Jail doors open at McCreary RCMP detachment turned vacation rental By: Malak Abas Posted: 5:47 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026

If you’ve ever wanted to spend a night in a jail cell — without the typical prerequisite criminal activity — a western Manitoba rental might have what you’re looking for.

A decommissioned RCMP detachment building in the Rural Municipality of McCreary is now a listed Airbnb space, complete with two jail cell bedrooms — bars and all.

Rosie Peloquin opened the spot to guests on Sunday, after she and her husband purchased the building seeking a new project after retiring from the pizza business in 2024.

“We’ve converted the breathalyzer and fingerprinting room into the living room for the apartment, and the guard station is now the kitchen,” Peloquin said on Tuesday.

“If you drink too much, you can spend the night in jail.”

The unique rental space has quickly caught the attention of people in the Parkland area and beyond — Peloquin already has a booking for a wedding this summer and hosted more than 20 people over the holidays.

“I always tell them: if you drink too much, you can spend the night in jail,” she said with a laugh.

The rental beyond the eastern border of Riding Mountain National Park and some 250 kilometres from Winnipeg— aptly named “the Jailhouse” — can now be booked on Airbnb’s website.

Themed vacation rentals aren’t the most popular travel experience in Manitoba — Airbnb’s website lists only a handful, including a Harry Potter-themed suite in Lockport and a Hawaii-inspired home in Winnipeg — but “experience-led travel” is a growing trend that’s made its way to the province, said Cody Chomiak, vice-president of marketing with Travel Manitoba.

“Part of that is where you stay is part of the story, not just a place to sleep,” he said. “Whether that’s a houseboat or an ice hotel or a yurt or, in this case, a decommissioned jailhouse.”

“Where you stay is part of the story, not just a place to sleep.”

He pointed to Flin Flon, where a temporary lodge is being built entirely out of ice and snow at a local campground with the goal of hosting events through the winter weather, as an example. Another, he said, is Moonlit Canopy in southwest Manitoba, where “glamping” — glamourous camping — includes heated domes in place of tents with gas fireplaces and hot tubs.

“I think these types of opportunities coming up just allow for so much creativity,” Chomiak said. “So it’s really exciting to see Manitoba really embracing this.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca