Nestled on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find the undisputed capital of Canada’s Maritime region – the city of Halifax. For more than 250 years the city has been a military, commercial, political, and cultural powerhouse in Canada. Modern Halifax has come a long way from its time as a hub on the Atlantic trading route and is now a blend of the past and future, business, and pleasure.
The port remains a busy centre for shipping from all over the world and the harbour bustles with a mix of ferries, yachts, container ships, naval ships, and cruise ships!
Along the waterfront, you’ll find a plethora of museums, heritage shops, restaurants, and pubs to fill your day and night. Wander a little further inland to visit one of the city’s many parks or gardens or learn about the long military history at the Citadel National Historic site. Many of the city’s attractions are all within easy walking distance of each other, or from the cruise ship terminal if you are spending a day in port.
There are many places to add to your list of places to visit in Nova Scotia and Halifax may just be at the top of that list! The city is large enough to keep you busy for several days, yet small enough that you don’t feel overwhelmed.
Whether you are into history, ships and the sea, music, or getting outdoors, there is always something for you to see and do in Halifax. So, to help you get started with planning your own trip to Halifax, we’ve put together this list of 21 things to do in this great city on the sea!
A map showing the location of everything mentioned in this post can be found at the end.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
21 THINGS TO DO IN HALIFAX
- Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
- Seaport Farmer’s Market
- Historic Properties
- Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
- Halifax Public Gardens
- Alexander Keith’s Brewery
- Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
- Waterfront Boardwalk
- Old Burying Grounds and Fairview Cemetery
- Harbour Hopper
- Halifax Public Library
- Harbour Ferry
- Halifax Festivals
- HMSC Sackville
- Discovery Centre
- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
- St. Paul’s Church
- Local Seafood or Donair
- Province House
- Sir Sandford Fleming Park
- Street Art
Halifax has a long history of seafaring traditions and this museum is home to the city’s collection of all things nautical. Here you can learn all about the region’s links to the ocean – from the Titanic tragedy to fishing on the Grand Banks.
It is Canada’s oldest and largest maritime museum housed in a purpose-built structure that even incorporates a 20th-century chandlery, all located in the heart of the city’s waterfront.
Exhibits include the world’s largest collection of artifacts from the unsinkable Titanic – including the only deck chair recovered at the time of the sinking and the wireless log taken as the ship floundered. There is also a very powerful “Halifax Wrecked” gallery that tells the story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion that devasted the city. These are only a couple of the many, many exhibits in this wonderful museum and you could easily spend a few hours here.
Just outside the museum, you can also go aboard the CSS Acadia which is Canada’s longest-serving survey vessel. It was built in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England in 1913 and is the only surviving ship to have served the Royal Canadian Navy during both World Wars. It is free to tour the ship with proof of admission to the museum.
Reviews of Maritime Museum of the Atlantic | 1675 Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1S3
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.3 km | 15-minute walk | 4-minute drive
Photo Credit: Halifax Seaport Farmers Market
The original Halifax farmer’s market was started in 1750 by Royal Proclamation, just one year after the founding of Halifax. It started with vendors selling livestock and produce and has grown to over 250 vendors selling everything from prepared food, produce, and high-quality arts and crafts.
Since its beginning, the market has moved around to several locations around the city until it was moved to its present location in 2010. It is now the largest continuously running market in North America.
The market is popular with locals who pop in for something fresh and delicious on their lunch break or make a weekly visit on Saturdays when the market is bustling, especially between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm. For visitors to Halifax, it is a great spot to stop for your own lunch when out exploring the waterfront area, or to find some local treats and crafts to bring home to remember your visit to Halifax.If you’re visiting Halifax by cruise ship, the market is close to the cruise terminal so you could stop by on the way back to your ship at the end of your day exploring the city.
For those that really love a good Farmer’s Market, there is another market called Brewery Market that is open from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Alexander Keith’s Brewery building. It’s not as big as the Seaport Farmer’s Market, and it’s only open on Saturday but is worth checking out for the beautiful old building and the longtime artisans.
