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Village Center & Artifacts Building
Completed in 1990, the air-conditioned village centre contains the main gallery exhibit telling the Mennonite story from the 1500’s to the present day. A second gallery offers temporary exhibits while a gift shop holds a wide variety of souvenirs available for purchase. The original Artifacts Building (now the auditorium) was built in 1967. The tall gables convey the concept of many groups of Mennonites, all with unique characteristics. It is currently used for stage productions, films, musical performances and dinner theater.

The Great Trek Memorial
This large obelisk is dedicated to the memory of the Mennonites in Russia and the Soviet Union who suffered persecution during the Stalin's reign of terror and undertook the "Great Trek" during World War II.

Women's Memorial
This large fieldstone was dedicated to the Mennonite Pioneer Women of Canada. It was a project sponsored by the Ladies’ Auxiliary and completed in 1985.

1. The Semlin
Sod, soil, grass and wood were the building materials of the first homes built by Mennonite immigrants in 1874. Although crude these sod buildings provided the shelter necessary for survival on the Manitoba prairies.

2. Johann Bartsch Memorial
Honouring Johann Bartsch, one of two Mennonite delegates to Russia in 1786, the monument was originally erected in Rosenthal, South Russia, in 1890. After negotiations with the Russian government the memorial was shipped to the museum.

3. Hochfeld House
One of the earliest log dwellings built in the Mennonite village of Hochfeld, circa 1877, by Johann and Katharina Wiebe. It was modified many times and remained occupied until 1985.

4. Chortitz Housebarn
This style of dwelling is traced back to Prussia/Poland where the Mennonites settled during the late 1500’s. Constructed in 1892 by Jacob Teichroeb in Chortitz Village, south of Winkler, the house displays common Mennonite architectural features such as the central brick heater system, Mennonite chest, Kroeger wall clock and other period furniture.

5. Summer Kitchen
During the hot months family meals were prepared here so that the large house would remain cool.

6. Outdoor Oven
Hearty breads and biscuits (made with stone ground flour), a Mennonite staple, are baked in this traditional clay oven. A fire made with flax straw brings the oven to baking temperature. The oven holds enough heat to bake two batches of bread at a time.

7. Horse Shelter and Ring
Horses and oxen provided much of the power for early Mennonite farms in southern Manitoba. On special event days, our volunteers bring their heavy horses to demonstrate in the fields, village and show ring. Come along for a wagon ride!

8. Waldheim House
With oak log walls, a thatched roof and larger floor plan, this house was a vast improvement over the semlin. Julius Dyck built this house in 1876, in the village of Waldheim, near Morden. It features Roman numerals that Julius scribed onto the logs for ease of reassembly when the family moved this house to their new homestead in 1877.
The Peters Barn
Built in 1885 by Peter Peters in Vollwerk village (now Mitchell), this barn was moved to the site and joined to the Waldheim House in 2006. The Peters farm site was settled by Peter’s father Jakob Peters (1813-1884), one of the delegates from the Bergthal Colony in Russia seeking new settlement opportunities in North America in 1873.

9. Jacob Hoeppner Memorial
The memorial honours one of the Prussian Mennonite deputies who toured Russia in 1786-1787, previous to Mennonite settlement. Originally erected on the island of Choritza, South Russia, the monument was secured from the U.S.S.R in 1973 and brought to the museum.

10. Old Colony Worship House
Usually situated in the centre of the village, the plain structure symbolized the centrality of the church to the pioneering Mennonites. Community members provided logs to build this worship house in the village of Chortitz in 1881. It was used for regular services until 1967 when it was moved to the museum grounds.

11. The Mennonite School
Although size and some details varied, most Mennonite schools before the turn of the century had the same basic plan of classroom and teacherage combined under one roof. This school was built in the village of Blumenhof, near Altona, in 1881.

12. Farm Barn and Pens
Various animal-families are kept here during the summer months to illustrate the mixed farms of the pioneers. Youngsters especially enjoy this feature of the museum.

13. Granary
This granary was built circa 1900 with a cleaning mill in the upper floor. This building is awaiting interior restoration and is not currently open to visitors.

14. Sawmill Shelters
A sawmill, shingle machine and related machines are displayed in the shelter. Timber and boards for the village’s first homes were cut by hand in a saw pit. This was physically tough work. The arrival of steam and gas engines eased this labour and greatly increased the volume of that could be cut in a day.

15. Agricultural Building
The Mennonite pioneers as illustrated by the collection in this building used a wide assortment of agricultural machinery and equipment.

16. Antique Tractor Display

17. Transportation Building
Steinbach played a significant role in the early growth of Canada’s trucking industry. See how trucks progressed from the first model T’s to the long distance highway tractors of the 1970’s.

18. Lake and Garden Area
Take a stroll along the lake and visit the Berlin Wall memorial. See the site for a new contemplative garden (under construction)

19. Public School
Built about 1919, ten miles southwest of Steinbach, the Barkfield School is typical of one-room rural schools of the area.

20. Windmill
The windmill represents the ingenuity and skill of the Mennonite pioneers who built these amazing structures in many of their principal villages in Southern Manitoba. The first windmill in Steinbach was built in 1877 by Abram Friesen, just three years after his arrival in the province. Our windmill, built in 2001 by local trades people and Dutch millwrights, is fully operational and is to our knowledge the only working mill in Canada.

21. Steamer Shelter
A special display and storage shelter for a restored 1904 Reeves steamer. The structure is also used for public announcements during special events at the museum.

22. Livery Barn Restaurant
Reminiscent of the livery barns that were “rest stops” for the pioneers, the building offers refreshments and traditional Mennonite food to all weary travelers.

23. Food Booth
During our special events find tasty food and drink here.

24. Blacksmith Shop
Located close to the livery barn, the blacksmith shop was most important to the pioneers. Our replica displays the forge and tools for a wide variety of jobs performed by the blacksmith.

25. Printery
A western Canadian print shop completed with drawers of handset type and platen press that was brought to the district in 1909 and used commercially until 1946.

26. Shelter
During special events you may find this shelter becomes a candy booth full of a variety of old fashion sweets.

27. Reimer Store
The original Klaas Reimer store was the first store in the village of Steinbach back in 1884. Many of the items on display are from the John C. Reimer collection.

28. General Store
Try some of our old-fashioned stick candy and browse through a wide variety of local handcrafts.

29. Lichtenau Church
This is the first church built by the Mennonites of the 1920’s immigration from Russia. It was formerly situated at Ste. Elizabeth, Manitoba.