Learning about history from books and museums is great, but sometimes you want a closer look. That’s why you go to historic sites, which do sometimes include museum-like centres but also focus on the location of these buildings.
Nova Scotia’s history stretches back centuries, and visiting these sites gives you a chance to experience some of it up close. If you love history even a little bit, let this be your tour guide!
Age of Sail Heritage Centre
If you want to learn all about the Age of Sail, this Heritage Centre should answer all of your questions. The buildings include an original working blacksmith shop, the 1908 lighthouse, and a walkway on the wharf. Displays tell you everything about the sailing history of Parrsboro, with everything from cutting down trees to crafting the last details on the ship. Since it’s on a site that was once a shipyard, it gives you a great grasp of the area.
Where: 8334 Highway 209, Port Greville
Contact Details: 902-348-2030
An Drochaid
An Drochaid is Gaelic for “the bridge” and naturally this site focuses on Gaelic culture. When it was first built, An Drochaid was a general store, where I imagine some customers spoke a mixture of Gaelic and English, especially when they get cranky. The centre focuses on research and local music, and you can learn about the Gaelic language while you listen to local music and read through records. Maybe you’ll find some family members here!
Where: 11513 Highway 19, Mabou, Cape Breton
Contact Details: 902-945-2311
Black Loyalist Heritage Site
The history of Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia is long and complex, and this heritage site does its best to showcase that story for all its visitors. You can take a tour where guides explain the journey of the Loyalists from slavery to freedom and their new start in Nova Scotia. There are also other heritage buildings on the property, like St. Paul’s Church (1888) and the Old School House museum.
Where: 119 Old Birchtown Road, Birchtown
Contact Details: 902-875-1310
Celtic Music Interpretive Centre
When you type “is Celtic” into Google, the top suggestion is “is Celtic Irish or Scottish”? The answer is that it’s both, and Welsh traditions are included too. You can learn about Cape Breton Celtic music from all these cultural influences here, including live music demonstrations. Learning about this musical tradition will teach you a lot about Cape Breton’s musical heritage, and it will prepare you for the twice-weekly ceilidhs (dances).
Where: 5471 Highway 19, Judique, Cape Breton
Contact Details: 902-787-2708
Église Sacre Coeur
This wooden church has a long history in this Acadian fishing village. Built in 1880, the church serves six of the nearby villages. The artwork of the church is fascinating, with beautiful stained-glass windows and handcrafted woodwork. Make sure you take one of the guided tours, which will teach you all about the history of this church. And if you’ve learned French, the guides are bilingual, so you can practice your listening and speaking!
Where: 9650 Highway 1, Saulnierville
Contact Details: 902-769-2113
Evergreen House
The Evergreen House is more blue than green, but it’s still green so it counts. This is a restored Victorian home, and was once home to Dr. Helen Creighton. If you don’t know her and you love ghost stories, you have to check out her collections of Nova Scotia paranormal stories! The house is full of antiques and period furniture, and the kids can even play in the Victorian dress-up room! If you want to wander, you can, or you can take a guided tour through the residence. I wonder if there are any ghosts here.
Where: 26 Newcastle Street, Dartmouth
Contact Details: 902-464-2300
Gilbert’s Cove Lighthouse
Several lighthouses in Nova Scotia have been nearly lost due to neglect, and Gilbert’s Cove was no exception. Happily, the lighthouse was saved and is now a museum. You can see artifacts, genealogy information (any lightkeepers in the family?) and even see an active quilting room. What might be best is that you can actually swim beside the picnic area since this lighthouse isn’t above a giant cliff, and hopefully the lightkeepers could enjoy a dip once in a while too.
Where: 244 Lighthouse Road, Gilbert’s Cove
Contact Details: 902-837-5584
Great Hall of the Clans at the Gaelic College
It’s no surprise that New Scotland has a strong Gaelic history, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the Great Hall. Interactive displays show every aspect of the history of the first settlers from Scotland and how their traditions have been passed down. Make sure to check out Reverend Norman MacLeod’s exhibit (the story goes all the way to New Zealand, that’s all I’m going to say), and stay to see the construction of kilts, a weaver at work and even a lunchtime ceilidh.
