Today we were supposed to leave on a trip to Ukraine. However, with 2020 being the way it is, our flight was canceled and frankly we wouldn’t have felt that great about leaving Manitoba at this point anyway.
So, like most Manitobans, we’ve turned our attention to exploring our province. This includes the Mennonite Heritage Village. It’s true, we visit the MHV frequently, but we’ve never bought memberships.
Until now.
LIFETIME memberships!
Yep, we did that.
Truthfully, MHV membership had been on our radar for a pretty long time.
I first learned that this was a thing from my dear friend Rachelle. When her children were very young, she purchased an annual MHV membership so they could visit the museum frequently throughout the summer. They’d drop in anytime they wanted to, even just for a walk, a picnic, or to pay special attention to one specific building without feeling like they’d have to spend hours at once and see absolutely everything in one visit. So smart!
I mean, the museum is pretty big. Not only is it an open air museum complete with village, farm, and windmill all waiting to be explored, but the MHV is also home to two galleries inside the main building: a permanent gallery and a temporary gallery. The permanent gallery depicts the story of the Mennonites. The temporary gallery changes annually. Last year it told the Russlander story. Just last week the temporary gallery re-opened, now telling the story of the Mennonite Central Committee.
We’ve often daydreamed about how nice it’d be if we could just drop in at the MHV frequently, just to see one exhibit, examine one monument, or just to be in a different space for a bit.
Our canceled trip freed up some $ to be spent on Lifetime Memberships. These are $500 each, which is likely the reason we hadn’t taken this step until now. Turns out, $300 of the cost of each membership is actually a donation. So, claim it at tax time and you get a lot of that back!
With our memberships, we can now stop in at the MHV to simply sit and write, as evidenced by this Facebook post from my amazing husband Andrew Unger.
It’s a great place to absorb inspiration.
When you’re a lifetime member at the MHV, you get:
Free admission to the MHV forever.
Free or discounted admission to other Signature Museums in Gimli, Winnipeg, Austin, Brandon, and Morden.
Free Village Voice subscription.
50% discount on gate admission for two guests.
10% discount at the restaurant and gift shop.
Free guided tours (when arranged in advance — you have to make sure these people are there and available on the day you choose, obviously).
I feel like, when you consider the savings and the bonuses, this is a fantastic deal. This’ll make staying close to home this summer feel pretty good.
To learn more about membership at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, click HERE.