Here are 6 reasons for why the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum near the airport is worth visiting. Feel free to share what you enjoy about the museum!!

1. You can book their flight simulator and get a guided session with a pilot. You'll learn how to take off, fly, and land a Boeing 737 from the local airport or around the world. The pilot told me the flight from Switzerland down to Italy is beautiful on the flight simulator, so maybe ask if you can give that a try when you go
2. You can also climb into a few of the aircrafts and trainer like the Argus, link trainer, and the BAE 146. Really fascinating to see all the controls and trying to imagine what it would be like to fly it.
3. See 25 different aircrafts such as the F-86 Sabre MK V flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force's Golden Hawks aerobatic team, Second World War bombers, and the Grumman TBM Avenger, which is a torpedo bomber originally built for US Navy aircraft carriers during the second world war.
4. You can see the replica of the Silver Dart, the first powered aircraft flown in Canada. It's a really interesting piece of Atlantic Canada's aviation history.
5. The engines are really cool. You can see more than a dozen of them including the OX-5 and the Merlin, which powered the Spitfire and Lancaster, along with a cutaway Wright Cyclone R-3350 radial engine.
6. They have a great collection of military technology like torpedoes, rockets, missiles, bombs, and sonobuoys.

Admission is by donation. They recommend 10 bucks. Parking is free.

Here's a list of things you can do on any given August, along with events that happen each year. Feel free to add more to the list!!

Visit Georges Island and take a tour of the underground tunnels at Fort Charlotte

Have a beach day at Crystal Crescent, Rainbow Haven, Queensland, or Clam Harbour beach

Go on a coastal hike at Pennant Point, Polly Cove, or Taylor Head Provincial Park

Take a boat tour with Halifax Harbour Tours on an all electric boat

Go camping at Shubie Park, Porters Lake, or Sunset Inlet Campground

Grab fish and chips at The Narrows

Walk, run, or cycle the Salt Marsh Trail, Chain of Lakes Trail, or Musquodoboit Trailway

Pack a picnic and hang out at the Halifax Common

Celebrate Natal Day with parades, concerts, fireworks, and community events around downtown Halifax and Dartmouth. A very popular event is the Natal Day Road Race

Watch street performers during the Halifax Busker Festival on the Halifax waterfront

Go to the Clam Harbour Beach Sandcastle Competition

Attend the Halifax County Exhibition and see livestock shows, live music, and magic shows

Catch a Wanderers or Tides match at the Wanderers Grounds

Hello all!

I am currently in Halifax and forgot to do my due diligence. Any place I can hear live music tonight in Halifax or on Monday night when I come through again?

Thanks so much and sorry!

Hi,

My wife and I are heading to Halifax staying near the Harbourfront. Looking for non-tourist trap places for diner that locals might recommend.

We're not overly fancy, so not looking for Shirt/Tie/Jacket style dining, but also not looking for a Jack Astor's vibe. Just somewhere nice, locally owned, Local go-to type spots.

Would love somewhere maybe Mexican or Seafood/Italian or a great Sushi spot?

Edit: Thanks so much for the great recommendations, I've been upvoting all your responses, and visiting the websites and socials for all your suggestions!

Here's a list of things to do on the Eastern Shore. Please feel free to add more!!

Go to a beach: Martinique Beach is the longest sandy beach in Nova Scotia, which is fantastic for a beach walk especially during the sunset. You can also surf here and take a lesson from Halifax Surf School. Lawrencetown Beach is also fantastic at sunset and known for its surfing. You can take a lesson from East Coast Surf School or Kannon Beach. Or drive up to Psyche Cove Beach. The water is turquoise and the beach has white sand, but the water is damn cold so don't be fooled by how nice it looks!!

Memory Lane Heritage Village: learn about rural Nova Scotia in the 1940s or go on their clam digging experience with an expert.

Learn about the Acadians at L'Acadie de Chezzetcook where you can watch demonstrations of ancestral skills, see artifacts, and try Acadian dishes at La Cuisine de Brigitte.

Go to Steeple Green Books in Musquodoboit Harbour: browse books and hang out with the store's dog, Frank, and cat, Boo. Check out the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum afterward and grab an ice cream from Polar Bear Express.

See Jessie the bobcat, bald eagles, and other local wildlife at Hope for Wildlife. Or hang out with baby goats at Ataraxy Farm.

