Halifax Citadel National Historic Site

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site Review

You can't miss the Citadel, literally or figuratively. Erected between 1826 and 1856 on Halifax's highest hill, it still dominates the skyline and, as Canada's most-visited National Historic Site, is a magnet for tourists. The present citadel with its dry moat and stone ramparts was the fourth defensive structure to be built on the site, and was once linked to smaller forts and gun emplacements on the harbor islands and the bluffs above the harbor entrance. (A multimedia presentation that runs every 15 minutes recounts that story.) Today you can visit its barracks, guard room, and powder magazine before heading for the parade ground to watch reenactors, sporting kilts and tall feather "bonnets," practice their drills. Tours that help bring the history of both the fort and the city to life go on throughout the day in high season, but the best time to visit is just before noon when the Noon Gun is fired—a tradition since 1857. Before leaving the Citadel, pause to enjoy the view. In front of you are the spiky downtown, crowded between the hilltop and the harbor; the wooded islands at the harbor's mouth; and the naval dockyard under the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, the nearer of the two bridges connecting Halifax proper with Dartmouth. Behind you is the 235-acre Halifax Common with its ball fields, tennis courts, playground, skateboard park, and open green. The last of these has served as a summertime venue for performers like the Rolling Stones, Keith Urban, and the Black Eyed Peas. Worried about losing track of time? Don't be. Simply keep an eye on Citadel Hill's Town Clock. Given to Halifax by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (the military commander here from 1794 to 1800), it has ticked in its octagonal tower for more than 200 years.