9 Best Sights in New Brunswick, Canada

Horticulture and art combine in this spectacular public garden. Nearly 2,500 varieties of trees, shrubs, and plants cover the 27 acres, with woodland trails and many theme gardens, including one specially designed for touch and smell, a rose garden, a bird and butterfly garden, and a gravel garden. A children's fantasy garden offers child-centered activities, and there are daily programs for kids under 12 (1:30 pm in July and August). One of the oldest and rarest trees in the world, a Wollemi pine, named Pericles, is a big attraction, as is the opportunity to participate in a ladybug release program every morning at 10:30. The Sculpture Garden features works by Don Pell, exhibits on loan from the Beaverbrook collection, and many other established and emerging artists, including winners of the annual Kingsbrae Garden Canadian Sculpture Competition. Kingsbrae also has an art gallery, an artists-in-residence series, a café (with live music on Wednesday evenings in July and August), and the superb Savour in the Garden restaurant.

Active since 1840 and a National Historic Site since 1983, the courthouse is an exceptionally fine example of 19th-century Greek Revival architecture—one of the finest in Canada. The adjacent Old Gaol, on the other hand, is a grim reminder of the conditions that awaited local wrongdoers. The courthouse is also the home of Charlotte County Archives, whose volunteers offer free tours of the courthouse and the Old Gaol (June to September). Ask about their Ghost Walks, too.

The Ganong family has been making chocolates in St. Stephen since 1873 and their original candy factory now houses this museum. It explores the sweet history of candy making with hand-dipping videos, a collection of antique chocolate boxes, and hands-on exhibits. A Heritage Chocolate Walking Tour, available Monday to Saturday, July through mid-August, includes a guided tour of the museum and a stroll around town, where the guide points out buildings associated with the chocolate industry. There are occasional activities for children and a chocolate festival in early August. After all that chocolate talk and those tempting displays, there's a sweet finale: an on-site, year-round retail outlet selling the indulgent treats.

After a remark was made at an 1822 dinner party about the "poor" Presbyterians not having a church of their own, Captain Christopher Scott took exception to the insult and spared no expense on this building. The church is decorated with a carving of a green oak tree in honor of Scott's birthplace, Greenock in Scotland.

This small but interesting aquarium, established in 1969, is at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, a private not-for-profit research and education institution. Marine exhibits include a huge two-story tank with indicators showing the varying levels of the Fundy tides, teeming touch tanks that delight children (and adults), rare wolffish, sea horses, squid, salmon, and a pair of very entertaining harbor seals (fed at 11 and 4 daily), as well as free movies and slide shows. A trail leads to the beach on the Saint Croix River (depending on tides). Check the website for other feeding times, behind-the-scenes tours, and sleepover opportunities. Also consult the website or call for driving directions—it's not easy to find.

These beautiful falls within a park inside the Stonehammer Geopark tumble over ancient rocks and near a fossil of a rare tetrapod trackway. The park provides visitors with tantalizing views of the falls from the boardwalk in the wooded surroundings, where there are picnic tables and hiking trails. At the right time of year, you can pick wild strawberries here.

This huge island estate, once completely self-sufficient, was the summer home of Sir William Van Horne, chairman of the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1899 to 1915. Tours of the property include Covenhoven, Sir William's 50-room summer home; a tidal swimming pool; a livestock barn; a cottage; an old windmill; and the 1790 Minister's House from which the island takes its name. To get to the island you drive, walk, or bike at low tide; be sure to leave the island before the tide comes in or you will be stuck for another six hours. The website gives details of accessible hours for each open day.

Unlike most Bay of Fundy beaches, this one is sandy and great for swimming, especially if you wait until the tide is coming in. The sun warms the sand at low tide, and the sand warms the water as it comes in. There are quite a lot of steps down to the beach, and the toilets, canteen, and picnic tables are at the top. It's part of the New River Beach Provincial Park that also has a boardwalk through a bog, a playground, interpretive programs, hiking trails, kayak rentals, and campsites. The annual Sand Sculpture Competition in late July is a popular event. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

A U.S. couple who had a summer home in St. Andrews for 40 years established this museum. The Rosses donated the trappings of that home and an extensive collection of 19th-century New Brunswick furniture and decorative artwork to the town and purchased this 1824 Georgian mansion to house them. The Christmas Open House, over five days in late November/early December, is a popular event.