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Halifax As one of the oldest cities on the continent, Halifax has a variety of historic sights. As capital, it is also home to the major art galleries and museums of the province. Anna Leonowens Gallery: 5163 Duke Street. Granville Mall Square, in the historic properties district near the harbour. Works by students, faculty and visitors of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Army Museum: Cavalier Building of Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. Most Haligonians don't even know it exists. British and Nova Scotian militaria. Open summers only. Art Gallery of Nova Scotia: 1723 Hollis Street. Modern gallery facilities in a renovated heritage building. Travelling exhibits, folk art, native art, and a permanent collection of Nova Scotian, Canadian and international pieces. Black Cultural Centre: 1149 Main St (Rte 7) at Cherrybrook Rd. 800-465-0767. The history and culture of black Nova Scotians, including the Underground Railroad, Black Loyalists, and modern achievements. Burke-Gaffney Observatory: Robie Street. Observatory with several telescopes, open to the public year-round on 1st and 3rd Saturdays, when the weather is clear. Cathedral Church of All Saints: 5732 College Street. Historic church known for its stained glass windows. Chebucto Head Lighthouse Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum: 471 Poplar Dr, Cole Harbour. 200-year old farmhouse with gardens, livestock, picnic tables, washrooms, adjacent walking trail, pond and marsh, and free parking and admission. Dalhousie Art Gallery: 6101 University Ave. In the Dalhousie Arts Centre. Discovery Centre: 1593 Barrington St. Hands-on science centre for kids (and adults) with gift shop. Evergreen House: 26 Newcastle Street, Dartmouth. Free admissions (donations encouraged). Summer only. Restored Victorian home built in 1867 for Judge Alexander James, and former home of author and folklorist Dr Helen Creighton. Contains the Regional Museum of Cultural History's collection of Victorian furniture. Fort McNab: On McNabs Island. Ruins of a fort that served (with York Redoubt) as part of harbour defence from 1888 to WWII. Summers only. Accessible by private ferry from Cable Wharf in downtown Halifax. Grand Parade: The area in front of Halifax City Hall where the Cenotaph (war monument) stands. Most political rallies start here. The City's Christmas tree is put up here. Great place to get an over-priced hot dog at 3 a.m. Halifax Citadel: Legend goes that this fort was obsolete before it was finished in 1856. The focal point of Halifax and the reason much of the sightlines along the harbour remain unobstructed. Star-shaped masonry structure with defensive ditch, earthen ramparts, musketry gallery, powder magazine, garrison cells, guard room, barracks and a bunch of tour guides playing the bagpipes. Halifax Public Gardens: Spring Garden Rd at South Park St. Formal Victorian public garden enclosed by wrought-iron fence. Many of its trees were felled by Hurricane Juan in autumn 2003. Closed in winter. Ducks and geese and walkways, lots of shade and an open picnic area and one end. Sometimes bands play in the bandstand, especially on civic holidays. Historic Properties: 1869 Upper Water Street. Canada's oldest surviving group of waterfront warehouses. Victorian-Italianate facades. Beautiful to look at, though the shops are pretty twee nowadays. Maritime Museum of the Atlantic: 1675 Lower Water Street. Days of Sail, Titanic, Halifax Explosion. Museum of Natural History: 1747 Summer Street. Neptune Theatre: 1593 Argyle Street. Largest theatre in the province. Nova Scotia Centre for Craft & Design: 1683 Barrington Street. Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame: 1645 Granville Street. Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel: South Park and South streets. Built 31 August 1843, in one day. French 17th century stained-glass windows. Pier 21 National Historic Site: 1055 Marginal Road. Last remaining immigration shed in Canada (but not in use). Often called Canada's Ellis Island. Point Pleasant Park: Point Pleasant Dr. Huge wooded area with historic ruins and monuments (including the Prince of Wales Martello Tower). Closed after Hurrican Juan took out half of its trees in autumn 2003; check with locals to see if it has re-opened before visiting. Province House: 1726 Hollis Street. Canada’s oldest provincial legislative assembly, and the original home of Britain’s first overseas self-government. Georgian architecture. Quaker Whaler's House: 57-59 Ochterloney Drive, Dartmouth. Summers only, free admission, donations welcome, guides in period costume. Restored 18th century house associated with the Nantucket whalers (who were in Dartmouth from 1785 to 1792). Saint George's Round Church : 2222 Brunswick Street. First Lutheran Church in Canada, built 1756. Now Anglican. Damaged by fire in 1994, but has been restored. Shearwater Aviation Museum: 12 Wing, Eastern Passage. Shubenacadie Canal: 54 Locks Road , Dartmouth. Trails along the canal, which feeds into Halifax Harbour. Fairbanks Interpretive Centre explains the 19th century engineering. Smiley Face Museum: Most locals don't know about this. 22 Wentworth Street, Dartmouth. Admission by donation. Open Saturdays only. Phone (902) 463-6287. St. Mary's Basilica: 1508 Barrington Street. National Historic site. The Old Burying Ground & Welsford-Parker Monument: Barrington Street. First burial ground in Halifax. Locals sometimes refer to it as the Master of Puppets Graveyard because it looks something like that album cover. World Peace Pavilion: Dartmouth Waterfront. Opened for the G7 Summit in 1995. Countries contributed rocks and bricks from cherished historical sites or representing their achievements. Includes pieces of the Berlin Wall and the Great Wall of China.
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