Halifax

A trip to Halifax is not complete without sampling the food, learning about the history and taking in the views associated with the Halifax Harbour and surrounding waters. Try the lobster, scallops and shrimp at one of many famous restaurants. A visit to the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site is a memorable experience. Guided tours take visitors through the star-shaped fort. Halifax also hosts the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. At the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, see exhibits that cover the history of Halifax and the Atlantic Ocean. Many cruise ships departing New York and Boston visit Halifax.

Popular things to do in Halifax

Alderney Landing
Alderney Landing is on the northern side of Halifax in the community of Dartmouth. It opened in 1999 and houses the Craig Art Gallery, the Norman Newman Market and the Eastern Front Theatre. The Art Gallery allows both amateur and established artists to display their works. The market is located on the ground floor and is open to the public seven days a week, with an additional farmer’s market on Saturday mornings.

Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site of Canada
The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site is at the location of his summer retreat and is a wonderful day trip from Halifax. The exhibits focus on his genius – how his work with deaf children lead him to invent to telephone, his inventions of advanced recording devices, metal detectors and a reproduction of the HD-4, a hydrofoil aircraft. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy on the 10 hectares of landscaped grounds overlooking the original estate and Bras d’Or Lake.

Burke-Gaffney Observatory
The Burke-Gaffney Observatory is located on the campus of Saint Mary’s University, at the top of the Loyala residence tower. Free tours are available on the first t and third Saturday, except for June to September when they are held every Saturday evening. As part of the tour you will have an opportunity to take in the night sky with a 40 cm telescope. In 1995 a supernova was discovered – perhaps your visit will bring the next one!

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada
For over 250 years Halifax has been a military stronghold and the present citadel (the fourth on the site) was completed in 1856. It has been restored to the mid-Victorian era and features living history with guided tours of the soldiers’ barracks, the guard room, the schoolroom and powder magazine as well as a specialty ghost tour. The Army Museum onsite has more than 70 000 exhibits of Atlantic Canada’s military history.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum has a collection of over 30 000 artifacts, including 70 small crafts and one ship. Docked next door is the HMCS Sackville, a World War II corvette, open to the public in the summer months. The Galleries cover the Age of Sale, Shipwrecks and a special exhibit describing the famous Halifax Explosion. It also has the world’s foremost collection of Titanic artifacts, including one of the few surviving deck chairs. The museum also has an area for traveling exhibits so check their calendar before you go.

Peggy’s Cove
Peggy’s Cove is an hour’s drive southwest of Halifax and features some of the most stunning scenery that the East Coast has to offer. The lighthouse is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and is a featured part of the Lighthouse Trail scenic drive. It is situated on the extensive granite outcrop that can be explored but please mind the safety signs! It is still a working fishing community so stay for a fresh lobster supper.

Point Pleasant Park
Point Pleasant Park is located in the south end of Halifax and has 39 km of trails (many wheel chair accessible) in a seventy-seven hectare wooded park. A self-guided cultural tour featuring several defensive batteries, over fifty quarries, a protected area to study the affect of hurricanes and the Halifax Sailor`s Memorial, is available. Free performances of Shakespeare by the Sea run all summer long. The best way to see is the park is on bicycle during the week. Cycling is not allowed on weekends or statutory holidays and remember to bring your helmet!

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Pier 21 was the entry point for over a million immigrants and refugees and is a testament to the impact that immigration has had on Canada. It was designated a National Historical Site in 1996 and named a National Museum in 2009. The museum holds two thousand stories of immigration to Canada , five hundred oral history interviews, seven hundred donated books, three hundred films and thousands of images and scans of documents detailing immigration and World War II. An historian is available onsite.

Alexander Keith’s Brewery Tour
Alexander Keith became Nova Scotia’s first brewmaster after he moved from Scotland in 1817 and you can see the original brewing process he used. An hour long tour through one of North America’s oldest breweries will lead you to the Stag’s Head Inn for songs, stories, games and samples of the ales. Unlike many brewery tours, this one puts you in the middle of the action as a visitor from another time.

Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
This museum, cultural and education centre is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of African-Canadian settlers in Nova Scotia, the descendants of those who fled from slavery in what is now the southern United States. It has displays, a library and an amphitheatre for performances and lectures. It features a permanent display about the former community of Africaville, settled after the War of 1812 with the promise of free land and equal rights.