Slow, Intentional Steps Through Dalnavert: Dementia‑Friendly Tours in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG CITY TOUR FIELD GUIDE

Slow, Intentional Steps Through Dalnavert: Dementia‑Friendly Tours in Winnipeg

A 1.5‑hour, dementia‑aware visit at Dalnavert Museum for people living with early to moderate symptoms and their care partners to explore a historic house, view artifacts and share tea.

Slow, Intentional Steps Through Dalnavert: Dementia‑Friendly Tours in Winnipeg.

Duration
Contact operator
Location
Winnipeg
Operator
Friends of Dalnavert Museum
Category
City Tour
Robert Eric Crews
Founder & Editor, The Adventure Collective
Published Verified

At Dalnavert Museum in Winnipeg, Friends of Dalnavert offer dementia‑friendly tours designed for people living with early to moderate symptoms of dementia and their care partners. The program presents the historic house and its collection in a paced, supportive format, with time after the guided visit to sit for tea or coffee and examine selected artifacts up close.

Highlights

Outing Highlights

THE HOUSE

Explore a restored historic home

The tour takes you through Dalnavert’s rooms and collection, offering tactile and visual encounters with objects from the house in a calm, interpreted setting.

THE SUPPORT

Dementia‑aware interpretation and practical aids

Designed for people living with early to moderate dementia and their care partners, the program includes dementia‑aware interpretation; folding cane‑seats can be borrowed free of charge and seating is available throughout the museum.

THE AFTER

Tea, coffee and a closer look at artifacts

After the guided portion, visitors are invited to stay for tea and coffee and to take a slower, closer look at selected artifacts from the collection.

What the day feels like

What the tour feels like

The experience is short, deliberate and intimate: a guided walk through Dalnavert’s historic rooms, paced for memory and comfort, followed by a quiet period for refreshments and hands‑on looking at objects. Staff and volunteers shape the visit around the needs of guests and their care partners to keep moments accessible and unhurried.

Suitability

Who it's for

Who this program suits — and where limits appear.

1
People living with early to moderate dementiaThis tour is designed specifically for people living with early to moderate symptoms of dementia, with interpretation and pacing suited to that audience.
2
Care partnersCare partners are central to the format and are encouraged to attend; the program supports paired visits.
3
Visitors with limited mobilityThose with mobility limits can generally participate on the main tour, but should note that upper floors are accessible only by stairs; a virtual tour alternative is provided in the Visitors’ Centre.
4
Visitors requiring full step‑free accessIf full, in‑person access to all floors is essential, this program has a limitation: upper floors require stairs, although a guided virtual option is available as an alternative.

Practical planner

Details to review before reserving

What to Bring

Light, familiar personal items are recommended. Folding cane‑seats can be borrowed free of charge during your visit and there is seating available throughout the museum.

Meeting point & duration

Tours begin at the Dalnavert Museum and Visitors' Centre and run approximately 1.5 hours.

Accessibility planning

For detailed accessibility information, consult the Dementia‑Friendly Tours Event Access Guide and the museum’s accessibility page; virtual upper‑floor tours are offered at the Visitors’ Centre when stairs are a barrier.

Booking Notice

Review cancellation policies before reserving.

Frequently asked questions

Planning Your Outing

Who are the Dementia‑Friendly Tours intended for?

The program is intended for people living with early to moderate symptoms of dementia and their care partners.

How long is a tour?

Each tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours.

Where do I meet for the tour?

Meet at the Dalnavert Museum and Visitors’ Centre.

Are the upper floors accessible?

The upper floors of the museum are only accessible by stairs; if stairs are a barrier, there is an option to explore the upper floors with a tour guide in the Visitors’ Centre via a virtual tour.

Are mobility aids or seating available?

Folding cane‑seats can be borrowed free of charge during your visit and there is seating available throughout the museum.

Who developed the program?

The Dementia‑Friendly Tours were developed in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.

Where can I find more detailed accessibility information?

Detailed accessibility information is provided in the Dementia‑Friendly Tours Event Access Guide and on the museum’s accessibility page.