Province House
Province House
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Oldest provincial Parliament building still in use in Canada; a visit to its legislative library is recommended.
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Neighbourhood: Downtown Halifax
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
95 reviews
Excellent
44
Very good
38
Average
12
Poor
1
Terrible
0
backpacker31
Boynton Beach, FL5,500 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
We found out about this place from the friendly bank security guard across the street. Our self guided visit was accompanied by a provided, informative map/pamphlet. The rooms are filled with period furniture and historical art. The library was most beautiful. One of the friendly security guards mentioned to look carefully at the floor as there are fossils embedded in the stone. The visit was free of charge and the building itself is quite impressive. Definitely worth an hour of your time.
Written 26 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Learncpr5202
Tillsonburg, Canada306 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
The history here is amazing! The tour guide was equally amazing and made the experience wonderful. I can’t add much more than what’s already been said. It’s a quick tour which is a bonus!
Written 11 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YTCHENG
Hong Kong, China15,491 contributions
Oct 2019
Joined the self-guided group tour to learn the history and architecture of the Province House built in 1819 was a historical treasure as it was the oldest one still in use in Canada. Visit through security screening was necessary. The tour to legislative library was recommended.
Written 29 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
on_the_go_98765
Tucson18,350 contributions
Sep 2019
The building is an historical treasure: since 1819, the Legislature has been meeting here, making this the oldest house of government in all of Canada. In 1996, it was placed on the National Historic Site of Canada registry. Three floors tall, it is open for tours during business hours but it is recommended that visitors book ahead.
In the courtyard stands a Boer War soldier on a pedestal, waving his rifle. As a newcomer to the two Boer Wars (the US was neutral and remained uninvolved, seeing it as a conflict similar to their own revolution), the story of the conflict and the monuments to this circa 1900 part of British history has intrigued me.
An excellent biography of the war is told in "Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill" (Candace Millard). The second part of the war lasted nearly 3 years and the losses for Britain were absolutely staggering. Formal troop fighting style met its match against the Boer farmers' guerrilla tactics.
Almost everywhere we went in Canada (as well as New Zealand and Australia), the monuments to the Boer War dead reinforced the scope of the tragic war. Monuments like this are intended to honor those who died elsewhere and not buried in their home land. The war did produce a necessary adjustment to how British forces would fight in the future.
It consumed my attention to study this statue of an officer leading a charge, and to comprehend how difficult it must have been to engage in a Viet Nam style ground war in a climate and geography so alien. The felt-domed hat and chin strap, formal leggings covering shoes and pants, khaki uniform, and munitions were in stark contrast to the stealthy Boer farmers (aged 16 to 60) who utilized the element of surprise and ambush to their advantage.
It is estimated that 22,000 British troops died in this conflict (2/3 from disease).
The Province House is a beautiful piece of history but there's a lot of history around the grounds, too.
In the courtyard stands a Boer War soldier on a pedestal, waving his rifle. As a newcomer to the two Boer Wars (the US was neutral and remained uninvolved, seeing it as a conflict similar to their own revolution), the story of the conflict and the monuments to this circa 1900 part of British history has intrigued me.
An excellent biography of the war is told in "Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill" (Candace Millard). The second part of the war lasted nearly 3 years and the losses for Britain were absolutely staggering. Formal troop fighting style met its match against the Boer farmers' guerrilla tactics.
Almost everywhere we went in Canada (as well as New Zealand and Australia), the monuments to the Boer War dead reinforced the scope of the tragic war. Monuments like this are intended to honor those who died elsewhere and not buried in their home land. The war did produce a necessary adjustment to how British forces would fight in the future.
It consumed my attention to study this statue of an officer leading a charge, and to comprehend how difficult it must have been to engage in a Viet Nam style ground war in a climate and geography so alien. The felt-domed hat and chin strap, formal leggings covering shoes and pants, khaki uniform, and munitions were in stark contrast to the stealthy Boer farmers (aged 16 to 60) who utilized the element of surprise and ambush to their advantage.
It is estimated that 22,000 British troops died in this conflict (2/3 from disease).
The Province House is a beautiful piece of history but there's a lot of history around the grounds, too.
Written 29 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beaucaboo
Montreal, Canada147 contributions
Aug 2019
We were two adults that visited this site on August 23, 2019. We had the choice of doing the tour on our own or doing a guided tour. We opted for the guided tour . We only had to wait 5 minutes. Our tour guide was Binta. She was excellent, informative & told us interesting facts, stories & tidbits!! This place is crawling with history. It is also full of many original paintings. Our favourite was visiting the legislature, where laws are proposed, debated and either passed or defeated. Excellent. The library was also fascinating. After the tour, you are free to visit on your own, which we did. We saw two beautiful rooms on the ground floor. One room is called the Veterans' Room and the other room is directly opposite. Province House is well worth a visit!! Please note that you need a photo ID to enter. Also you need to go through a security check, similar to what happens at airports.
Written 23 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dennis R
Las Cruces, NM6 contributions
Aug 2019
This is a good history stop.It tells well the politcal history of Nova Scotia tours are regular with good docents.
Written 23 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael H
Burke, VA206 contributions
Aug 2019
Superior self guided or with a guide tours. Great selection of paintings and history. The rooms are rich in history and beauty. The moldings are incredible! The Royal Seat and the NA legislature are impressive. And of course you can get a close up of the Mace.
Written 11 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LondonE7
Toronto, Canada721 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
Good historical tour of the legislature and history, period rooms and council chambers, I have a short vlog on youtube (departures1)
Written 5 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scottishvermonter
Saint Johnsbury, VT166 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
This is worth an hour of your time if you enjoy picturing where history was made. The tour guide was well-informed, but her voice was very soft so I missed many historical details.
Written 24 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carolyn B
Toronto, Canada84 contributions
Jun 2019 • Solo
I walked in and got a free private tour, it was neat to learn a bit more about the history of the government of Nova Scotia.
Written 22 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Province House
- Hotels near Province House:
- (0.20 km) The Sutton Place Hotel Halifax
- (0.17 km) The Hollis Halifax - a DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel
- (0.22 km) Prince George Hotel
- (0.18 km) Muir, Autograph Collection
- (0.12 km) Granville Hall Residence
- Restaurants near Province House:
- (0.06 km) Fishy Dishy
- (0.12 km) The Press Gang Restaurant & Oyster Bar
- (0.13 km) The Auction House
- (0.10 km) The Old Triangle Irish Ale House
- (0.11 km) McKelvie's Delishes Fishes Dishes