Day trips from Halifax
Discover four amazing National Historic Sites all within the city of Halifax. Each site was part of the vast defense complex that once surrounded the city, overlooking the seas watching for incoming French ships!
Let these must-see Nova Scotia destinations inspire your next visit!
Historic star-shaped fort from 1749 overlooking the harbor.
- Walk: Downtown Halifax
- Transit: Sightseeing tour bus
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
How to get there
- Walk: It’s right downtown. Climb the stairs in front of the Old Town Clock, or take the gentler climb from Sackville Street.
- Transit: The Big Pink Sightseeing Tour bus drops you off at the Citadel’s front gate.
What to do
- March back to 1749 and take a self-guided tour through this fascinating fort, from the soldiers’ barracks and guard room, to the schoolroom and garrison cells.
- Dare to be scared a candle-lit journey through the haunted history of Halifax in the company of a ghostly guide who will haunt your dreams with spooky tales of the Citadel’s chilling past.
- Join the 78th Highlanders and walk in the footsteps of history when you take the ‘King’s shilling’ and sign on as a 19th century soldier, complete with an authentic uniform and rifle.
Solve a 19th century mystery
Calling all junior spies! Pick up a copy of the Citadel Adventures comic book and help us foil the enemy’s plans by solving six clues to complete a secret mission and receive a reward.
The first Martello tower built in North America, dating back to the 1790s.
- Drive: 10 minutes
- Transit: 25 minutes
Prince of Wales Tower National Historic Site
How to get there
- Drive: Ten minutes from downtown via Tower Road in Point Pleasant Park.
- Transit: The number 9 bus from downtown brings you to the Point Pleasant Park entrance.
What to do
- Take a self-guided tour and let your imagination run wild as you follow interpretive panels telling the story of more than 200 years of clashes between the British and the French.
- Pick up a meal in town and enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the edge of the ocean, or take a bike ride along the trails.
- Birdwatchers may be rewarded with the sight of rare warblers or beautiful green-coloured vireos.
Did you know?
The tower is almost three times as wide as it is high with eight-foot thick walls.
27 buildings and armaments first built in 1793 to protect Halifax.
- Drive: 20 minutes
- Transit: 40 minutes
York Redoubt National Historic Site
How to get there
- Drive: 20 minutes from downtown via Purcells Cove Road/NS-253 S.
- Transit: Take the number 20 bus to Herring Cove and transfer to the 15 to Purcells Cove.
What to do
- Hike along the armaments and imagine life here in the 1700s. Look out for canons perched high on the bluffs and explore the past with the help of the visual displays.
Location, Location, Location
Look down towards the harbour from the vantage point of York Redoubt and you’ll see why the British picked this spot: as it boasts a spectacular view over the Halifax Harbour—all the better for spotting French battleships!
North America’s oldest military blockhouse.
- Drive: 50 minutes
Fort Edward National Historic Site
How to get there
- Drive: Around 50 minutes by car on the NS-101 W.
What to do
- Step inside the original historic blockhouse, its wooden floorboards creaking as you walk in the footsteps of the soldiers who were stationed here.
- Spot graffiti scratched into the walls and run your fingers along the musket slits. Imagine life in the mid-1700s as British troops imposed colonial rule over the indigenous Mi’kmaq people and Acadian settlers.
- Pack a picnic or head for a hike high above Nova Scotia’s historic Minas Basin.
Tragic Past
In 1755, Fort Edward was used as a prison and deportation centre for 1,200 Acadians during the Deportation of the Acadians.
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