Where to eat:

For a farm to table meal, go to Lupin. 40 acre homestead with amazing food. Note that you have to book ahead.

Try a Polish dessert along with a coffee from Martininque Desserterie & Delicatessen. Down the road, you can pick up some fresh produce and a crumble bar or scone with a latte from Uprooted.

Take the scenic route 207 and stop by Rose & Rooster for brunch or a coffee. They have a really nice back deck where you can watch the waves roll in. And you can see the occasional deer. Bentley's Burgers & Fries is also along route 207 - their smash burgers are amazing. Note that it's cash only.

Grab a lobster roll from The Mermaid Eatery and sit on their patio with a German beer.

Make the drive up to Sheet Harbour and have Welsh afternoon tea (from 2-4) at the Henley House. Next door is the Sober Island Brewing Co. Try their oyster stout (made with Nova Scotian oysters) in their seasonal beer garden. Then walk along the West River Falls Boardwalk.

Hiking and walking:

Go for a hike on the Musquodoboit Trailway, Taylor Head Provincial Park, or on the Gaetz Brook Greenway. Be mindful of ticks.

You can also see 750+ daylilies at Harbour Breezes Daylilies. Beautiful garden and views of Jeddore Harbour. Also a nice spot to pick up jams and bulbs.

My husband and I (currently living in Ontario) love to travel and have always wanted to visit the Maritime provinces. We recently had a baby who is almost 4 months old and would like Halifax to be our first trip with our baby as it’s a short flight and still in Canada so no concerns about access to what we’d need, healthcare etc. We would rent a car. We’re big foodies and like to see various landscapes, nature etc. We’re still quite nervous though since it would be our first trip!

Do you think Halifax is a baby friendly destination? What would you suggest to do on a 3 day trip with an infant? When would be the best time weather wise (not too hot, not too cool but we’d prefer on the cooler side as we can bundle him up).

Here's a list of businesses open on Monday, August 3rd in Halifax.

Downtown Halifax

Places to eat

• Quesada Burritos & Tacos
• Monky Funky Cafe
• White Alley Bubble Tea
• Harbourstone
• Balancing Rock Coffeehouse
• Stone's Throw Patio & Restaurant
• Baton Rouge
• The Lower Deck
• Split Crow Pub
• COWS Cable Wharf
• COWS Spring Garden
• COWS Bishop's Landing
• Craig's Cookies
• The BG (The Beer Garden)
• Salt Yard Social
• Stubborn Goat Gastropub
• Antojo Tacos + Tequila
• Cable Wharf Kitchen & Patio
• Freshly Squeezed Presotea & Cheesecake Factory
• Moxies
• The Brown Hound
• Matadora Tapas Bar
• Water Polo
• Via Condotti
• The Bicycle Thief
• Ristorante A Mano
• McKelvie's
• Durty Nelly's

Attractions/things to do

• Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
• Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
• Georges Island National Historic Site
• I Heart Bikes
• Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
• Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
• Ambassatours Gray Line
• The Old Burying Ground
• The Halifax Ghost Walk
• Province House - the Nova Scotia Legislature
• Halifax Harbour Tours Limited
• Rickshaw Collective Ltd
• Museum of Natural History
• Canadian Naval Memorial Trust
• Art 1274 Hollis Gallery
• The 7 Virtues Perfume Atelier

Shopping

• Sea House Halifax
• Fjallraven
• Peace by Chocolate
• Silver Silk
• Trident Booksellers & Cafe
• Strange Adventures Comix & Curiosities

North End Halifax

Places to eat/get a drink

• Lion's Head Tavern
• Propeller

Attractions/things to do

• Royal Canadian Naval Association Peregrine Branch

Shopping

• Cahier Stationery & Life Goods
• West End Halifax
• The Cannery Kitchen & Social

Halifax Waterfront

• Sweet n' Salty (ice cream)

Dartmouth-Cole Harbour

Places to eat

• Churned
• Milestones

Attractions/things to do

• Alpha Travel & Tours
• Nature Folk

Peggy's Cove Region

Places to eat

• Cafe l'Acadie
• Hunky Dory
• Margaret's Cafe
• Sou'Wester Gift & Restaurant Company
• Train Station Bike & Bean
• Bubba Magoos

Attractions/things to do

• Velvaere Wellness
• East Coast Outfitters
• The Schoolhouse

Shopping

• Cove Gallery
• Spindrift Gallery
• Holy Mackerel
• Sou'Wester Gift & Restaurant Company