Reviews of Seaport Farmer’s Market | 1209 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4P8
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 0 km | 1-minute walk
The Historic Properties are the oldest surviving waterfront warehouses in Canada and are a wonderful way to stroll through some of the city’s history. The wooden and stone warehouse, chandleries, and other buildings were once used by privateers and other shipping interests and have been carefully restored to their 1800s glory.
Today this three-block expanse on Upper and Lower Water Streets is brought to life with boutiques, modern restaurants, cafés, and a brewery. During the day the area is busy with walkers, shoppers, buskers, and street vendors. At night, especially in the summer, live music is staged in the spaces between the historic buildings for a lively evening.
As you stroll along this area be sure to notice the Victorian and Italianate facades of these charming historic buildings and learn about the history of the site described on the interpretive panels halfway along the Privateer Wharf.
Reviews of Historic Properties | 1869 Upper Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.6 km | 20-minute walk | 6-minute drive
Affectionately called “Canada’s Front Door”, the Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 brings to life the stories of those who travelled across the ocean to make a new home in Canada. It describes their journey with first-hand accounts from their decision to leave their home country, the voyage to come to Canada, the rail journey some made to parts further inland, and then settling in their new country.
The museum is located on Lower Water Street which is right on the waterfront near Halifax’s massive cruise ship terminal. It has a long history of welcoming foreigners in its original capacity as an “immigration shed” in which it welcomed more than a million immigrants, refugees, and war brides that arrived in Canada between 1928 to 1971. Pier 21 was also the main departure point for 500,000 Canadians who fought in WWII.
This is one of Canada’s newest national museums that underwent extensive renovations and expansion and then was reopened in 2015. Some of the exhibits and activities that aren’t to be missed include:
- “Canada Immigration Hall” which showcases the benefits immigrants have brought to Canada’s culture and economy.
- The 30-minute film narrated by a fictional immigration officer called “Oceans of Hope”.
- The documents, artefacts, photos, and first-hand stories from people that tell the story of more than 400 years of immigration history. Some of Canada’s immigration policies and practices were less than admirable, but the museum doesn’t gloss over these so we can learn from our history.
For those with a family that immigrated to Canada through Halifax, there is a Research Centre with documents, passenger logs, and images of passenger vessels that can be used to learn about their ancestors. The museum also offers work experience and mentoring program to help newly arrived immigrants enter the workforce so your guide may have their own immigration story to share!
Reviews of Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 | 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4P7
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 0 km | 1-minute walk
Started in 1753 as a private garden, the Halifax Public Gardens are now compared to the pretty parks of Europe and considered to be one of the loveliest formal gardens in North America. They are set inside a beautiful wrought-iron fence and the over 16 acres in the heart of the Halifax are worth visiting at any time (or many times!) of the year.
The colours of the trees and flowers are ever-changing, starting with the tulips in the spring to the roses and rhododendrons in summer, to the oranges, reds, and gold of the autumn foliage. You are encouraged to take photos and will no doubt find many picturesque settings to capture some great shots. To see what’s in season for your visit, check out their information about what’s blooming.
Enter through the ornate gates at the main entrance and the simply enjoy wandering along the winding pathways with rests on the shady benches to watch the activity in the garden. You’re sure to see animals scurrying or, in the case of the ducks, waddling about along with couples having their wedding photos taken, as this is a very popular spot in the city, especially in the summer for wedding parties.
During July and August, there are also free Sunday afternoon concerts in the ornate bronze-roofed bandstand that dates from Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
Reviews of Halifax Public Gardens | 5665 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3S9
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 2.2 km | 30-minute walk | 6-minute drive
Alexander Keith arrived in 1795 bringing with him brewing techniques from his English homeland to a city of soldiers and sailors which is great timing if you want to open a brewery and make it a success, which is exactly what he did. Opened in 1820 in the grand ironstone and granite building, Keith’s brewery is now the oldest operating brewery in North America.
The main brewing operations have since moved to the Oland Brewery but the original brewery still stands and produces seasonal brews using traditional techniques. Visitors can learn all about the process during an interesting and entertaining hour-long tour. The costumed performers (guides) will regale you with stories of the brewery’s history and often break out into song and dance.
