Halifax, Nova Scotia Attractions
Army Museum
422-5979
Open daily early May - Oct. 31, off-season by appointment.
Contains hundreds of artifacts reflecting Atlantic Canada's military heritage.
The museum is located in the Cavalier Barracks of the Halifax Citadel National
Historic Site.
Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum
Exit 6, Hwy. 102 near the airport
873-3773
Open daily 9 - 5, mid-May-mid-Oct., by appointment year-round. Admission by
donation.
Many civilian and military aircraft are on display, as well as artifacts and
exhibits depicting Atlantic Canadian aviation history, including a replica of
the Silver Dart. The original, developed by Alexander Graham Bell and
associates, made the first flight in the British Empire, from Bras d'Or Lake,
NS, in 1909.
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
1 Challenger Dr., Dartmouth
(Take the Shannon Park exit, at the Dartmouth end of MacKay Bridge)
426-2373
Canada's largest oceanographic research centre is open Mon. through Fri. 9am to
4pm. A self-guided exhibit requiring about 45 minutes to visit and consisting of
displays, audio-visual presentations and small aquariums. Visit the Sea Pavilion
which houses touch tanks and viewing tanks containing native marine species).
Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia
1149 Main St., Dartmouth
434-6223 / 1-800-465-0767
The first site of its kind in Canada, this museum, cultural and education center
is dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of African-Canadian
history in Nova Scotia. It houses history archives, audiovisual displays, a
library and an amphitheater for cultural performances and lectures. Guided and
self-guided tours.
Brewery Market
Between Hollis and Lower Water Sts.
Sat. 7-1.
A popular Saturday market takes place at the stone complex where Alexander Keith
once brewed beer. A variety of crafts from leatherwork to stone carvings.
Culinary offerings include Chinese and Indian snacks, farm cheese, and
home-smoked sausage, freshly baked bread; colorful displays of fresh local
fruits and vegetables; and stalls with lambs, rabbits, and farm fresh brown
eggs.
Casino Nova Scotia
1983 Upper Water Street
(902) 425-7777 or (888) 642-6376
Open 24 hours daily; closed major holidays.
Minimum age for entrance: 19
Cathedral Church of All Saints
1320 Tower Rd., Halifax
423-6002
1 -3pm Mon. - Fri., May - Sept., and by appointment year round.
This south end landmark is an example of Gothic architecture known for its
stained-glass windows and the woodcarvings of its pulpit and chancel.
Queen Victoria granted the letters patent for the Dean and Chapter in 1865.
After decades of fundraising and building, the gothic-style structure-which has
been compared in size and style to the cathedrals of England-opened in 1910.
Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows
Holy Cross Cemetery (South and S. Park Streets)
902 865-6663
Open Mon-Fri 8:30 - 5:50.
This small chapel was built in a day, on August 31, 1843, by 2,000 men and
features stained glass windows, some dating back to 1661, and some carvings
dating to 1550.
Christ Church
50 Wentworth St. (at Ochterloney St), Dartmouth
(902) 466-4270
Open seasonally, Mon.-Fri. 10-4.
The oldest church in Dartmouth, built in 1817, this registered heritage building
exemplifies Georgian architectural design. The weather vane atop the steeple
depicts Haley's Comet.
Cole Harbor Heritage Farm Museum
471 Poplar Dr., Dartmouth
434-0222
A small, community-run museum features farm animals, heritage buildings (dating
back to the early 1780s), old farm tools and equipment, and gardens. The site
adjoins numerous walkways through a natural marsh and woodland. Free parking,
admission and picnic area
Cornwallis Street Baptist Church
5457 Cornwallis St.
429-5573
Visit by appointment.
This heritage property is the mother church of the African United Baptist
Association. Founded in the 1830s by Rev. Richard Preston, a former slave.
Costume Studies Museum
Carleton House, 1685 Argyle St., Halifax
494-6515
Open May 15 to Oct. 15, Mon. to Sat. 10am to 4pm, Sundays and holidays noon to
4pm.
Open year-round for inquiries, scheduled tours and events. Admission by
donation.
This small museum located in an historic residential building displays the work
of students of the Dalhousie Costume Studies program. Costumes are based on
records of early residents of Halifax.
Dalhousie University Archives
Killam Memorial Library, University Ave, Halifax
494-6490
Research center includes material on Dalhousie University, theater, business,
music, Nova Scotia shipping, as well as collections of private manuscripts and
papers of creative writers, along with photographs.
Dartmouth Heritage Museum
100 Wyse Rd., Dartmouth
464-2300
A broad range of exhibits explores Dartmouth and surrounding area's natural,
historical, and cultural heritage. Archival reference services are available by
appointment. June, July and August ? Tues - Sunday 10 - 5. Admission free,
donations welcomed.