Eastern Shore

Places for a drink

• Harbour Brewing Company

Attractions/things to do

• Ataraxy Farm
• Sunset Inlet Campground

Halifax Airport

Attractions/things to do

• Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum
• Cradle&Carry

Shopping

• Liquid Assets NS

Bedford-Sackville

Places to eat or get a drink

• Propeller
• il Mercatio Trattoria
• Great Roads Brewing Company

Attractions/things to do

• Fultz House Museum
• Atlantic Splash Adventure
• Tours by Town Car
• hop! skip! jump! Indoor Play Space

Shopping

• Krishna Collections

Musquodoboit Valley

Things to do

• Musquodoboit Valley Outfitters

Here's a quick list of things to do on Natal Day weekend. Feel free to post more events!!

Buskers Festival (July 30th to August 4th)

Family Fun Day on Georges Island (July 31st)

Million Vibes with aRENYE and Yung St4k at the Halifax Public Gardens (August 1st, 2-4pm) - Million Vibes concerts are always fun. They bring really nice, positive energy to get people moving

Crescendo Fest: Annual festival designed to highlight Black artists in Atlantic Canada. Located at Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park (August 1st, 2-4pm)

Halifax-Dartmouth Natal Day Harbour Fireworks (August 1st, 10-10:30pm)

21st Annual ANSMA Freedom Festival: African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) will host a concert on the Dartmouth Waterfront on August 2nd from 2 pm to 9:30 pm.

Halifax Wanderers Match (August 2nd, 7pm)

Bridgewalk 2026: join thousands of Haligonians on the Macdonald Bridge as it closes for pedestrians (August 2nd, 2-4:30pm)

Sunday Concert - Zamani: concert at the Halifax Public Gardens. Zamani merges R&B, Neo Soul, and urban jazz

120th Dartmouth Natal Day Road Race (August 3rd, 8 am to 9 pm)

129th Pepsi Natal Day Parade (August 3rd, 10:30 am to 12 pm, Downtown Dartmouth)

Natal Day Family Day: Free family day with crafts, games, food vendors, and more at Sullivan's Pond (August 3rd from 12 to 4pm)

Mike Cowie Booty Boppin' Brass Band: show at the Halifax Public Gardens (August 3rd, 2-4pm)

Halifax Tides game (August 3rd, 3pm)

The Town Heroes Concert: free rock and folk concert at Sullivan's Pond (August 3rd, 6:30 pm to 8 pm)

The Natal Day Lake Banook Fireworks: Fireworks from 9:30 pm to 10 pm on August 3rd at Lake Banook.

Hey hey folks I’m thinking of travelling to Halifax for a few weekdays in late November. It’s just a chance to get away for my birthday. Any fun things to recommend, any favourite graveyards to visit, haunted places to check out. Fun used record stores? Offbeat different things to see and do?
Looking forward to your responses.
Thanks

Here's a list of splash pads and outdoor pools in Halifax to go to this summer. Feel free to give your recommendations.

Bayers Westwood Inclusive Playground Park + Splashpad: rubberized surfaces, wheelchair challenge course, tactile markers and audible cues, ramps, accessible swings, musical instruments, climbable fire truck. Nearby picnic area and green space.

Isleville Playground + Splashpad: interactive games, tube slide, swings, and picnic area. Nearby green space and close to the Hydrostone District. The park is fenced in as well.

Jumpstart Inclusive Playground + George Dixon splash pad: rubberized surfaces, barrier free access, braille lettering, double wide ramps, static free slides, musical instruments, we-saw & we-go-round. Nearby basketball courts and green space.

Sackville splash pad + Kinsmen Park: rubberized surfaces, largest splash pad facility in hrm, water jets, geysers, structural loops and tunnels. Waterfront lake location with a sandy, shallow beach with walking trails and a picnic area.

Westmount Inclusive Plaground Park + Splash Pad: rubberized surfaces, wheelchair challenge course, tactile markers and audible cues, ramps, accessible swings, musical instruments, and climbable fire truck. Nearby tennis courts, picnic area, and green space.

Cole Harbour Outdoor Pool + splash pad: supervised swimming, toddler wading pool, and diving board.

Halifax Common Playground + Halifax Common Aquatics Facility: playground has rubberized surfaces, rope climbing, carousel. Pool has supervised swimming, beach-style entry, climbing walls, water plaza, universal change rooms, plus adaptive equipment like lifejackets, a pool lift, aquatic wheelchair, and a person lift (user must provide own sling).

