The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is the nation's premiere museum of immigration. It rests on Pier 21 as the pier is the last remaining ocean immigration shed in the country.

The museum was founded in 1999 by the Pier 21 Society. The goal was to celebrate the 1.5 million immigrants who pass through the pier on the way to their new homes in Canada. The Canadian government first worked as a partner with the Pier 21 Society, and then began fully operating the museum in 2011.

Permanent exhibitions in the museum include the Pier 21 Story, which shows the immigration process. It is a hands-on display that allows visitors to walk through replica train cars. Another permanent exhibit is the Canadian Immigration Hall, which has oral histories and an immigration map.

The museum also features a number of temporary exhibits, memorials and tributes to community members and cultural groups.

The Public Gardens were established in Halifax in 1867. They are 16 acres of Victoria formal gardens. The gardens are comprised of a wide number of flower beds, three fountains, three ponds, two stone bridges and a number of statues.

In addition to the statues and flower beds, there are a number of plaques throughout the gardens. These plaques honor service members like Charles Carroll Wood, the first Canadian casualty of the Boer War. They also honor members of the Temperance movement who helped women gain the right to vote.

The Public Gardens was established in 1874 by combining two older gardens, the Nova Scotia Horticultural Society Garden (laid out in 1837) and an adjacent public park (opened in 1866). They are one of the finest surviving examples of a Victorian garden in North America. The Public Gardens were named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.

Free public concerts take place at the garden bandstand every Sunday in the summer. The Public Gardens also host large celebrations on Canada Day and Natal Day. The gardens are open from May 1 through November 1. The gates open at 8 AM. They begin closing one hour prior to sunset. The final gate closes 30 minutes before sunset.

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site rests on Citadel Hill. The site was fortified in 1749 when the city was founded by the British. The Citadel was meant to defend Halifax Harbor and the Royal Navy Dockyard.

Four citadels have been built on Citadel Hill. The first came in 1749. It was a small redoubt, with a flagstaff and guardhouse near the summit. By 1761 its condition had deteriorated.

The second citadel was completed in 1776. It was a permanent fortification that could accommodate 100 troops. The British military presence in Halifax through Citadel Hill is thought to be one of the main reasons that Nova Scotia-the fourteenth British colony-remained loyal to the Crown throughout and after the American Revolutionary War.
However, poor construction caused the second citadel to fall into ruins in less than 10 years.

The third citadel was completed in 1796. It was larger than the previous two due to the oversight of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. He had ordered the Citadel Hill be leveled in order to accommodate the larger space. This citadel lasted slightly longer than the others, but by 1825 it had fallen into disrepair.

The fourth and final citadel was built between 1828 and 1856. This massive masonry-construction fort was designed to repel both a land-based attack or attack from the water by United States forces. It was a star-shaped hillock citadel with internal courtyard and a clear harbor view from armored ramparts.

However the Halifax Citadel quickly became obsolete following the introduction of more powerful rifled guns in the 1860s. By the end of the 19th century, the role of the Citadel in the defense of Halifax Harbor had evolved as it was used as a command center for other, more distant harbor defensive works. It also provided barrack accommodations.

After the World War II, the fort began to decay but it was restored and opened as a living history museum and historic site in 1956.

Visitors can tour the Halifax Citadel throughout the year. They can expect different programs at the historic site depending on the time of year they arrive. From spring to fall, re-enactors are on the grounds of the Citadel portraying tradespeople, civilians and military forces from the late 19th century.

In the fall through Halloween, ghost tours are held at the fort. A Victorian Christmas celebration takes place every winter with crafts, games and Christmas carols.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, located in downtown Halifax, is Canada’s oldest and largest maritime museum. A member of the Nova Scotia Museum system, it boasts an extensive collection of over 30,000 artifacts, including 70 small craft and the historic steamship CSS Acadia. The museum also houses 30,000 photographs, a vast selection of charts, and rare books, making it a key institution for maritime history enthusiasts.