Dingle Tower
Fleming Park, on Dingle Rd
902 5904894
Open daily 8 ? 5; May - September. Free admission.
Built in 1912 by Sir Sanford Fleming (inventor of time zones), to commemorate
the 1758 convening of the first elected assembly. The tower overlooks the
Northwest Arm and the western slope of the peninsula.
Discovery Centre
1593 Barrington St., Halifax
492-4422
Mon. - Sat. 10 - 5, Sun. 1 - 5 (until 9 pm every first Thursday) Allow 1 hour.
This science center presents more than 80 hands-on exhibits demonstrating the
educational principles of bridges, electricity, chemistry, bubbles, light and
sound, health, physics, optical illusions and more. Changing exhibits, workshops
and science shows.
Evergreen Historic House
26 Newcastle St., Dartmouth
464-2301
June ?August; Tues.-Sun. 10 - 1 and 2 - 5. Donations welcomed
Built in 1867 for Dr Helen Creighton, noted Nova Scotia author. The main floor
of the house is decorated with Victorian furnishings and selected art works
overlooking the harbor.
Fairview Cemetery
3720 Windsor St.
This cemetery is the final resting place of 121 victims of the Titanic. The
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has an exhibit about the disaster.
Fisherman's Life Museum
Hwy. 7, 58 Navy Pool Loop Rd.
Jeddore Oyster Pond
889-2053
June 1 -Oct. 15, Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 5:30, Sun. 1 - 5:30.
The house and gardens have been preserved as they were at the turn of the
century. The owners were an inshore fisherman, his wife and their 13 daughters.
Fisherman's Cove
Eastern Passage, off Rte. 322
465-6093
April - May, open daily.
This working fishing village contains shops displaying local marine crafts,
aboriginal jewelry, folk art, fine art paintings, paper tole, unique candles,
and woodworking. The Cove also has a seafood restaurant, ice cream parlor and
diner. Enjoy the 1.5 km boardwalk, tours to McNab's and Lawlor's islands and
deep-sea fishing. Interpretive Centre (closed from January through March).
Fort Needham Memorial Bell Tower
On Union Street, near Novalea Drive.
The tower overlooks the North End of Halifax, the section most devastated by the
Halifax Explosion, which took place when the Belgian relief ship Imo collided
with the French munitions vessel Mont Blanc on Dec. 6, 1917. The tower pays
tribute to the 2,000 who died. Today, Fort Needham is an active park with a
sports field, tennis courts, wading pool and playground.
Granville Mall
Destroyed by fire in 1859, the buildings on this block at the end of Granville
Street were rebuilt in the Italianate style by some of the city's most
prosperous merchants. Today, it features an attractive plaza with a fountain and
benches, along with a collection of restaurants, pubs and shops. When the Delta
Barrington Hotel was built on the west side of the plaza, the original building
facades were disassembled and then carefully restored in order to preserve the
symmetry and historical significance.
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
See: Parks
Canada Citadel National Historic Site
Citadel Hill, Entrance off Sackville St.
Halifax
426-5080
July-Aug., daily 9-6; Sept.-June 14, daily 9-5 Grounds open daily year-round, 9
?5.
The Citadel, a large star-shaped masonry fort built between 1826 and 1856, was
the heart of the city's fortifications and was linked to smaller forts and gun
emplacements on the harbor islands and on the bluffs above the harbor entrance.
The fort features a musketry gallery, a dry defensive ditch, vaulted rooms,
restored ramparts and an excellent view of Halifax and the harbor.
Halifax City Hall
Duke Street, at Barrington and Argyle.
This Victorian structure has stood guard over the Grand Parade (the symbolic
centre of Halifax) since 1888.
Halifax Public Gardens
Bounded by Sackville, Summer, and S. Park Sts. and Spring Garden Rd.
Main entrance is at the corner of Spring Garden and South Park.
May - November, dawn - dusk.
This 17 acre park contains the oldest formal Victorian gardens in North America
and had its start in 1753 as a private garden. It was completed in 1875 by
Richard Power, former gardener to the Duke of Devonshire in Ireland. Gravel
paths wind among ponds, trees, and flower beds, revealing plants from all over
the world. The centerpiece is a gazebo erected in 1887 for Queen Victoria's
Golden Jubilee. The park has historic fountains, statuary, a duck pond,
tree-shaded walks and in the summer at 2 pm on Sunday afternoon there are band
concerts.
Hydrostone District
Hydrostone Market,
5515-5547 Young St.
Along with the human tragedy of 1917's Halifax Explosion (see Fort Needham
Memorial Bell Tower), 325 acres- almost all of north-end peninsular Halifax-were
destroyed. Rebuilding began immediately after and included 328 houses in the
area bordered by Young, Agricola, Duffus and Gottingen streets. The houses were
built from "hydro-stone" cement blocks and, unlike other area homes,
had treed gardens in front, and modern plumbing and electricity. This area,
known as the Hydrostone, is still considered one of the more desirable
residential areas of Halifax and has recently been declared a National Historic
Site.
