Visit

Experience Nova Scotia’s Gaelic culture, heritage and hospitality at this living history museum and folk-life centre in scenic Iona, located in the heart of Cape Breton and overlooking the magnificent Barramens Strait on the Bras d’Or Lakes.

Come discover Balmoral Grist Mill Museum; a three-storey mill tucked away in a wooded gorge on Matheson’s Brook.

See the mill in action, just as it would have been when Alexander McKay opened it in 1874. Hear the whir of wooden gears as shafts and pulleys turn the original Scottish granite millstones. Watch as grains are ground, sifted and turned into flour.

The Black Loyalist Heritage Centre tells the story of the world’s largest free African population outside of Africa, in the late 18th century in Nova Scotia.

Enjoy the view of Birchtown Bay when you climb up the Shaw Turret, which commemorates all Black Loyalist communities in Nova Scotia. Enter the Centre’s Lindsay Gallery and immerse yourself in the multimedia presentation of the Black Loyalist journey from Africa to the American colonies, then to Nova Scotia and back to Africa. Explore the virtual copy of the Carlton’s Book of Negroes and search for an ancestor who may have experienced part of this incredible journey.

Wind your way up the tree-lined drive to visit the beautiful park and grand home. Built in 1835 by Nova Scotian author and judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton and his wife Louisa, The property's sixteen owners and tenants each left their mark inside and out.

The word Clifton evolved from the Old English words clif (cliff or bank) and tun (town, settlement, farmstead), meaning town near the cliff. Situated in the town of Windsor along the banks of the Avon River, Louisa thought it was the perfect place to name after her hometown of Clifton, England.

The Birthplace of Hockey Museum is located in one wing of Clifton Museum. Filled with two hundred years of hockey history and artifacts, see the influences and evolution that led to the game we know today.

Step into this authentic harbour-side dory factory to discover the historic Shelburne Dory and enter the world of the famous Grand Banks fishery as it existed from 1880 to 1971.

Learn how Shelburne dorymakers rivaled their Lunenburg competitors by using the dory clip. Find out why the reliable dory was the backbone of the east coast fishery and the most popular small craft in the Atlantic Provinces for almost a century.

Imagine the clang of the fire bell, the smell of smoke and the feel of hot steam as firefighters of the past raced to save burning homes in Yarmouth and communities across Nova Scotia.

See types of fire engines used in Nova Scotia from the 1800s to the 1930s. Marvel at antique hand-drawn and operated engines such as Canada’s oldest horse-drawn steam engine, an 1863 Amoskeag Steamer. Take the wheel of a 1933 Chev Bickle pumper as you discover the history of firefighting in this province.

Learn about Rum Running, whales and August Gales. Have a yarn with old salts and enjoy Bluenose memorabilia. Walk the docks, visit our wharf-side vessels and refresh in the salt air as you take in one of the best maritime moments in the world.

Come and explore Nova Scotia’s ancient world near the Bay of Fundy, where the world’s highest tides erode the towering sea cliffs to reveal evidence of 350 million-year-old fossils and local minerals, including amethyst and agate gem stones.

From small craft boatbuilding to World War Convoys, the Days of Sail to the Age of Steam, the Titanic to the Halifax Explosion, you’ll discover the stories, events and people that have come to define this province and its relationship with the sea.

Come explore Atlantic Canada’s largest museum to discover the people, places and machines of Nova Scotia’s industrial past. Push, pull, lift, drop and laugh as you enjoy acres of exhibits and interactive displays that highlight how technology – and people – worked throughout this province’s history.

Explore Nova Scotia’s forest, ocean and more at the Museum of Natural History. Observe live reptiles and amphibians, learn about Earth and space with Science on a Sphere, and discover thousands of years of history with Mi’kmaq artifacts. From the sands of Sable Island to the wings of a honeybee, there’s something for everyone.

Among the oldest in North America, this meeting house was a building-in-progress for its first hundred years. Built by Congregationalist fishermen and farmers from Cape Cod, called Planters, the windows, doors, box pews, and a pulpit were added by the mid-1800s.

Come to Ross Farm Museum to explore 60 acres of rolling farmland and discover what life was like on a Nova Scotia family farm over 100 years ago.

In the 1860s, timber, tall ships and gold ruled life along the St. Mary’s River, turning the community of Sherbrooke into a prosperous boom town. Today, the picturesque village still stands proud, just as it did more than 100 years ago.

Founded in 1653 by Sieur Philippe Mius-d’Entremont, this remarkable community showcases the industrious and joyful spirit of the Acadian people, celebrating a language and culture that has thrived for more than 350 years.

Uniacke Estate Museum Park is part of what was the expansive country estate of Attorney-General Richard John Uniacke (1753-1830). Built between 1813 and 1815, the grand country house is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Canada. The estate offers visitors a vivid glimpse of life in the early 1800s among Nova Scotia's gentry.