10 cool things to do in Halifax in winter
Halifax is a fun, vibrant, and historic city at any time of year. And if you haven’t experienced it in winter, you’re missing out! Plenty of Halifax’s main attractions are open year-round, and visiting during the off-season lets you enjoy a more up-close and personal experience. Here’s a look at 10 of the coolest — see what we did there? — things to do in Halifax in winter.
This winter visit to Halifax is part of our road trip through the Annapolis Valley in winter, which we drove in a 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid. Want to learn more about things to do in Halifax in winter? Join our Facebook community!
Presented in partnership with Tourism Nova Scotia
Explore Canada’s diversity at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is one of only two national museums located outside Canada’s capital city of Ottawa. This location was chosen for this museum for a very good reason. Hundreds of thousands of people arrived at this pier by boat between 1928 and 1971 to make Canada their new home.
The museum has two main galleries. One is dedicated to the history of the building itself. The exhibits explain how the facility was laid out, the conditions immigrants endured to arrive here, and the procedures they followed to enter Canada. The other gallery explains Canadian immigration across centuries through moving exhibits that share personal stories of struggle and belonging.
Here, the importance of immigration and diversity is laid out in a tale only Canada can tell. And if your own family has connections to this place, you may be able to learn more by accessing Pier 21’s immigration records. This beautiful museum is open year-round, including Wednesdays through Sundays from November to April.
If museums interest you, it’s also worth checking out the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. It’s home to one of the world’s best exhibits displaying artifacts from the HMS Titanic disaster, and it tells more stories from Atlantic Canada’s seafaring history such as the Halifax Explosion. During the winter, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is open every day but Monday and has extended hours on Tuesday evenings.
Discover family fun at the Discovery Centre
The Discovery Centre is one of the best things to do in Halifax with kids at any time of year! Four floors of interactive galleries cover topics ranging from ocean life to health and the human body, flight, energy, and more. At RBC Someday Street, toddlers and preschoolers can learn through play with a pretend grocery store, bubble table, family farm, doctor’s office, and construction zone.
In the Dinosaur Explorer featured exhibit, kids of all ages can see animatronic dinosaurs move and roar up close. It’s the perfect outing for your dinosaur-obsessed little one! This special exhibit is available until April 2025.
Tour Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery
Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale is as Nova Scotian as lobster and kitchen parties. A tour of the brewery is a must-do experience while in Halifax. Fortunately, the Alexander Keith’s brewery tour is available year-round.
You’ll start by learning about Alexander Keith, how he came to Canada, and the legacy he and his family left in Halifax. Then, you’ll discover step-by-step how beer is made. Finally, you’ll descend into the cellar for a beer tasting and a traditional Nova Scotian kitchen party, complete with live music.
While you’re in the cellar, take a look at the green bottle encased in glass in the corner. A diver pulled this up from Halifax Harbour, and it was later to be a 125-year-old bottle of Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale that had been perfectly preserved below the ocean. What a remarkable piece of Halifax history!
Skating at Emera Oval
Ice skating is a wonderful winter pastime. Halifax’s Emera Oval is the largest outdoor artificially refrigerated skating rink anywhere east of Quebec City. Its surface is the same size as three regulation NHL hockey rinks!
Skating at Emera Oval is completely free of charge. This includes the skate rental, which only requires a government ID. This makes going for a skate at Emera Oval one of the best free things to do in Halifax in winter.
Head to Halifax Citadel to watch the noon gun
Halifax Citadel National Historic Site is a bustling place during the summer with tours, exhibits, musket firing demonstrations, and more. While this programming shuts down during the winter, the tradition of the Halifax noon gun continues all year long.
Every day but Christmas Day, without fail, the 3rd Brigade of the Royal Artillery fires a cannon at exactly noon from the fort’s ramparts. The Parade Square remains open all year, and visitors are invited to watch the ceremony for free from November to May on the Cavalier Building’s verandah. Groups can also call ahead to arrange private tours or spirit tastings during these same months.
Grab a cinnamon bun at Cabin Coffee
A snowy day is the perfect time to grab a coffee and Halifax’s favourite cinnamon roll. Cabin Coffee is not a chain: this independent coffee shop has all the ambiance of the family cottage, from the comfy couches to the log walls and even a canoe hanging from the rafters.
Take in some live music at Bearly’s House of Blues
If you love live music, you’ve got to check out Bearly’s House of Blues & Ribs. This is the dark and dingy dive bar of your dreams! Local artists are featured almost every night on an intimate stage surrounded by a dozen or so tables. And the food—there’s typical pub fare, but the Filipino dishes will blow your mind!
This popular spot becomes standing room only quite early in the night, even in winter. Expect to pay a cover charge, and arrive early to secure a table for the best experience.
Explore the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market
With a history dating back all the way to 1750, the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market is the longest continuously running market of its kind in North America and is nearly as old as Halifax itself! The Saturday morning market runs from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM every weekend year-round. Discover local products, see the works of Nova Scotia artisans, and sample cuisines from around the world.
See the very cool Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival
The Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival is an annual celebration of all things winter. This event showcases amazing ice carvings amid a street festival atmosphere with live music, street curling, DJ parties, artisan markets, and more.
Even if the festival isn’t on when you’re visiting Halifax, it’s a lot of fun to travel from Halifax to Dartmouth on the ferry. This essential link across Halifax Harbour is so important locally that it’s part of the Halifax Transit system. The fare is $3 per adult and stays valid for 90 minutes, so you can look around in downtown Dartmouth and make the return trip on the same ticket if you wish. You’ll get great views of Halifax and Dartmouth from the harbour, which often includes Royal Canadian Navy ships docked for repairs at the Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott.
Get a Taste of Nova Scotia at Sip & Shuck
Sip & Shuck, hosted by Taste of Nova Scotia, is an annual event highlighting the very best in Nova Scotia’s seafood and beverage producers. When you arrive at the venue in downtown Halifax, you’ll receive a very generous package of drink tickets you can use to sample beer, wine, and spirits from all over the province. Better yet, you can try Nova Scotia foods such as cheese, mussels, chowder, and all the oysters you can slurp. This special night out is worth the trip to Halifax on its own!
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