Top 10 Free Things to do in Nova Scotia, United States

March 10, 2022 Renato Branum

From Yarmouth to Sydney, Nova Scotia is full of scenic landscapes, rich history, and interesting local culture. Sights and fun experiences abound in Nova Scotia, and there is a little bit of something for everyone. Soak up the beauty and serenity to be found in the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, or head to Cape Breton Highlands National Park for the stunning landscape and wildlife. Explore the history of the area at Louisbourg's Fortress Louisbourg, or hike the Skyline Trail in Ingonish.
Restaurants in Nova Scotia

1. Annapolis Valley

Nova Scotia Canada
Excellent
90%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 21 reviews

Annapolis Valley

Reviewed By tshep42 - Halifax, Canada

This is a beautiful rural region of NS. Probably the most popular thing to do is the wineries. A number is great companies have wine tours. For us beer drinkers though, there’s some nice breweries to visit. This is the farming capital of NS and I recommend a visit during the apple blossom festival. It’s great doing a u-pick for apples as well. There is some excellent restaurants in Wolfville and Kentville, some small theatre companies, and world famous scallops in Digby. There’s great parks and hikes in, for example, Blomidon and Cape Split.

2. Halifax Central Library

5540 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1E9 Canada +1 902-490-5700 http://halifaxcentrallibrary.ca
Excellent
84%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,108 reviews

Halifax Central Library

Reviewed By RDHiscott - Lion's Head, Canada

This modern new building replaces the old Halifax Memorial Library on Spring Garden Road – it is a large building with open glass walls with great views of the city, along with a rooftop terrace with some spectacular paroramic vistas of the Halifax waterfront. Check out the modern art design of an entire wall devoted to cards from the library card catalogue of another era … some of us still remember doing library searches that way! Very impressive architecture, beautiful building!

3. Point Pleasant Park

5530 Point Pleasant Drive, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1B5 Canada https://www.halifax.ca/recreation/parks-trails-gardens/trails/point-pleasant-park
Excellent
64%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 830 reviews

Point Pleasant Park

Have a picnic with sweeping ocean views or hike through 186 acres of forest in one of Halifax's most cherished parks.

Reviewed By nroe - Brackley Beach, Canada

Halifax residents should be very proud of this gem of a green space at the tip of the city. Wonderful walks, great vistas, lots of parking, Dog friendly and lots of off leash areas for the furry pals. Bouncing back nicely from the hurricane damage of Juan.

4. Fairview Lawn Cemetery

3720 Windsor St, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3A5 Canada +1 902-490-4883 http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2079731/Halifax%20(Fairview%20Lawn)%20Cemetery
Excellent
52%
Good
40%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 781 reviews

Fairview Lawn Cemetery

The final and noteworthy resting place for many of the victims of the Titanic.

Reviewed By championam - Paducah, United States

I have wanted to visit this cemetery since I was a small child and learned of its existence. I am not 47 years old and I will tell you that young kids that don't LOVE the Titanic won't have much fun here. It is nothing but 4 rows of 121 passengers of the RMS Titanic. There is not much to give you a clue as to whom the folks are so you may want to brush up on the names before you go. Buried here is a trimmer by the name of J Dawson (Joseph), a member of the band (John Hume), Sidney Goodwin who was the unknown child and James McGrady (the last body pulled from the Atlantic).

5. Halifax Public Gardens

Spring Garden Road and South Park St, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3T 2M3 Canada +1 902-440-3631 [email protected] http://www.halifaxpublicgardens.ca/
Excellent
70%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 3,989 reviews

Halifax Public Gardens

Welcome to Halifax’s greatest natural and national treasure and most visited site in Halifax, Nova Scotia– a timeless oasis in an ever changing world. A beautiful Victorian-inspired garden open to the public since 1867. 16 acres in the Victorian Gardenesque style; Scroll beds shaped in an E for the reigning monarch, Serpentine beds, raised carpet beds and a profusion of colour through the artistry of our Gardeners. The Victorian Gardens were all about symmetry and there is grand harmony throughout. The majestic trees, 240 varieties, nurture and shelter and many are original. The Victorians were all about education and introduced many new species to Nova Scotia. Check our What's Blooming on our website to discover the highlights of each month. Horticultural Hall, circa 1837, the original meeting place of the Nova Scotia Horticultural Society houses a coffee shop Due to COVID-19, events are limited, our Information Desk and daily tours are not operating. Please Social Distance.