HMCS Sackville
1675 Lower Water St.,
Halifax
429-2132, 427-0550, ext. 2837
Open in summer. Free admission.
This World War II convoy escort corvette has been restored as a floating naval
memorial to all who served in Canada's navy. Immediately adjacent is an
Interpretation Center with a multi-media presentation.
Little Dutch (Deutsch) Church
Brunswick at Gerrish Streets, Halifax
The Little Dutch Church was built in 1756, the first Lutheran church in Canada.
This round church (the only remaining one in North America) was built of logs by
German Lutheran settlers who came to Halifax in 1750. By the end of the 18th
century, the congregation had outgrown the little church and begun construction
of the architectural known as Saint George's Round Church.
Maritime Command Museum, Archives, Library
Admiralty House, Gottingen Street at CFB Halifax.
(5 blocks north of Citadel Hill)
427-0550, ext. 8250
Open year round, Mon. - Fri. 10 - 3:30. Closed holidays. Allow 30 minutes.
Free admission.
History of the Canadian maritime military forces, especially in Halifax.
Displays include scale models of ships, weapons, photographs and uniforms.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
1675 Lower Water St (at Prince), Halifax
902/424-7490 or 902/424-7491
May and October - Mon. -Sat. 9:30 -5:30, Tues. to 8pm, Sun. 1 - 5:30. June -
September - Mon. - Sat. 9:30 - 5:30, Tues. to 8pm, Sun. 10:30 - 5:30. November -
April - closed Mondays, otherwise open 9:30 - 5, and Tues. to 8pm.
Free to all on Tuesdays 5 - 8 pm, and on Canada Day and Natal Day.
Nautical and marine history of Atlantic Canada including the Halifax Explosion,
an early ship chandlery, Days of Sail gallery, small craft gallery and a
lighthouse light. CSS Acadia, a 1913 hydrographic research vessel that charted
the coasts of Labrador and the Arctic, is moored outside (open May through
October), as is HMCS Sackville.
The museum also has a permanent exhibit about the Titanic disaster with 20
artifacts (the only surviving deck chair) and many photographs.
Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management
Public Archives, 6016 University Ave., Halifax
424-6060
Mon.-Fri. 8:30 - 4:30; Sat. 9 ? 5, closed Sundays, holidays and holiday
weekends
Holdings include inactive records of government departments and corporate bodies
(churches, businesses, organizations, municipalities and communities); papers of
families and individuals; a 70,000-title library; newspapers; genealogical
sources; documentary art and photographs; maps and architectural plans, and
sound recordings and moving images.
Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
1747 Summer St. (off Bell Rd), Halifax
(902) 424-7353
June 1 ? Oct.15, Mon.-Sat. 9:30 - 5:30, Wed. to 8pm, Sun. 1 - 5:30. Call for
winter hours.
Located on the ground floor of the Seton Academic Centre, this museum features
the natural wonders of Nova Scotia. See an eagle's nest, stand beside a moose
and a whale skeleton. Displays cover geology, botany, mammals, birds and marine
life, archaeology and Mi'kmaq quillwork. There are also fossils (including a
mastodon skeleton), mineral specimens, semi-precious gems, dioramas and a botany
gallery.
Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
1645 Granville St., Ste. 101, Halifax
421-1266
Mon. - Fri. 10:30 ? 4. Sat. and Sun. noon to 3pm. Free admission.
Artifacts, exhibits and hundreds of photographs dating back to the 1850s.
Interactive computer programs, miniature hockey rink and basketball court.
Old Hall Wilderness Heritage Centre
4694 Hwy. 7, Porters Lake
827-2364
Open mid-May to mid-Sept.
Dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the cultural and natural
history of the Porters Lake area. Displays focus on wilderness heritage, natural
history and outdoor recreational opportunities.
Pier 21
1055 Marginal Rd., South End Halifax
425-7770
June-Sept., daily 9-6; Oct.-May, Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Sun. noon-5.
Admission Fee.
One of the processing sheds through which, from 1928 until 1971, immigrants,
refugees, war brides and children applied to become Canadians. Through these
structures almost 500,000 Canadian troops departed for WW II. Artifacts and
interactive multi-media technology preserve the heritage.
Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site
Point Pleasant Park (south end of Tower Road or Point Pleasant Drive),
Halifax.
(902) 426-5080
Open daily 9 ? dusk: June 15 - October 29.
Admission Fee
This 1796 fortress was built by one-time Halifax resident, the Duke of Kent, who
was the father of Queen Victoria. The round stone structure, its height three
times its width, was the prototype for new British coastal defenses against
Napoleon Bonaparte's forces. Exhibits feature the tower's history, architecture
and defenses.
