What’s better than a walking tour? A walking tour with beer!
After a two-year hiatus, tours of the Exchange District are back! This includes the recently re-introduced walking tours with food and bevys, giving visitors and locals the opportunity to explore the history and beauty of this National Historic Site while sampling the finest cuisine from our local culinary creators.
Once nicknamed the "Chicago of the North," The Exchange is host to over 50 local restaurants and dozens of boutiques, all found within a handsome collection of heritage buildings. Lined with narrow streets and cobblestone pathways, the area houses some of the city’s oldest buildings built between 1880 and 1920, created with massive stone exteriors and terracotta clad, detailed with intricate arches and curves.
The neighbourhood is known for its great attribution to the city’s key role in the grain-trading industry, civic development and labour movement. And these tours–all hosted by fantastic, fun and informative guides, most of whom are university architecture students and the like–give the low down on the major lessons of Winnipeg’s history, with select tours offering guests to sample the most incredible menus from our exceptional local restaurants, breweries and distilleries.
Join the
Strikes + Flights Tour–which is exactly what it sounds like—to learn about the famous 1919 Winnipeg General Strike while tasting the best beers and bites in the Exchange. During the Strike, the Exchange was host to dozens of bars within a bundle of a few short blocks. In this tour, you will learn about the Labour Café, the original watering hole for the strikers, while making stops at Kings Head, Little Brown Jug and Nonsuch Brewing Co.
This tour is 18+
Indulge in the Exchange’s finest culinary spots in just a short radius with the
Savour the Exchange Tour. Experience distinct upscale dining while learning about the passion and authenticity that these local spots have to offer. This tour will visit Cordova Tapas & Wine, Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria, and Patent 5 Distillery. Talk about a triple threat!
This tour is 18+
In the mood for exploring without food and drinks? These next tours lead guests to learn about the power dynamics, corruption and heroism of Winnipeg’s history while highlighting the Exchange District’s incredible collection of architecture.
At the History of Exchange Tour, guests learn about Newspaper Row and the famous Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, while the Death and Debauchery tour gives guests a peek into the dark side of Winnipeg’s past. Learn about the historic legal red-light district, corrupt mayors and murders, along with the most famous and largest unsolved robbery in Western Canadian History. Who doesn’t love a good scandal?
Join in on Strike! The Walking Tour to for an in-depth explanation of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, the longest and largest labour conflict in North America. Guides will lead guests to explore the Exchange and identify key buildings and historic landmarks of the labour movement while expanding on the tragic events that led to Bloody Saturday.
It’s no doubt that the Exchange District is made up of beautiful historic architecture, with individual stories and contributions to Winnipeg’s past. The Historic Architecture: Bank Halls to Brutalism Tour provides a mighty fine showcase of brick-and-mortar warehouses from the 1890s, along with terracotta skyscrapers of the city’s 1910 boom period, all while you learn about the brutalist international-style complexes in Winnipeg’s modernist quarter.
Feeling like taking a tour solo? Exchange District Biz has you covered with a series of four exceptional audio tours covering the people, buildings and spaces of Winnipeg's Exchange District, with a focus on the city's boom period from the 1880s to the 1920s!
When you’re in the Exchange, there is a history lesson on every corner, giving visitors and locals a glimpse of the people, places and events that made Winnipeg where it is today.
Experience the Exchange District with Exchange District Biz and book your tour today!
Alleyways in the Exchange are back this summer too, with three activations for each alleyway-centred evening. On July 29 and August 26 (the final Friday of each month) you can experience the return of the original outdoor Alleyways Market curated by Luckygirl Pop Up (this year located at Elgin Ave. & Bertha St.), featuring more than 70 makers and food vendors. Enjoy open-air shopping amongst all the cool cats from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and while you are doing so check out the new activations–Alleyways Gallery and Alleways Sounds–just a short walk away.
Alleyway Sounds, located behind the Pantages Theatre on John Hirsch Ave., will have pop-up installations and live performances covering a vast range from electronica, to free jazz and spoken word, with no shortage of visual art. Alleyways Gallery, located between Albert St. and Arthur St. is being curated/hosted by Bevvy Teyems, the local framing and art shop. Here you can expect an outdoor gallery-like setting, along with fun happenings like live workshops and other performance art pieces.
