The Forks is a stones throw away from downtown Winnipeg. Many great restaurants, shops and bars with a skateboard park, river walk & entertainment stage, plus The Canadian Human Rights Museum. River skating in the Winter time with onsite skate rentals. The Forks has evolved these past few years to attract the millennial generation. Whether a resident of Winnipeg or a visitor to Winnipeg, it is well worth the trip!