The tour ends in the basement pub where there is beer on tap and you can sample different types of beer if you’d like. Kids are allowed on the tour, but you must be 19 years old to drink alcohol. Minors, or anyone that doesn’t want a beer, can enjoy lemonade instead!
Reviews of Alexander Keith’s Brewery | 1496 Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3R5
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 850 m | 11-minute walk | 3-minute drive
As one of the most visited National Historic Sites in Canada and Halifax’s main attraction, this is one site you don’t want to miss, especially if you are interested in learning the history of the city.
Officially known as Fort George, the Citadel was built between 1828-1856 and was one of the largest British fortresses on the North American continent. Its purpose was to reduce the threat of a land attack by the American forces in the 1800s but continued to watch over Halifax until the end of World War II.
From below it may look like just a grassy mound at the top of George Street, but step inside and you’ll see the full scale of the fortress that includes moats, barracks, garrison cells, tunnels, ramparts, and plenty of cannons – one of which is fired at noon daily and can be heard from all around the city.
You could easily spend the better part of the day exploring the site if you are interested in military history. And if so, don’t miss the Army Museum on-site which presents hundreds of artefacts reflecting Atlantic Canada’s military heritage and displays military events in which Canadian forces played a significant role.
The hilltop setting provides commanding views over the city and harbour where you are sure to get some great photos too!
Reviews of Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada | 5425 Sackville Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3Y3
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 2.6 km | 30-minute walk | 8-minute drive
For a leisurely day in the city, take a stroll along the 4 km boardwalk along the water. The rehabilitated waterfront extends from Casino Nova Scotia near Purdy’s Wharf to Pier 21/22 at the cruise ship terminal which makes it a great idea for a day in port if you are arriving by cruise ship. The boardwalk takes you the length of the shoreline past the Seaport Farmer’s Market, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, and Historic Properties – all with great views of the harbour so don’t forget your camera!
On a sunny summer afternoon, the waterfront bustles with visitors enjoying the harbour (sometimes with views of naval vessels from the Canadian fleet), and locals sneaking in an ice cream cone on their lunch break.
Many of the city’s best restaurants and cafés are found along this path so you can find a place to savour dinner of the delicious seafood that Nova Scotia is known for while enjoying the sea breezes. After dinner, you are likely to find buskers and street performers along the boardwalk for some evening entertainment.
While walking along the waterfront is free, you may want to consider a guided walking tour so you won’t miss the best bits and can learn about the city’s history and attractions.
Reviews of Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk | Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4P8
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 400 m | 5-minute walk
For a tranquil place to visit to wander and reflect, the Old Burying Ground would be a lovely stop on your visit to Halifax. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1991 and is the city’s first cemetery.
About 12,000 people were buried on these small grounds between 1749 and 1844, although only about one in ten owns one of the age-darkened, hand-carved, old-fashioned headstones. At the entrance, you’ll find a locally famous sculpture of a lion with a Medusa-like man and there are two historic churches nearby that can be viewed through leafy old trees.
This area of the city is steeped in the history of the city’s founders and other notables. The Old Burying Ground includes the 1754 grave of John Connor, the settlement’s first ferry captain. Interpretive signs in the cemetery indicate gravestones of historic significance.
For those interested in Titanic history, a visit to Fairview Lawn Cemetery is a poignant place to visit as it is the final resting place for 121 victims of the tragedy.
The graves are easily found in the cemetery as they are placed in a graceful arc of granite tombstones. When the bodies were pulled from the Atlantic Ocean, they were given a number. These numbers, along with the date of the disaster, adorn a majority of the simple headstones paid for by the White Star Line. Some of the bodies were able to be identified and these stones bear their names and moving family messages.
Please note this is a working cemetery and not a “Titanic tourist attraction” so visitors are free to visit but appropriate respect should be shown.
Reviews of Fairview Lawn Cemetery | 3720 Windsor Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3A5
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 8 km | 14-minute drive
Reviews of Old Burying Ground | Corner of Spring Garden and Barrington Streets, Halifax, Nova Scotia
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.1 km | 15-minute walk | 4-minute drive
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Len Wagg
Visiting Halifax and can’t decide if you want to see it by land or sea? Well, you are in luck because you can do both with the Harbour Hopper!
