The Halifax Public Gardens are a charming Victorian time capsule in the middle of the city. Expect elegant wrought iron gates, fountains, ornate bridges, ponds and a bandstand. The gardens were established in the same year as Canadian Confederation (1867), and pay homage to the country’s heritage. Wander through the 16-acre (six-hectare) park to discover natural delights that change with the seasons.
Navigate through the serpentine and scroll style garden beds and across stone bridges. Find historic statues and memorials dotted along the paths. The classically sculpted Victoria Jubilee fountain can be found near the centre of the park. Visit the ducks and a model of the Titanic in Griffin’s Pond while enjoying a hand-paddled ice cream from the park café.
The Public Gardens Park horticulturalists, superintendents and volunteers take great pride in their traditional Victorian-style carpet beds, precisely planted gardens that paint a picture or design. Two of these carpet beds are maintained for special events and commemorations.
Visit the park on Canada Day (July first) and Natal Day (the first Monday in August), and to catch floral celebrations. A decoratively carved wooden bandstand resides in the middle of the park, surrounded by 32 annually blooming garden beds. Swing by the bandstand on any given Sunday in summer and you can see a free public concert. Diverse varieties of dahlia can be seen in full bloom during late summer until the first frost of the fall.
The Halifax Public Gardens Park is open and free to enter during spring to late fall. The park is conveniently located just over half a mile (one kilometre) from downtown and the waterfront district. Catch a bus right to the Victorian-era gates on the corner of Spring Garden Road and South Park Street.