Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

Halifax Waterfront

A visit to Halifax would not be complete without checking out the very interesting exhibits of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.  If you're a nautical buff at all, don't miss it -- there's a lot for you here.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's exhibits include:  Small Craft Gallery; Halifax Wrecked Exhibit, which recounts the devastating effects of the 1917 explosion in Halifax Harbour, the most destructive manmade explosion before the atomic age; Navy Gallery which explores the naval presence in Nova Scotia from the founding of the Royal Navy dockyard in Halifax in 1758 to the creation of the Royal Canadian Navy in 1910 (includes many fine warship models, artifacts of the famous Shannon-Chesapeake battle and the Pullen Sword Collection; Convoy Exhibit, which tells how Nova Scotia helped in the struggle to supply Europe in the face of submarine attacks during WWII -- the majority of the Allied fast convoys assembled at and departed from Halifax; Days of Sail Gallery, where many fine models of ships from the 'Golden Age of Sail' are on display; Steam Gallery, where models from the Museum's collection illustrate the development of powered vessels, from cargo ships to elegant passenger liners.

There may be a few Titanic buffs out there as well.  The Museum hosts a very interesting exhibit regarding the doomed passenger liner titled Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, which includes one of the few intact deck chairs.  Rescue and recovery ships were sent to the scene of the disaster from Halifax.  Approximately 150 Titanic victims, including one "J. Dawson", were buried at Fairview Cemetery in Halifax's west end.

Click here to visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's website.  The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is part of the Nova Scotia Museum system.