You may have seen these WWII amphibious vehicles in other cities you’ve visited, and while they might look quite touristy, once you are aboard, you’ll likely forget all that as you see how informative and enjoyable the ride is.
The Halifax Harbour Hopper fully narrated guided tour is about an hour long and takes you through the city streets to see major sites such as the Citadel, Halifax Public Gardens, and St. Paul’s Church. From there you splash into the harbour and the vehicle works as a boat to take you to see sights in the harbour such as George’s Island and all along the Halifax Waterfront. Along the way, you’ll learn about the city’s history with topics such as the Halifax Explosion and the city’s role during war and peace.
This is Atlantic Canada’s most popular tour so make sure to book your tickets early to reserve your spot. Then don’t forget your camera, sunscreen, and a jacket (it can be windy on the water!) and be ready to enjoy a different vantage point of the city!
Reviews of Harbour Hopper Tours | 5050 Salter Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.1 km | 15-minute walk | 4-minute drive
Not everyone looks for libraries to visit wherever they go like I do, but even those that don’t can likely appreciate the exciting new central library in Halifax that opened in 2014.
Situated in downtown Halifax, it is considered by many to be the city’s most innovative architectural work. From the outside, the building’s four glass boxes are stacked and twisted to create a stunning building block effect that looks like a stack of books. On the inside, it is airy, open and full of light with secret quiet corners for reading and stairwells that crisscross like those at Hogwarts (Harry Potter’s fictional school).
Even if you aren’t looking for a book or a place to read, you can still visit the library to see the 5,000+ library card-sized paintings that adorn one wall by artist Cliff Eyland, pop into one of the two cafés for a break, head to the rooftop terrace for fabulous views around the city, or take in a concert in the reading room that transforms into a concert hall!
Reviews of Halifax Central Library | 5540 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1E9
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.4 km | 18-minute walk | 5-minute drive
For a really affordable alternative to a guided boat tour, consider hopping on the Halifax Harbour Ferry for fantastic views of the harbour, Waterfront Boardwalk, and the bridges that span the narrows between Halifax and Dartmouth.
The ferry service was inaugurated in 1752 and is North America’s oldest saltwater ferry service. For only a few ‘loonies’ (Canadian dollar coins) you can have a relaxing 15 to 20-minute ride across the harbour into Dartmouth on the Alderney Ferry. Once in Dartmouth, you can walk up to a few of the local breweries for a quick pint before heading back to Halifax.
The ferry can be hectic during rush hour with commuters but is quiet for most of the rest of the day. The ferries run about every 15 minutes so you won’t have to wait long for your little harbour cruise!
Reviews of Halifax Harbour Ferry | Halifax Ferry Terminal, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1M3
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.5 km | 20-minute walk | 5-minute drive
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia
If you enjoy music and festivals, you are in luck with Halifax! The city and its surrounding communities have an event-packed calendar so there is sure to be something going on when you visit, especially in the summer months when Haligonians (people from Halifax) just want to get outside.
Some great festivals to check out are:
- Savour Food and Wine Festival that runs between January and March. This is a growing number of culinary experiences where many of the city’s best restaurants offer special fixed-price menus to mark the occasion.
- Halifax Comedy Fest is a four-day festival of laughs in April. Some of the shows during this festival are free.
- Halifax Jazz Festival is the largest Canadian music festival east of Montreal and one of North America’s major jazz events. It takes place over eight days in July and features many of the world’s big names playing alongside local talent in a variety of venues around the city.
- Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo bills itself as the “world’s largest indoor show” and is an eight-day mix of marching bands, gymnastics, pageantry, dance, military competitions, and music held in July.
- FIN Atlantic Film Festival is a ten-day celebration in September of film and video from the Atlantic Provinces, Canada, and around the world with screenings of more than 150 films.
Photo Credit: kitmasterbloke / CC BY 2.0
Moored to one of the wharves near the Maritime Museum and CSS Acadia you can find the HMCS Sackville which is the world’s last surviving Flower-class corvette (a warship one step down from a destroyer) and Canada’s oldest warship. This ship saw a lot of action in World War II as it escorted convoys across the Atlantic Ocean.
