Gimli, Manitoba: History, Things to Do and Travel Guide
Gimli is a Lake Winnipeg community in Manitoba’s Interlake Region, where Icelandic settlement, commercial fishing, beaches, festivals, public art and harbour life meet in one of the province’s best-known waterfront towns. It is a real destination, especially in summer, but it still feels connected to working boats, local shops and the shoreline that made the town.
A first visit should stay close to the waterfront: the harbour, beach, seawall murals, Viking Park, New Iceland Heritage Museum and Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre. After that, add the Icelandic Festival, Gimli Film Festival or nearby parkland depending on the season.
How Gimli Started
Gimli began as part of New Iceland, the Icelandic settlement on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg. Manitoba’s Historic Resources Branch records that settlers reached the site in 1875, laid out a townsite called Gimli and, the next year, saw more than 1,200 Icelandic settlers locate along the shore.
The harbour became essential almost immediately. Gimli Harbour Authority explains that Icelandic settlers needed a safe harbour for fishing boats and lake freighters, and that the first permanent pier was built in 1900 with federal assistance and Icelandic contractor J. J. Vopni.
Rail and road access later changed Gimli from a lake-dependent settlement into a vacation and service community. Fishing never disappeared, but cottages, beaches, festivals, galleries, restaurants and the harbour promenade turned the waterfront into a visitor centrepiece.
What Gimli Is Like Today
Statistics Canada counted 6,181 residents in the Rural Municipality of Gimli in 2021. The built-up community of Gimli is smaller than the municipality, but it carries the area’s main visitor identity and most visible services.
Gimli is busy in summer, quieter in winter and shaped year-round by Lake Winnipeg. The RM’s community development material describes a tourism industry, business district, airport and industrial park, while also pointing to the New Iceland Heritage Museum, the harbour wall murals and the community’s film festival.
The town is also still a harbour place. Commercial fishers, pleasure craft, visiting boaters, festival crowds and beachgoers all use the same waterfront area, so the best travel days balance lake time with museum time and local businesses.
Winter and shoulder-season visits are quieter but still useful for travellers who want to see Lake Winnipeg without summer crowds. Restaurants, shops and museum hours can be more limited, so the town works best when you confirm what is open and build the day around the waterfront, heritage interpretation and local services.
Things to Do and Places Nearby
Start at Gimli Beach. The RM describes the central Blue Flag beach area as a 600-metre stretch of sand in the heart of Gimli, between the harbour pier at Centre Street and Barney Thomas Drive. Summer visitors should expect parking demand, beach rules and changing lake conditions.
The harbour and seawall are the next stop. Gimli Harbour Authority describes the harbour as a working base for commercial fishers and pleasure craft, while local tourism material points to the harbour wall murals as a public-art record of community stories. Walk the pier carefully in wind and stay back from active work areas.
For history, visit the New Iceland Heritage Museum. The museum operates a main multimedia site in the Waterfront Centre and a seasonal Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre at Gimli Harbour that interprets commercial fishing and the natural history of the lake.
Use the museum early in the day if you want the rest of the waterfront to make sense. It gives context for New Iceland, Lake Winnipeg fishing, harbour development and the families whose names still appear around town. That makes the later walk along the beach and seawall more specific.
Seasonal events can define the trip. The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba is held in Gimli on the August long weekend and focuses on Icelandic culture, food, music, vendors and harbour-area programming. The Gimli Film Festival adds another summer draw, including screenings tied to the lakefront setting.
Viking Park and the town centre help connect those pieces on foot. The waterfront is compact enough that many travellers can move between the beach, harbour, murals, museum, restaurants and shops without driving again once they have parked.
Quick Facts
- Province: Manitoba
- Region: Interlake Region
- Municipality type: Community in the Rural Municipality of Gimli
- 2021 census population: 6,181 in the Rural Municipality of Gimli
- Official website: https://www.gimli.ca/
- Main travel areas: Gimli Beach, Gimli Harbour, New Iceland Heritage Museum, Lake Winnipeg Visitor Centre, Viking Park, Gimli seawall murals
- Key routes: PTH 8, PTH 9 and Lake Winnipeg harbour access
Travel Notes
Book summer weekends early, especially during the Icelandic Festival, Canada Day period and film festival dates. Lake Winnipeg can change quickly with wind, algae conditions, storms and cold water outside peak summer. Confirm museum hours, beach advisories, boat launches, parking rules and festival schedules before leaving Winnipeg or other Interlake communities.