Province House
1726 Hollis St, Halifax
902/424-4661
July and August: Mon.- Fri. 9 - 5, Sat., Sun. and holidays 10 ? 4.
Remainder of the year when legislature in session: weekdays 9 - 4.
Free admission.
This 1819 National Historic Site was described by Charles Dickens in 1842 as
"a gem of Georgian architecture." The sandstone building still serves
as the meeting place for the provincial legislature.
Royal Canadian Legion Military Museum
Royal Canadian Legion Somme Branch 31,
52 King St., Dartmouth
463-1050
May - Nov., Mon., Wed. and Fri.: 1 -5 .
Admission by donation.
Displays include uniforms and items from the Boer War, World War I, World War
II, and the Korean War.
Saint George's Round Church
Brunswick at Cornwallis Streets, Halifax
425-3658
Visitors welcome
Saint George's was built in 1800 by the congregation that outgrew the Little
Dutch Church. This National Heritage Site was designed under the supervision of
Edward, Duke of Kent (father of Queen Victoria) and is an example of a circular
Palladian church. The building was damaged by a 1994 fire, but has been restored
in a $4.6-million project supported by donors, including Prince Charles.
Saint Mary's Basilica
Spring Garden at Barrington, Halifax
423-4116
The original 1820 design for Saint Mary's was for a much smaller Georgian
church; but over the period of construction ending in the 1860s and 1870s, the
building was transformed into the grand Victorian Gothic style. The highly
embellished fa?ade was designed by New York architect Patrick Charles Keely.
The spire is the tallest polished spire in North America, rising 128 feet above
the roof.
Saint Paul's Anglican Church
1749 Argyle St., Grand Parade, Halifax
429-2240
Mon.-Fri. 9 ? 4. Sun. services at 9:15 and 11. Also, Wed. 11 AM June -August.
Founded in June 1749, St. Paul's is the oldest Protestant church in Canada and
Britain's first overseas cathedral, originally serving settlements from
Newfoundland to Ontario. The burial vault holds the remains of many illustrious
British colonial notables of the period. The church faces the military parade
ground from the earliest days of the town, which is still a central gathering
place.
Shubenacadie Canal, Fairbanks Visitor Centre
54 Locks Rd., Dartmouth;
(off the Waverley Rd., 2 km from junction of Hwy 111 and Hwy. 318)
462-1826
(Open daily late May to early Sept., and weekdays by appointment only in
winter),
Following an ancient Mi'kmaq route across Nova Scotia, this 71 mile long
19th-century canal links a series of lakes and rivers between Halifax Harbor and
the Bay of Fundy. It operated as a waterway for sailing and steam ships between
1856 and 1870. An archaeology tour is available. The Visitor Center has a model
of a working lock, picnic area, canoe/paddleboat/kayak rentals and 30 minute
long 12-passenger pontoon boat tours.
The wooded trails of Shubie Canal Park, beside the Centre, is also a favorite
with walkers, joggers and, in winter, cross-country skiers.
Sir Sanford Fleming Park (The Dingle)
Dingle Road, off Purcell's Cove Road, on the Northwest Arm, Halifax
The 95-acre park has two major walking trails through four natural habitats:
second-growth woodlands, a heath barren, a saltwater habitat and a frog pond.
The park also has a sandy saltwater beach (supervised in season) and the Dingle
Tower, guarded by bronze lions at the foot. The 10-story Tower, dedicated in
1912 to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia, is
open for climbing in summer.
Thomas McCulloch Museum
Biology Department, Life Sciences Centre,
Dalhousie University, Halifax
494-3515
Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 4:30. Closed major holidays, Admission free.
150 year old exhibit of mounted Nova Scotia birds of prepared by Thomas
McCulloch: collection of lifelike ceramic mushrooms created by Alma and Ernst
Lorenzen of Lantz; collections of butterflies and seashells.
William Ray Quaker House
464-2253
57-59 Ochterloney St., Dartmouth
Open June to August - Tuesday through Sunday 10:00- 1:00 and 2:00 - 5:00.
Admission free, donations welcomed.
A short walk from the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal, Quaker (William Ray) House is
open during the summer months, with costumed guides. Built in 1786 by Quaker
whalers from Nantucket, it is authentically restored and furnished. Costumed
guides will show you this charming 18th century home; occasional craft
demonstrations by local artisans.
World Peace Pavilion
Ferry Terminal Park (0n the waterfront), Dartmouth
Conceived by Metro Youth for Global Unity, this triangular-shaped monument
incorporates rocks and bricks from countries all over the world. Contributions
on display include a portion of a brick from the Great Wall of China and a
75-kilogram piece of the Berlin Wall from Germany. The pavilion serves as a
place of inspiration, reflection and education and is open year-round. |