Visiting Halifax (hotels, neighbourhood, restaurants)

[Joules21]

Our family wants to take a trip to Halifax this summer. We will be there for 1 week. Any tips on what we should see/do? We will have our small child with us and possibly our dog too.

[East Coaster]

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is great. It's right by the waterfront, which is also a lovely place to walk around. What time of year will you be there for? The Jazz festival and the Busker festival both happen during the summer and are worth checking out. The Discovery Centre is really fun for kids--it's a very hands on science centre.

I'd take the ferry across to Dartmouth. The ferry is a fun trio and the park on the Dartmouth waterfront is lovely, as is the Peace Pavilion.

I'd suggest checking out the Hydrostone neighbourhood in the North End. Not super exciting for kids, but it's interesting to check out the architecture, and there are some pretty cute shops. The neighbourhood was constructed following the Halifax explosion, and you'll learn all about it at the museum!

Get out of town, too. The Annapolis valley and the South Shore are great and easy day trips. There's a good kid-friendly museum in Lunenburg.

If you can swing it, you should really spend a couple of days in Cape Breton. It's probably the most beautiful place I have ever been.

Have a great trip!

[jambo101]

Problem with the dog is many public establishments dont allow dogs,restaurants for sure,many hotels and motels, you might want to check ahead of time about museums and similar places of interest..
I'm envisioning you planning a day at the ........ only to discover dogs arent allowed.

[Spryman]

York Redoubt National Historic site offers beautiful views of Halifax, it's an old military fort with lots of old cannons.

The beaches east of dartmouth (Rainbow Haven, Lawrencetown, Martenique, Clam bay) are nice (though the water isn't real warm)

[bassetluv]

"The beaches east of dartmouth (Rainbow Haven, Lawrencetown, Martenique, Clam bay) are nice (though the water isn't real warm)"

lol...that's an understatement! I grew up in Dartmouth and when I was little, my family used to regularly visit Martinique Beach. I was never able to go past ankle-deep in the water, my feet would literally turn blue. It was always fun digging for fresh clams though, and then roasting them on the beach.

As for places to visit, in Halifax I'd recommend The Citadel, Point Pleasant Park, The Public Gardens, The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The Historic Properties along the waterfront is a really nice touristy area. Outside of Halifax there's always Peggy's Cove, the Annapolis Valley (absolutely gorgeous scenic route, esp. The Lookoff), and the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton. I'm not sure about travelling with a dog...you will need to plan ahead and see where your pet may or may not be welcome.