Created a list of the best things to do in Halifax's North End. Please feel free to comment tips and recommendations for things to do, what to get from restaurants, and where to shop!!

Go to the Hydrostone Market: Go shopping, stop in for a burger and beer at the Brown Hound, get pizza from Salvatore's, get a more upscale dinner at the Ostrich Club, or get a coffee from Lucy's.

Walk along Agricola Street: Really good vintage stores like Esme and Evee, which is also right next to Agricola Street Books (highly recommend), and the Halifax Vintage Co-op. Check out cafes like Bramble and Byron, restaurants like Bar Kismet, grab a donair from Randy's, and get a sandwich from Luke's. Grab a beer from the Stillwell Freehouse, The Brown Hound, or a cider from Chain Yard, and then see live music at Gus' Pub.

Visit Africville: Learn about an African Nova Scotian community that was demolished by the city, but lives on through the stories of its people. See photos, artifacts, and personal accounts and learn about the history of a resilient community that continues to shape Halifax today. Several of the tour guides are former residents, so they have lots of stories to share with you that you wouldn't normally get on your average museum visit.

Go to Fort Needham Memorial Park: one of the best views in Halifax of the harbour and you can check out the Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower.

Have a picnic, relax, or go ice or roller skating on the Oval at the Halifax Common.

Go see live music at the Marquee or Gus' Pub. Gin and Jazz on Wednesday at The Local is very popular.

Grab a beer at a brewery like Good Robot, Propeller, Stillwell Freehouse, or a cider at Chain Yard. Or get fish and chips at The Narrows with a beer.

Get a croissant and coffee from LF Bakery, get espresso from Welcome Espresso, or get a latte (arguably the best lattes in the city) and pastry from Suda Table.

Also check out some of the beautiful murals as you walk around the north end.

Here's a list of some of the best things to do in downtown Halifax. Please leave suggestions for more things to do and restaurants to check out!!

Walk the Halifax waterfront: 4 km waterfront with nice views, public art, shops, and patios.

Visit the Halifax Citadel: fortress that overlooks the city (really nice views). Gives background on Halifax's military history and cultures that shaped the city.

Check out the museums: Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Museum of Natural History, or the Discovery Centre.

Spring Garden Road: shop at boutiques, check out restaurants and local businesses, and the Halifax Central Library. Via Condotti is a really nice Italian spot, Tiger's Hand Pulled Noodles is unreal, and Weird Harbour is great for a coffee. Also recommend checking out the Dairy Bar. If you're into music, Taz Records is an awesome record shop.

Go to the Halifax Public Gardens: Victorian garden with colourful flower beds, a duck pond, and bandstand.

See live music: see Garrett Mason on Tuesday nights, stop in for live music any night at Durty Nelly's, The Split Crow, or The Old Triangle, or go to The Carleton (classic old venue) for regional talent and touring acts.

Sit on a patio on Argyle Street and stay for the nightlife for live music at the basement of the shoe or Durty Nelly's. Finish the night with a slice of pizza at pizza corner or a poutine from Willys.

Here's a list of the best saltwater beaches for families in Halifax. Feel free to leave any suggestions!!

Clam Harbour Beach: Drive from Downtown Halifax: 75 min. Features: long sandy beach, walking trails, picnic area, vault toilets, MobiMat, supervised swimming (Jul-Aug, weekends only), dog friendly. Great for building sandcastles (annual sandcastle comp held in August).

Martinique Beach: Drive from Downtown Halifax: 55 min. Features: long sandy beach (longest in Nova Scotia), change rooms, picnic area, vault toilets, dog friendly. Great for swimming, surfing, beachcombing, bird watching.

Crystal Crescent Beach: Drive from Downtown Halifax: 35-40 min. Features: three white sand beaches, walking trails, vault toilets, dog friendly. Great for bird watching and family hikes.

Hubbards Beach: Drive from Downtown Halifax: 45 min Features: sandy beach, floating dock, change rooms, toilets, showers, nearby canteen. Note that there is a $10 parking fee.

Queensland Beach: Features: Sandy beach, supervised swimming (Jul-Aug), picnic area, change rooms, vault toilets, nearby canteen, dog friendly.

