Compared to locations like Toronto and Vancouver, Halifax hardly qualifies as a city. However, this seaside town offers more than its size: it is dotted with a landmark citadel, public parks, and red-brick heritage buildings, blessed with some world-class museums, and home to an epic 4-kilometer seafront boardwalk. Some friends of mine who own an Edmonton siding company take frequent trips back to the east coast to visit friends and family. Thanks to their help and my recent adventure to the Maritimes, I’ve put together the top must-see attractions in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Canadian Museum of Immigration
There is an argument that this museum is the most important institution in Canada. Pier 21 was once the Canadian version of the Ellis Island of the USA, where all the potential immigrants arrived. Over a million people went through the halls, and it is a passionate experience to pass through the same doorways where immigrants from different parts of the world started new lives. A combination of personal testimonies, poignant artifacts, and audiovisual exhibits make for a moving and powerful museum.
Citadel Hill Historic Site
Sitting on the grassy hillock overlooking the town, this fort played a significant role in the founding of Halifax. Construction started in 1749; the present citadel is the 4th, built from 1818 – 1861. The battements and grounds inside this star-shaped fort are open to the public year-round. The exhibits are usually closed between November and April, so we advise that you visit between May and October when visitors are allowed to visit the gunpowder magazines, the engineer’s store, the signal post, the guard’s room, and the barracks.
Halifax Central Library
Built on what used to be a parking lot, this impressive modern library, comprising glass boxes artfully stacked atop each other, has become a popular meeting point among Haligonians ever since it was opened to the public in 2014. Inside, there are concrete staircases ascending Escher-like via the central atrium, leading to a rooftop where there are a viewing garden and an excellent café.
Nova Scotia Art Gallery
This art gallery is a premier art institution in this province and is a must-see when you are in this region. It has a wide variety of local art collection, especially the artwork of Maud Lewis, a folk artist. The major exhibit in the lower hall regularly changes and features anything from the avant-garde to ancient art.
Halifax Public Gardens
Established to mark Confederation in 1867, but in 1875 opened formally to the public, Halifax’s delightful public gardens are a good sample of Victorian horticultural planning. It is stocked with ponds, bridges, fountains, statues, lakes, and a wide variety of formal flower beds and trees.