The HMCS Sackville is painted a distinctive blue and white and is outfitted just as it was in 1944. It is maintained as a memorial to all those who served in the Royal Canadian Navy and a seasonal museum. Visitors can tour the ship and learn about the harsh conditions of life at sea during the pivotal Battle of the Atlantic.
Reviews of HMCS Sackville | 1675 Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 5X5
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.2 km | 15-minute walk | 4-minute drive
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Aaron MacKenzie Fraser
Visiting Halifax with kids? Then you’ll want to add the Discover Centre, Atlantic Canada’s premier science centre, to your list of things to do.
Re-opened in a new and bigger waterfront location a few years ago, this interactive centre is an exciting place that will keep children (and their parents!) enthralled as they explore the fun of science and technology.
The Discovery Centre features five state-of-the-art themed galleries such as an Ocean Gallery to learn about the water cycle, climate change and marine ecosystems; the Energy Gallery to discover the many forms of energy such as electrical, chemical, and nuclear; and the Health Gallery to learn all about how your brain and your body work.
You can explore independently and the staff are always ready to showcase live science demos and answer your questions.
Reviews of Discovery Centre | 1215 Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3S8
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 550 m | 7-minute walk
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Wally Hayes
Housed in a beautiful 1867 Italianate-style building that previously served as a post office, bank, and the headquarters for the RCMP, the Nova Scotia Art Gallery is Atlantic Canada’s largest and finest art collection. There are so many works of art (over 17,000 in the permanent collection) that there are also two floors of gallery space within the neighbouring Provincial Building.
The permanent collections give priority to current and former Nova Scotia residents and include contemporary art from artists Garry Neill Kennedy, a major collection of Annie Leibovitz photographs, alongside the region’s best folk art such as wood-carver Sydney Howard.
The most famous parts of the collection are likely those of the province’s most well-known folk artist, Maude Lewis. Critics argue that while she was known for her paintings, her tiny home that she shared with her husband was actually her best piece of work. She painted both the interior and exterior of her home and today you can find the original home on display in the gallery.
Reviews of Art Gallery of Nova Scotia | 1741 Hollis Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1V9
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.5 km | 20-minute walk | 6-minute drive
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia
Opened in 1750, St. Paul’s Church is the oldest surviving building in Halifax and Canada’s oldest Protestant Church. It was styled after the Palladian St. Peter’s Church in London, England and has been designated as a National Historic Site.
Today this stately white wooden church stands proudly amongst the modern office buildings of Halifax. It is the burial site of many colonial notables and the interior is full of memorials to the early residents of Halifax. It also remains an active church and a pew is always reserved for Queen Elizabeth at Sunday morning services.
St. Paul’s Church played a pivotal role during the 1917 Halifax Explosion when the vestry was used as a makeshift hospital even though it suffered damage itself. During the explosion, the windows of the church were blown out and you can see a framed piece of the original piece of the window on the wall along with debris embedded above the Memorial Doors which is shrapnel hurled from the Mont Blanc from two km away.
Legend now has it that a deacon happened to be standing sideways by a window when the explosion took place and the heat and blast left on a mark on the glass that looks like the side silhouette of a man permanently marked in the window. The story goes that they have tried to replace and fix this strange marking on the window, but it keeps coming back! This is one of those fun things to see in Halifax if you like spooky legends or mysteries!
Reviews of St. Paul’s Church | 1749 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3K4
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.6 km | 21-minute walk | 7-minute drive
Photo Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Scott Munn
One of the best ways to get to know a new city is through their food, especially on a food tour where you get to visit historic landmarks and sights all while sampling the best of the local food from cafés, street food, and local restaurants.
To get to know Halifax, and indeed all of Nova Scotia, through its food you must try some seafood! The province is known for its abundance of lobsters and scallops and you can find many seafood restaurants in the city – some even with ties to the Titanic tragedy.