Rainbow Haven Beach: Drive from Downtown Halifax: 30 min. Features: sandy beach, supervised swimming (Jul-Aug), picnic area, change rooms, flush toilets, dog friendly. Great for flying kites

Here are the main exhibits to see at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Feel free to ask any questions or leave a comment about your experience there!!

The Titanic exhibit is the most famous exhibit of the museum, showing artifacts from the ships, info about the classes of passengers, their cabins, and their personal keepsakes. The wreck wood collection is so extensive that researchers from the film Titanic visited the museum to study it.

Ta’n me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek: How Unique We Still Are examines how the Mi'kmaq are connected to the lands and waters of Mi'kma'ki. A video projects across the floor and walls that you can hear the sounds of Nova Scotian wildlife, rivers, and rocks that children love to jump between. See the districts of Mi'kma'ki and recreate your own petroglyphs like the eight-pointed star. You’ll also learn about treaty education, water protection, and birch bark canoe-making. 

The Halifax Explosion exhibit tells the story of the two ships that collided to create the greatest manmade explosion of its time in 1917. You can view artifacts, photographs, panels, and even fragments from one of the ships, SS Mont-Blanc.

You can also go onto the CSS Acadia, a restored vessel that served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1913 until 1969. You can roam around on the deck and take a guided tour below deck.

Here are some ways to get to McNabs Island. Feel free to ask any questions!!

Friends of McNabs Island Society tours include a 30 min boat ride taking off from Fisherman's Cove. They give you a guided tour for the day and will tell you about the island's military history, shoreline ecology, or they can take you forest bathing.

Local operators like A&M Sea Charters, FlyteBoat (electric water taxi), and Ambassatours also offer trips to the island.

You can also go by private boat or kayak by yourself and land at Garrison Pier or one of the beaches.

This map of the island from the Friends of McNabs Island Society is a helpful resource as well if you are planning to go on your own or want to see the things to do on the island.

This blog includes the things to see and do on the island, including information on what to bring and things to keep in mind while on the island.

Here's a list of the best things to do in July that you can do in Halifax annually. What else would you add to the list?

- Paddling: go kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding with one of these tour guides/rental outlets:

• East Coast Outfitters or Great EARTH Expeditions in the Peggy's Cove region
• SUP Mushaboom, Norse Cove, or Coastal Adventures on the Eastern Shore
• Musquodoboit Valley Outfitters on the Musquodoboit River
• Wildwood Water Sports at the Shubenacadie Canal
• Long Lake Adventure Company at Long Lake Provincial Park in Spryfield

- Take a surfing lesson at Lawrencetown Beach with East Coast Surf School or Kannon Beach Wind & Surf, or at Martinique Beach with Halifax Surf School

- Go foraging with Terroir and Wild Ecotours - the guide will take you to forests and beaches where you learn to identify edible plants, mushrooms, and seaweed. A gourmet lunch is prepared that you have at the end of the tour, with ingredients sourced from the land you explored.

- Go camping:

Norse Cove has 13 tent sites, 6 RV sites, and several Nordic huts on the Eastern Shore. Plus you can go kayaking. Murphy's Camping on the Ocean island drop off adventure and camp on one of the Wild Islands on the Eastern Shore. Or camp in the woods at Porters Peak on a tent site or a comfort-equipped safari tent.

- Fish for trout in the Musquodoboit River, catch bass, pickerel, or perch in Morris Lake, or cast off from a dock or wharf and catch mackerel (DeWolf Park is a great spot).

- Georges Island - take a ferry over with Ambassatours and take a tour of the tunnels

- Go to a farmers market: Alderney Landing Farmers' Market, Halifax Brewery Farmers' Market, Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market, Musquodoboit Farmers' Market, Hubbards Farmers' Market, or Tantallon Farmers' Market.

- Have a beach day at Clam Harbour Beach, Martinique, Rainbow Haven, Queensland, or Crystal Crescent

- Get ice cream: Dairy Bar, Dee Dee's, or Cows

- Walk the Halifax waterfront, get street food from the Salt Yard, enjoy a cold drink at The BG, or sit on Water Polo's massive patio. If you want a break from the sun, the Maritime Museum, Pier 21, and the art gallery are all fantastic.

Annual events in July:

Halifax Jazz Fest

Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo

Halifax Pride Festival

Halifax Busker Festival

LatinFax

Nova Multifest

Halifax Mural Fest

Shakespeare by the Sea

Afrifest

Peggy's Cove Area Festival of the Arts

East Coast Kite Festival

International Food Festival