Originally founded in 1948 as the Maritime Museum of Canada, it was first based at HMC Dockyard in Halifax Harbour. The museum’s early years saw naval officers serving as volunteer chairs until 1959 when Niels Jannasch was appointed as its founding director, a role he held until 1985. Over the decades, the museum moved locations several times before settling into its current waterfront facility in 1981, as part of a redevelopment initiative. The CSS Acadia was acquired in 1982, further enriching the museum’s collection.

Situated on the Halifax Waterfront, the museum enjoys a prime location with piers, boatsheds, and a direct view of Halifax Harbour, including Georges Island and Dartmouth. Among its facilities is the restored Robertson Store ship chandler building, dating back to the 1880s, alongside the modern exhibit spaces of the Devonian Wing. During the summer months, the HMCS Sackville, a World War II Flower-class corvette, is docked adjacent to the museum, although it is not part of its administration.

The museum showcases maritime history through exhibits on sailing, steamships, small craft, the Canadian Navy, the Halifax Explosion, and shipwrecks. A standout is the Titanic exhibit, highlighting Nova Scotia’s role in recovering victims. It features the world’s largest collection of Titanic wooden artifacts, including a rare deck chair and children’s shoes that helped identify Sidney Leslie Goodwin as the “unknown child.”

Beyond its exhibitions, the museum actively engages in restoration projects. The boatsheds behind the museum house part of its small craft collection, including the ongoing restoration of Whim, a 1937 C-class sloop. In 2017, the museum completed the restoration of the small schooner Hebridee II. Three operational boats from the working small craft collection are moored next to CSS Acadia during the summer months.

The museum houses the Niels Jannasch Library, Canada’s largest ship portrait collection, and ship models, including Theodore Tugboat originals. A key part of Halifax’s culture, it showcases maritime history through exhibits and restoration projects.

Moored in Halifax, HMCS Sackville is a historic Flower-class corvette, the last of her kind, and a proud museum ship preserving Canada's naval legacy. Originally built for the Royal Canadian Navy, Sackville played a vital role in World War II, escorting convoys across the treacherous North Atlantic. Later repurposed as a civilian research vessel, she was ultimately saved from obscurity and restored to her wartime 1944 appearance by the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust.

Sackville's survival is, in part, a twist of fate. Initially, efforts were made to acquire HMCS Louisburg, but after she was lost in Hurricane David (1979), Sackville remained the sole surviving Flower-class corvette. She was officially transferred to the Canadian Naval Corvette Trust on 28 October 1983, cementing her role as a national historic symbol.

Today, Sackville spends her summers as a floating exhibit beside the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, while winter sees her docked at CFB Halifax, under the protection of Maritime Forces Atlantic. Her presence in Halifax is fitting-during World War II, the city was a crucial convoy assembly point, where ships gathered before braving the Atlantic.

Sackville remains active in naval remembrance, hosting veterans and sea burials each May for the Battle of the Atlantic commemoration. In 2003, she broke loose during Hurricane Juan, colliding with the schooner Larinda. A legal battle followed, but in 2011, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled in her favor, recognizing the security measures taken.

Her historical significance was officially recognized in 1988 when she was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. A decade later, in 1998, Canada Post honored her with a commemorative 45¢ stamp, celebrating her role in naval history.

Today, HMCS Sackville stands as a floating monument to Canada’s naval heritage, preserving the memory of those who braved the Atlantic in service of their country.

The Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk is a walking path that follows Halifax Harbor. The boardwalk is lined with shops, historic properties and tour boat operators. It is an excellent place for shopping, dining, getting some exercise or people watching.

Museums along the boardwalk include the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and HMCS Sackville. Other interesting things to see along the boardwalk include Purdy's Wharf, the CSS Acadia, Bishop's Landing, the Samuel Cunard Monument and the Cunard Center.

The boardwalk features plenty of recreational space for young and old. There are hammocks, a dance floor and public art. The murals and sculptures reflect the sea and leisure activities. The Drunken Lampposts are a sculpture that show two lampposts displaying all of the fun that can be had at the local beer gardens.

The boardwalk stretches from Halifax Seaport to Casino Nova Scotia. It is about a two mile walk, making it an easy stretch any time of the day or night.