Where: 51779 Cabot Trail, St. Ann’s, Cape Breton
Contact Details: 902-295-3411
Halifax Citadel
This historical site is so fascinating because it was built for a war that never happened, so it has a much less bloody history than most forts. High on Citadel Hill, you can come and learn all about life in this fort from 1749 onward, see demonstrations, and watch as they fire the Noon Gun. Come back after dark and get a ghostly tour of the fort. Make sure you come back in the winter for sledding—I’ve got to wonder if those soldiers ever imagined that. Maybe they tobogganed too?
Where: 5425 Sackville Street, Halifax
Contact Details: 902-426-5080 or 888-773-8888
HMCS Sackville
The HMCS Sackville is an interesting historic site because it’s actually a ship! The last ship to survive World War II, the Sackville has a history full of stories perfect for sea shanties. You can visit the Sackville on the Halifax Harbour and actually see what life on the ship would be like. While you’re there, you should visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic if you want to learn even more.
Where: 1675 Lower Water Street, Sackville Landing
Contact Details: 902-210-1694
Lawrence House Museum
The Lawrence House once belonged to William D. Lawrence, who built the largest full-rigged ship ever built in Canada, back in 1871. You can now visit his home to learn all about that era of shipbuilding, which Lawrence supported ardently. With the Bay of Fundy close by, the Golden Age of Sail in this area had some unique challenges, and the tours will tell you how the shipbuilders overcame each and every one. There’s also a trail outside, where you can spot ducks, other waterfowl, and maybe even a bald eagle.
Where: 8660 Highway 215, Maitland
Contact Details: 902-261-2628
Le Village Historique Acadien
Historic villages are fascinating to me, because it’s like someone looked right at Father Time and said “nope”. From the Historic Acadian Village to Anglophones, you can step right back into the early 1900s. This village was founded by Acadians who made their way back to this area long after the Deportation, and it’s fascinating to see how their culture both changed and stayed the same. There’s a post office, root cellar, salt haystacks, and more. With regular re-enactments and workshops to learn traditional skill, you can let go of the challenges of modernity and focus on making dried salted fish for now.
Where: 91 Old Church Road, Lower West Pubnico
Contact Details: 902-672-2530 or 1-888-381-8999
LeNoir Forge Museum
Anyone who’s familiar with historical fiction knows about blacksmiths and forges, but do you know everything they can do? If not, you need to head to Isle Madame. LeNoir Forge Museum has a working forge and plenty of artifacts that tell the history of the community of Arichat and its connection to shipbuilding. There’s also a boat barn on site, which is amazing, and there are shanties with other exhibits scattered around. There’s also plenty of activities on-site for all ages, so keep your eyes out.
Where: 708 Veteran’s Memorial Drive, Arichat, Cape Breton
Contact Details: 902-226-9364
Lower Selma Museum & Heritage Cemetery
This site has artifacts from Lower Selma’s history that range from farm tools to the Original Presbyterian church. The inside of the church has well-set-up displays that will teach you everything you want to know. If you’ve got roots in this part of the province, they also have genealogical records you can peruse. Make sure you pay your respects at the Heritage Cemetery before you go.
Where: 6971 Highway 215, Lower Selma
Contact Details: 902-589-0940
Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre
With a statue of Glooscap standing guard, Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre invites all visitors to learn about the local Mi’kmaq. You can take a tour that gives you an overview of the whole centre, or you can walk around on your own to take in everything. There are also several traditional activities, including making your own talking stick, hand drum, and learning about important symbols like the Medicine Wheel. A visit to this centre will fill in an important gap of provincial history, and seeks to celebrate the culture while acknowledging the challenges the Mi’kmaq have faced while trying to keep it alive.
Where: 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook
Contact Details: 902-843-3493 or 800-895-1177
Mother of Sorrows Pioneer Shrine
The pioneers of Nova Scotia faced rough conditions in this new land. The harsh winters are one thing, but I wonder how heartbreaking the frequent freezing rain in April must have been as they struggled to set up farms. They persevered, but the sufferings and losses of these groups deserve to be recognized. This religious shrine is dedicated to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows and honours the memory of the pioneers of the Mabou area.
Where: 45 Southwest Ridge Road, Mabou, Cape Breton
Old Burial Ground
The Old Burial Ground of Liverpool absolutely earns its title—it started in 1760, making it the oldest burial ground in the town and among the oldest in Nova Scotia. Several of the founders of Liverpool are buried here, and many more followed until the last burial in 1894. Extensive research created interpretive panels and records about every single gravestone in the cemetery, which is quite the feat. While graveyards can be gloomy places, it’s been over a century since the last burial, so you can wander among the stones as at peace as the people buried here.
