Whiteshell Natural History Museum

Built in 1959, the original Whiteshell Natural History Museum at Nutimik Lake featured a log cabin building with overlapped load bearing log walls, exposed rafters and a local granite fieldstone fireplace with chimney at the centre.

Over time as the maintenance requirements of the building became increasingly expensive, it fell into disrepair and was closed in 2017 due to structural problems and mold issues that created safety risks. Plan for a new outdoor interpretive plaza began in 2018 and the new facility was completed in 2025.

The design incorporates the original fireplace and chimney at the centre of the plaza, surrounded by a reception building, washrooms, amphitheatre and covered exhibition space, along with salvaged stacked logs surrounding the parking lot and original front entry porch repurposed to form a gateway to the site from the highway. The classroom addition has been retained from the original museum and will continue to function as an indoor programming space and houses the collection of animal mounts.

Plan to visit the new space this summer! A Park Interpreter will answer your questions about the Whiteshell, and share plans for the new exhibition space as we continue to put finishing touches on the museum over the summer.

Located on Provincial Road 307 at Nutimik Lake. Google Map.

Museum Hours:
July & August 2025
Open Thursdays through Sundays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Contact Information:
ParkInterpretation@gov.mb.ca