Reviewed By thevellas2019

relaxing place to walk and or sit on a bench, quiet and beautiful, ponds and ducks galore with the flowers in full bloom, so pleasant and totally unexpected in the heart of the city, across from Lord Nelson hotel which made things very convenient for me, also only a 15 min walk to the harbour front,

6. Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Peggy's Point Road, Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia Canada +1 902-830-9961 http://www.novascotia.com/explore/top-25/peggys-cove
Excellent
68%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,979 reviews

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Reviewed By tinathorn69 - Toronto, Canada

We rented a car from halifax and drove to Peggy's Cove. took about 40 mins. This gave us the flexibility to be there between tour buses which gave us great photo opportunities without many tourists! The restaurant at the lighthouse is fabulous. Great lobster, chowder, gingerbread, apple cider (hard or not).

7. Cape Forchu Lighthouse

1854 Highway 304, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 4A7 Canada +1 902-740-1680 [email protected] http://www.capeforchu.com
Excellent
69%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 508 reviews

Cape Forchu Lighthouse

Welcome to Cape Forchu, a Light Like No Other. This spectacular and unique "apple core" lighthouse is the second most photographed lighthouse in Nova Scotia and located just 10 minutes outside the Town of Yarmouth. The Cape has been welcoming visitors since 1604, when Samuel de Champlain landed and named the area "Cap Forchu," meaning "Forked tongue of land."

Reviewed By PitaLemon - Melbourne, United States

It's not just a lighthouse to take photos. It is a beautiful location to hike and enjoy the cool breezes on a hot summer day. Nice people working in the gift shop, too.

8. Arisaig Provincial Park

Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2L2 Canada +1 902-863-1204 http://arisaigns.com/provincial-park/
Excellent
56%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
10%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 41 reviews

Arisaig Provincial Park

Located west of Antigonish, this park was created to protect the many fossil beds located in the cliffs overlooking its beach.

Reviewed By Joby_lake - Ottery St. Mary, United Kingdom

Our one full day in the area found us exploring the Antigonish area, especially Arisaig Provincial Park and Cape George. The weather was reasonably warm with some clouds around and gave us good visibility for the views. The drive to the park was an easy one and the parking even easier as there was very few people around. Mid September appears to be quite a quiet time to go. There is a small circular walk with gentle inclines which is a good way to get out and stretch the legs if, like us, you have spent the previous week touring and sitting down a lot in a car. The autumnal air made for a pleasant walk. We didn’t see any animals, only heard the odd bird. There were plenty of colourful mushrooms appearing on the damp floor. If you are in the area and the weather is good, do go and visit. If you are lucky you may find a fossil or two, or sea glass, or maybe even a mineral or two on the beach.

9. Cape Split Hiking Trail

Cape Split Road, Scots Bay, Nova Scotia B0P 1H0 Canada http://novatrails.com/trails/kings-county/cape-split-trail.html
Excellent
72%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 245 reviews

Cape Split Hiking Trail

Reviewed By 2015eastcoasters - Nova Scotia, Canada

A long hike along a trail to a beautiful view. Wear comfortable footwear because its a long walk but worth the time.

10. Skyline Trail

Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia Canada +1 902-224-2306 http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/cbreton/activ/randonnee-hiking/skyline.aspx
Excellent
71%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 825 reviews

Skyline Trail

Reviewed By LuluReview - Canada, null

This trail is a must when traveling along the Cabot Trail! There is lots of free parking and bathrooms at the trail entrance. While the trail is located high up in the mountains, the terrain was quite level and easy to navigate. We did the shorter route and took our time to enjoy the views along the way, and especially at the end (even with some fog).

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.