Experience Arts & Culture in Nova Scotia this Winter
Create unforgettable memories with friends and family this winter through vibrant arts and crafts, UNESCO World Heritage sites and more!
The South Shore is steeped in history and just about every nook and cranny has a museum sharing stories of seafaring adventures, culturally significant events and how life on the South Shore was lived generations ago.
SS Atlantic Heritage Interpretive Park, Terence Bay
More than 550 people perished when the SS Atlantic sank in 1873, leaving an indelible imprint on this community. This memorial commemorates the tragedy and offers a seaside walking trail with memorial benches and gazebo.
Ross Farm Museum, New Ross
Take a ride on a horse-drawn wagon or sleigh through a woodland nature trail to the 1817 homestead of Captain William and Mary Ross and discover what life was like for this family over 100 years ago. At Ross Farm, costumed interpreters share yesterday’s farming methods and sustainable ways of living for today. Enjoy a scenic hike and meet the animals who call this farm home.
Knaut-Rhuland House Museum, Lunenburg
Learn the history of the Town of Lunenburg in this turn-of-the-19th-century wooden house. This preserved example of Georgian architecture is where you can visit the only home from this time period that is open to the public and chat with costumed-interpreters about the house’s history and artifacts and what life was like here during the 18th century.
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Lunenburg
This museum is a mainstay in the bright red buildings on the Lunenburg Waterfront is a must-visit when exploring Lunenburg. From the region’s maritime history to marine life species that call the waters of this area home, to stories of the Mi’kmaq fishery and the Bluenose you’re sure to leave with a better understanding of the maritime and fishing culture of this area.
Wile Carding Mill Museum, Bridgewater
In the 1800s, this water-powered mill carded sheep’s wool for knitting and weaving. Hands-on demonstrations show you how. Situated along a picturesque brook, bring a picnic to enjoy at the picnic tables after your tour of the museum.
Fort Point Museum, LaHave
Perched on the shoreline of the LaHave River and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean within a heritage park, stop in to the museum for the local history of the area, including Mi’kmaq connections, French and early European settles, lighthouse heritage, and information about the fishery and forestry industries.
Queens County Museum, Liverpool
Discover the history and stories of Queens County with museum exhibits covering Mi’kmaq life, forestry, privateering, guiding and shipbuilding. The area’s rich history is depicted here through exhibits and artifacts all housed in a facility situated on a beautifully landscaped property.
Shelburne’s Museums by the Sea, Shelburne
- Shelburne County Museum: For an in-depth history lesson of the people, trades and culture of the Shelburne area, this museum is a must. Artifacts that span over two centuries and tell stories of Mi’kmaq, Loyalist, African and Welsh who inhabited this area, memorabilia of the region’s shipbuilding history and a resource centre are all found here.
- Dory Shop Museum: Watch as Master Dory Builder Milford Buchanan and his assistants demonstrate how a Shelburne Dory was built in the late 1800s and became known as the workhorse of the inshore and offshore fisheries around the world.
- Ross-Thomson House & Store Museum: Two brothers, sons of a Scottish merchant opened this store which adjoined their house and offered molasses, tobacco, candles, and coils of hemp rope for sale, along with other necessities of the locals. This unique museum features an authentically stocked 18th-century store and a typical Loyalist house.
Black Loyalist Heritage Site, Birchtown
Here you can learn the story of the Black Loyalists, some of the first settlers in Canada. At one time Birchtown was the largest free Black community in North America. Visit the heritage site to learn their history and contributions, visit the Old School House Museum, historic church, and stroll the Black Loyalist Heritage Trail. Visitors can also trace their heritage through a virtual “Book of Negroes”.
Old Meeting House, Barrington
In the same complex as the Barrington Woolen Mill Museum, this is Canada’s oldest non-denominational house of worship, the area’s first New England settlers mixed business and religion in this New England–style building. Try your hand at writing with a quill and ink at this National Historic Site.
Seal Island Light Museum, Barrington
This is your chance to climb atop a lighthouse! This 35-foot beacon is a replica of the still-operational 60-foot original that continues to guide mariners through the waters around Seal Island, some 18 miles offshore.
Barrington Woolen Mill Museum, Barrington
This mill was once a bustling local producer of woolens in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Watch daily demonstrations of spinning, dyeing, and weaving of wool. Try your hand at this old industry and check out the mural that includes the very first piece of Nova Scotia tartan.
Learn from the locals
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