Where: Main Street, Liverpool
Contact Details: 902-354-5741 or 800-655-5741
Old Town Lunenburg
The entirety of Lunenburg is a UNESCO Heritage site, and it’s Old Town Lunenburg that got it that designation. Wandering the streets of this old town shows off a fascinating blend of the 18th century and modernity—after all, people still live here. You can see historic tall ships moored in the harbour, including the historic Bluenose II, and enjoy an afternoon at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. There are tours for every area of historical interest…including the haunting of Lunenburg.
Contact Details: 902-634-4410
Port-Royal National Historic Site
Port-Royal was one of the first settlements in all of North America. After a colony in Saint Croix got terrible scurvy (like dozens of people dead terrible), they were relocated to Port-Royal in 1605. This historical site is a reconstruction of the original layout, over 400 years old at the time. The residents of Port-Royal didn’t stay long—the French king cut off de Mons, the founder, and the habitation was actually left to the Mi’kmaq—you can get a glimpse of this first attempt to colonize the province. I wonder how they’d react to modern-day Nova Scotia…
Where: 53 Historic Lane, Port Royal
Contact Details: 902-532-2898 or 888-773-8888
Province House
This stately building in Halifax is the oldest legislative building in Canada. It’s undergone necessary renovations over the years, so it’s part Regency architecture and part Victorian. Tours in this building teach about the history, art, and architecture of the building. They also have a gorgeous library, and it’s worth a visit just to see the crazy-old historical records and reference books.
Where: 1726 Hollis Street, Halifax
Rossignol Cultural Centre
Would you like to learn about apothecaries? How about wildlife, or maybe you’re interested in folk art? Maybe you just want to learn about outhouses. Have no fear—at Rossignol Cultural Centre, you can do all of those things and more! The Centre is 6 museums in one, has multiple art galleries and libraries, and must have the most fascinating gift shop. This is a great outing for groups who can’t decide what they want to do, or just to get out of the rain and learn about local culture.
Where: 205 Church Street, Liverpool
Contact Details: 902-354-3067
SS Atlantic Heritage Park
Everyone knows about the Titanic and the part Halifax played in helping the survivors and burying the dead, but decades before the Titanic was even conceived, the SS Atlantic (of the same company, White Star Line, they did not have the best luck with their ships) ran aground off Lower Prospect. Around 550 of those aboard died, but thanks to the efforts of local fishermen, the rest were saved. This heritage park was created to honour that accident, with the graves of 277 victims interred here. There’s a long boardwalk so you’ve got time to walk and contemplate the tragedy, and the helpers—we should always remember the helpers.
Where: 178 Sandy Cove Road, Terence Bay
Contact Details: 902-852-1557
Ste-Anne First Chapel Site
This is not the first chapel site in Nova Scotia—it is, however, the first chapel built by the Acadians after they returned from exile in 1784. There’s now a replica church on the site, overlooking the first cemetery. The replica holds displays of the history of the parish, the construction of the chapel, and some archaeological artifacts. If your trip revolves around connecting to your Acadian roots, this is an important stop to make.
Where: Rocco Point Road, Ste-Anne-du-Ruisseau
St. John’s Anglican Church
St. John’s is one of the oldest churches of any denomination in Nova Scotia, so it’s appropriate that it’s in Lunenburg, which has such a long history. You can join the still active church for worship, or you can head to the Interpretive Centre on the first floor. There you’ll find a collection of archival material dating back to the earliest days of this church, and artifacts and displays that highlight specific parts of that story. With such a long history, this is an ideal place to start a genealogical search if your family is from the area, even centuries ago.
Where: 64 Townsend Street, Lunenburg
Contact Details: 902-634-4994
Whitney Pier Historical Society Museum
Whitney Pier grew up with the steel plant, and even though the plant has shut down, this community lives on. Its rich immigrant history includes cultures from all over the world, and the story of these disparate groups coming together as one “Pier” group (I am hilarious) is fascinating. The museum has artifacts and displays from the war years, “the Plant”, and even simple daily life. My dad’s family comes from the Pier, and I’m excited to visit this museum and learn a bit more about my Cape Breton roots.
Where: 88 Mount Pleasant Street, Sydney
Contact Details: 902-562-8454
By: Adrienne Colborne