7 Must-Visit Museums in Halifax

Africville National Historic Site is Canada’s first UNESCO Place of History and Memory linked to Enslavement and the Slave Trade, and also home to the Africville Museum. Inside this replica of Seaview United Baptist Church, learn about a historic African Nova Scotian community that was demolished by the city, but lives on in the spirit of its people and their stories. Exploring the museum, visitors will learn how isolation, municipal neglect, and the eventual demolition of the community of Africville led to the forced displacement of its residents.

Visitors can listen to first-person accounts at story stations where residents recall visits to church and baptisms in the Bedford Basin, along with learning about stories of celebrations, community meetings, cultural events, Africville’s hockey team, and experiences during and after the Halifax Explosion.

Explore artifacts, photographs, and interpretive panels telling the story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion. Learn about the two ships that collided to create the greatest human-made explosion of its time, and view fragments from one of the ships, SS Mont-Blanc.

At the Titanic exhibit, see artifacts and learn about the different classes of passengers, their cabins, and their personal keepsakes. The exhibit also features a wreck wood collection so extensive that James Cameron and members of the film’s research team paid a visit while making Titanic (1997).

Discover Ta’n me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek: How Unique We Still Are and learn how the Mi’kmaq are connected to the lands and waters of Mi’kma’ki and learn about its districts. Recreate your own petroglyph, including the eight-pointed star and take in a video projection featuring the sounds of Nova Scotia’s wildlife and rivers.

The Halifax Citadel does a fantastic job of bringing its history to life, from daily life during the Victorian era to the four different versions of the fort and how each was built, shown through a detailed scale model.

Its standout exhibit, Fortress Halifax: A City Shaped by Conflict, explores Halifax’s history through Mi’kmaw, Acadian, African Nova Scotian, French, and British perspectives, alongside the stories of soldiers and war refugees. Interactive touch tables, artwork by Leonard Paul, and multimedia displays featuring first-person accounts bring these stories to life.

Nearly one million newcomers arrived through Pier 21, where the museum now shares Canada’s immigration story through photographs, artifacts, and personal accounts.

Experience what it was like to immigrate to Canada through Pier 21 in an exhibition that explores where newcomers began their journeys, how they travelled to Pier 21, and where they went next, all while walking in their footsteps.

Leave this Halifax museum with a new perspective, moved by the personal stories of those who found a welcome in Canada and those who were excluded.

The first and largest museum in Canada dedicated to Black history, the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia showcases stories of bravery, perseverance, spirituality, community, and hope.

Explore exhibits such as The No. 2 Construction Battalion and the Struggle to Serve, which tells the story of Black military service during the First World War, and the William Hall exhibit, highlighting the extraordinary strength and service that made him the first Black person, first Nova Scotian, and third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross.

Banner Hall honours 16 African Nova Scotians who made significant contributions, while the temporary exhibit A History Exposed – The Enslavement of Black People in Canada presents moving stories and essential context about slavery in Canada.

Meet Gus, the 103-year-old gopher tortoise, observe live snakes and frogs, watch bees fly in and out of a live beehive, and explore the intertidal zone, home to starfish, crabs, and a rare blue lobster at the Museum of Natural History.

Step into Pjila’si, an immersive exhibit celebrating Mi’kmaw culture through stories, artifacts, and interactive experiences.

Discover Sable Island’s wild horses, the Gully (the largest submarine canyon in Eastern North America), seals, sharks, and beaches at the Marine Gallery.

In addition to its permanent exhibits, this Halifax museum regularly rotates new displays, ensuring there’s always something new and interesting to discover.

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is best known for its Maud Lewis display. Featuring 27 of her original works alongside the house she transformed into a canvas, her work reflects the quintessential Nova Scotia experience.

The Mi’kma’ki Artists’ Spotlight offers a glimpse into Mi’kmaw culture and artistic expression through a regularly refreshed display of stories, traditions, and artistic practices.

Explore Ta’n a’sikatikl sipu’l | Confluence, an exhibition highlighting seven guiding topics that collectively build caring relationships: Awareness, Reflection, Sustainability & Treaty, Community, Memory & Remembering, Gathering & Knowledge, and Sharing. Discover paintings, carvings, textiles, and historic artifacts by Indigenous artists from across Canada that bring these themes to life.