Museums
Apple Capital Museum, Berwick – No visit to Berwick is complete without experiencing its famous collection of objects from the apple and railway era at the Apple Capital Museum. Did you know that the museum also hosts a live bee display enclosed in glass by means of a tube leading outside, showing how they work together to build their community as we build ours? Ask our knowledgeable staff how the bees benefit the fruit industry, especially the apples in our area!
Annapolis Tidal Interpretive Centre, Annapolis Royal – The Annapolis Tidal Generating Station Interpretive Centre is open seasonally from May until October. Visitors learn about how this innovative generating station works. Admission is free. Those 16+ may be able to have a tour if wearing proper footwear.
Annapolis Valley MacDonald Museum – Middleton. The museum is located in the former Macdonald Consolidated School building. The Macdonald Museum houses the Nova Scotia Clock collection, historical artifacts of the area, a research Library for genealogical historical research, a recreated classroom and general store and a small natural history exhibit, including species at risk. Seasonal.
Blue Beach Fossil Museum, Avonport – Houses a collection of fossils found on the beach. (Open May to October) Tours are also available – (902) 684-9541. Free will offering.
Canning Heritage Museum – The museum displays artifacts on many aspects of historic Canning, from the early 1800s to present day, and has a collection of research material, including books, records and artifacts.
Charles Macdonald Concrete House Museum– Centreville. Built by Charles MacDonald entirely of concrete, this unique property is surrounded by concrete lawn sculptures of deer, a mountain lion, giant mushrooms, and other fanciful figures and furniture. Inside, the house is as it was built: every surface lovingly fashioned from cement and finished smooth with paint.
Churchill House Museum, Hantsport – The Churchill House was built by Ezra Churchill in 1860 for his son John Wiley Churchill as a wedding gift. The Churchills were the owners of Hantsport’s largest shipbuilding company. Open daily for tours from July to September, donations welcome.
Fort Anne, Annapolis Royal – Fort Anne National Historic Site of Canada is Canada’s oldest – a present day reminder of a time when conflict between Europe’s empire builders was acted out on the shores of the Annapolis River. It offers a sweeping view of the beautiful Annapolis Basin from the centre of Annapolis Royal. Museum exhibits highlight the history of the fort. You can discover the fort with an Xplorer Activity Booklet that you can pick up there.
Fort Edward, Windsor – Fort Edward which was built by Major Charles Lawrence in 1750 protected the route from Halifax to the Annapolis Valley. The blockhouse, which is the oldest in Canada, and earthworks are all that remain of Fort Edward. Acadian families were detained here after the 1755 deportation. The fort was an important base during the Seven Years’ War, the American Revolution and the War of 1812. An exhibit inside the blockhouse provides information about the history of Fort Edward. Interpretive panels present the story of Fort Edward’s role in the history of the area.
Gaspereau Press in Kentville is willing to take small groups for a tour of their facility so children can see how a book is made. Contact them for details.
Grand Pre Historic Site – A great place to walk around as well as to enjoy the exhibits. There is an Xplorer Kit (Scavenger Hunt) for children to complete during their visit. Read the blog post about our visit.
Greenwood Military Aviation Museum – The museum is free and there are a few things that kids can touch- including a flight simulator. There are full size planes outside that the kids enjoyed as well. You could spend about a hour with young children.
Haliburton House Museum– Windsor. Wind your way up the tree-lined drive to visit the home of Nova Scotian author Thomas Chandler Haliburton, who lived in this stylish residence from 1836-1856. Imagine Victorian Windsor as you explore the twists and turns of this house, where Haliburton created his claim to international fame: the fictional Yankee clock pedlar, Sam Slick. Read our Review
James House Museum, Bridgetown – A historic home with collections of local history.
Kings County Courthouse Museum, Kentville – The museum houses several permanent exhibits and there are always other exhibits and events to be seen.The museum will be closed to the public for the winter at noon on Friday, Dec.16th and will re-open on March 20th, 2012.
