If you’re planning a visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, you’ll definitely want to plan a visit to one of the city’s many museums. There is plenty to choose from, including a variety of topics including immigration, marine history, and fishing.

If you’re arriving by plane, your first museum visit might be the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, which is located right at Halifax International Airport. This museum showcases Canada’s rich aeronautical heritage and occupies more than 14,000 square feet of space. Many of the aircraft owned by the museum are fully restored and on display, while others continue to be worked on. If you’re an aviation buff, you can also take a trip to Baddeck on Cape Breton Island, home to the first aerial flight in the British Empire.

Nova Scotia is located on the east coast of Canada, and Halifax has been a major seaport. And unsurprisingly, there are museums dedicated to this aspect of Nova Scotia history. The award-winning Maritime Museum of the Atlantic will offer marine enthusiasts more than a glimpse into the history and culture of Nova Scotia’s marine heritage.

Those with an interest in genealogy, as well as others, will be interested in visiting Pier 21, Canada’s immigration museum. Between 1928 and 1971, more than a million people passed through Halifax’s Pier 21 and this museum honors the war brides, rescued children, servicemen and others who were processed here.

A short excursion from Halifax will take you to Lunenberg, home to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Exhibits include an old schooner, a scallop shelling house, a photo gallery and more. You can even learn about whales and the whaling industry.