The Five Fishermen Restaurant was once a schoolhouse before becoming a mortuary. When the Titanic sank boats from Halifax were the first responders and many casualties were brought here where the mortuary made arrangements for their bodies. Today the building is an upscale seafood dining establishment where you can have a plate of lobster with a side of garlic butter for dipping, or a bowl of seafood chowder for lunch. Either way, if you’re a seafood lover, you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re not a seafood lover, you could try a donair that has been declared the official food of Halifax. Made with a combination of spiced meat cooked on a spit, and then wrapped in a pita with onion, tomatoes and a special sweet sauce – they are delicious! You can give one a go at the first donair shop in all of Canada at the King of Donair on Quinpool Road in Halifax. Alternatively, you can also try them at a chain called Greco which are firm favourites of ours!
Reviews of Food & Drink Tours in Halifax | See each tour for address
Reviews of King of Donair | 6420 Quinpool Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 1A8
Reviews of Greco | 70 Lacewood Drive Clayton Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 2P1
Photo Credit: CP Hoffman / CC BY-SA 2.0
Opened for the first time in February 1819, Province House is a National Historic Site for being both an architectural monument and the setting for significant events in Canadian political life.
In addition to being the longest-serving legislative building in Canada, it was the scene of constitutional and legal debates which lead to the establishment of two fundamental principles of Canadian democracy – freedom of the press and responsible government.
Province House is built in the same location as the previous Governor’s House, erected by Edward Cornwallis in 1749. It is a grand three-storey building made of Wallace sandstone surrounded by a garden and monuments. It is considered to be one of the finest Palladian-style buildings in Canada with its symmetrical composition and refined interior detailing known for this style of classical architecture of Georgian England. In fact, in 1842 when Charles Dickens visited Halifax, he was known to have called it “a gem of Georgian architecture.”
Visitors are welcome to explore the architecture, history and art of Province House, or you see it in action by observing a sitting of the House of Assembly.
Reviews of Province House | 1726 Hollis Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2Y3
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 1.5 km | 20-minute walk | 6-minute drive
Nature lovers will really enjoy a visit to Sir Sandford Fleming Park which is a 95-acre urban park with four natural habitats – woodlands, heath barren, saltwater, and a freshwater pond. You could walk the walking trails, especially the trail along the waterfront, there is a sandy beach for unsupervised swimming, and ponds with waterfowl.
The park was donated to the city of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming, known for many things including introducing standard time to North American and designing Canada’s first postage stamp, in 1908.
The centrepiece of the park is the impressive ten-storey Dingle Tower (also known as Memorial Tower) built between 1908 and 1912, during the same period of building other commemorative towers in the British Commonwealth such as the Cabot Tower in Bristol, England. The tower was dedicated in 1912 to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia and is now on Canada’s Historic Places list.
At the base of the tower are two large bronze lions that were donated in 1913 by the Royal Colonial Institute of London and are similar to the lions at Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. The tower is open during the summer and early autumn so you can climb to the top for fabulous views over the Northwest Arm and surrounding areal.
Reviews of Sir Sanford Fleming Park | 30 Dingle Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3P 1B2
🛳️ Distance from Halifax Cruise Port: 8.2 km | 20-minute drive
Over the past decade or so, the attitude toward street art has changed and now many metropolitan governments and local businesses have started commissioning artists to brighten up the walls of their cities with murals that are reflective of the local area and Halifax is no exception.
Scattered throughout the city you’ll find plenty of different murals that you might encounter by chance as you are out exploring the city, or you could take set out purposely to see a few of some of the cool murals popping up such as ‘Freak Lunchbox’. This massive mural is hard to miss with stunning colourful sea creatures and candy covering the side of a building on Barrington Street. At night the mural is illuminated with colour-changing lights which is a different experience than viewing it during the day.
To check out some of the street art popping up in Halifax, check out the Instagram account “hfxstreetart” which features over 100 works of street art around the Halifax area.
Looking for more information to plan your visit to Nova Scotia? You may find these articles helpful.
RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR TRIP TO NOVA SCOTIA
- Fodor’s Travel: Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada
- Frommer’s Easy Guide to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick
- Moon Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador
- Lonely Planet: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
- Nova Scotia Book of Everything
- Bradt: Nova Scotia – This book is the most comprehensive and what I consider to be the very best Nova Scotia guidebook.
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