Kentville Historical Society Museum – If you’re interested in seeing Historical photos of what Kentville looked like years ago, come visit the Kentville Heritage Centre on Station Lane. There is one room dedicated to the history of the Dominion Atlantic Railway and also a room featuring some of the history of sports in the town of Kentville. The Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10 to 4 pm.
Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum – The one-room Schoolhouse Museum will be open on weekends and public holidays starting from June 30 to mid September. Admission is free, although free-will donations to the one room school house are appreciated. The museum houses a collection of nearly two thousand artifacts collected over a period of many decades. Some, such as old textbooks, maps and other educational materials, are connected with the original schoolhouse itself. A few pertain to certain of its more famous graduates (such as Joshua Slocum). Other items, once common in many local households, reflect facets of everyday life in rural Nova Scotia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of this last group came originally from an old general store which once operated just next door.
North Hills Museum – Located in a circa 1764 farmhouse on one of the most historic roads in Canada, North Hills Museum features Georgian décor assembled by the late antiques collector Robert Patterson. His collection of 18th century paintings, ceramics, glassware and furniture is one of the finest in Canada. They offer a variety of family art workshops throughout the year.
O’Dell House Museum – Located on the Annapolis Royal waterfront in a circa 1869 stagecoach inn and tavern, the O’Dell House Museum is the former home of Nova Scotia Pony Express rider Corey O’Dell and his family. Kids can enjoy traditional activities, especially in the summer.
Port Royal Habitation, outside of Annapolis Royal, is a reconstruction of early 17th century buildings representing the former colony of the French who settled along the Nova Scotia coast. A national historic site.
Prescott House Museum – Port Williams. An elegant Georgian house in the picturesque Annapolis Valley. Here, horticulturalist Charles Prescott cultivated Nova Scotia’s apple industry from 1811 to 1859. Every summer they have extensive programming for kids. Read the blog about our visit.
Railway Museum, Middleton – Enjoy a free visit to the Memory Lane Railway Museum, where you can view hundreds of unique railroad artifacts. Items in the collection include model railways, railroad implements, antique station paraphernalia, historical books, manuscripts and pictures. The site also features several artifacts outdoors, including a trolley railway, gardens, a picnic area and canteen. “All aboard!” for a fun learning experience the whole family can enjoy. Read the blog post about our visit.
Randall House Museum, Wolfville – the Randall House is a historic Horton farmhouse (circa 1800) and a community museum that reflects the way of life in Wolfville and its surrounding area in the 18th and 19th centuries. Read the blog post about our visit.
Ross Farm – This provincial museum is open year-round and is a great place for kids to explore. Museum employees are in period costumes and carrying out the tasks of running an 19th century farm. Check their special events calendar to visit during demonstration time, or go explore on your own. There are usually horse and wagon rides. Read the blog post about our visit.
Shand House Museum– Windsor. Built in 1890 for newlyweds Clifford and Henrie Shand, this ornate, Queen Anne-style house was once considered a modern marvel in Windsor. Featuring a fancy, original indoor bathroom, central heating, and stylish furniture from the Windsor furniture factory, the house stands as a testament to the Shand family legacy. Admire the front hall’s gleaming cherry-wood paneling. See a display of Clifford’s medals and memorabilia from the early days of the sport of bicycling. Take the servant’s stairs to the upper floor and climb the tower for a magnificent view of the Avon River and countryside; a beautiful setting for this comfortable family home.
Sinclair House Museum – Annapolis Royal. Three hundred years of history, architecture and living. Visit a unique and exciting building which reflects the preservation and conservation of original architecture from the early part of the 1700s.
West Hants Historical Society Museum, Windsor – The West Hants Historical Society collects and preserves artifacts and historical information related to Hants County, Nova Scotia. We display the cultural history of one of Nova Scotia’s oldest communities; household, industrial and shipping technologies of a bygone era.
Windsor Hockey Heritage Museum and Gift Shop – located at the Haliburton House museum in Windsor. Nova Scotians can learn about the history of hockey. Read our review
