Home » Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

by John the Wanderer
0 comments
a wall with a mural of a sea creature

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

This article is Winnipeg Exchange District Tour. The article is an overview of my experience touring the historic Exchange District in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The Winnipeg Exchange District Tour is part of my Winnipeg Spring Experience.

Background

Winnipeg’s Exchange District is one of the most iconic and vibrant neighborhoods in Winnipeg.

The site is a National Historic location which means that many of the buildings must be preserved in their original exterior style.

The area features a collection of heritage buildings built between 1880 and 1920.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The Exchange District is nicknamed the “Chicago of the North.”

Tourism Winnipeg and Travel Manitoba setup a private tour of the area by a representative from the Exchange District BIZ. The views expressed in this article are my own.

Tour Overview

The Exchange District is a collection of historic buildings around a 30-block area of Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The tour began by walking around and taking in the appearance of the buildings.

Many of the buildings had the original signs outside of the companies that occupied them in the past.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

As part of the historical significance the signs were left on the building to add character to the buildings.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Many of the buildings were ornate and decorative, while others were more modern in appearance.

The area was noted to have a mix between Victorian style and more classic style places.

Food Tour Options

During the summer, there are several foodie walking tours that sounded amazing.

The tour guide explained that you could go a gourmet one which offered the finest food tasting in the city.

Another option for a food tour would be comfort food.

Both of the tours sounded amazing.

She said they were offered in July and August and became very popular.

Check out food tours in Winnipeg on TripAdvisor.

Bank Buildings

The Exchange District used to be home to about 20 different banks,

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Some of the banks used marble and large columns to set a bold tone, while others focused on more brick-based facades.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The banks have all moved to other parts of the city and many of the banks were converted into restaurants, stores or art galleries.

The charm of the bank including vaults and teller windows were left to add character to the restaurant or store.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour
Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Movies

The Exchange District has been used to make various movies over the years.

The area was transformed into New York City, Chicago or even back to the wild west depending on the movie.

The classic style on the buildings were a good backdrop of the movies.

Art Spaces

The Exchange District has many art galleries and performance areas.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour
http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/8083982/type/dlg/https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g154954-d7017419-Reviews-Across_the_Board_Game_Cafe-Winnipeg_Manitoba.html
Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Some of the art galleries have painting and drink evenings where you can relax with wine and paint your own artwork.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

You can even find a place where you can play board games and have coffee and drinks which is called Across the Board!

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour
Winnipeg Exchange District Tour
Winnipeg Exchange District Tour
Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Performance Space

The centerpiece of the Exchange District is the performance space and lawn, which is home to many festivals, music and art experiences.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

One of the biggest events that take place in the area is the Winnipeg Fringe Festival that takes place in the summer.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The performance space is made with metal wires in a cool looking display that focused on a stage.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Guests can sit on the grass and take in the performance at the unique decorated theater space.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

College and Culinary School

A college occupies two of the large buildings within the Exchange District.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

One of the buildings used a main street like frontage with storefronts along the street.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The building was modified inside to accommodate the school, but it kept the charm of the historic style with the columns, lighting and more.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

In addition, part of the school was in an area that used to be a warehouse with a train that ran through it.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Fire escapes were used inside to further give the room character.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

A large common public area with tables and chairs were found in the hall as well where students could take some time out of their day to relax and take in the history of the building.

Along one of the hallways, the room was lined vault doors. In the past, the building would have stored documents and other important items in the vaults. The vaults were decorated with extreme details and the doors remained which added a cool look to the area.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

A large culinary school was located a few blocks away.

The culinary school offered a sit-down restaurant called Jane, which gives students a chance to practice their culinary skills and learn about operating and managing a gourmet restaurant.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour
Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

A performance kitchen was located within the restaurant, so you could watch as the chefs prepare your meals.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

The restaurant was located in one of the old bank buildings and it maintained many of the bold features in the seating area including large columns and rich wood tones.

Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

Overall

Winnipeg City Tour Winnipeg Exchange District Tour

It was pretty awesome seeing how the Exchange District was restored and maintained throughout the years. Walking through the area gives you a glimpse into the history of the city. It is awesome that the current owners have kept the charm of the past within the city.

Leave a Comment

You may also like