Reviews of Museum of Natural History (Museum)

Ron clarke

Small but very cool museums especially the learn about Egypt section that is on display now until April 2021

M DFAR

It’s interesting. I like the earth part more ans also the bees.. they’re amazing...

leju sk

Very reasonable price and small but nice and priceless exhibits. The beehive was a amazing and the kids enjoyed the wild life there. The Egyptian mummy exhibit is really great and much informative.

S Norman

Always fun and educational

RUSSELL HENNINGER SR

Excellent little museum for Natural History, staff friendly and knowledgeable.

Hillary Kiazyk

Great museum, half was closed when I went but it was still excellent. Really lovely staff and interpreters

Kassie Dwarika

Gus the turtle is awesome! Topography sandbox was cute. A little small but awesome gift shop.

Marcella Hartling

I went to see the spider exebit and it was really cool because they had lots of spiders around the world, and stuff like that is only there for awhile so I'm happy I didn't miss out!

Serge Babineau

Had a great family outing. Loved the exhibits!

Neil Frelick

Full of interesting exhibits and lots of informative reading, it's a wonderful place to go with older kids/other adults to while away 2 or 3 hours learning about Nova Scotia, it's peoples past and present, and the earth itself. Even though some of the more interesting looking exhibits were closed, it still gets a full five stars because we have something to look forward to going back for!

Andrew Davis

It was so nice to walk around and see what you have displayed, I love the animals.

ni 993

Our family loved it ! 2 young boys had lots to look at while us adults enjoyed reading the information. We also seen Gus who we've seen in our younger years during school field trips.

Miguel

Worst museum I have ever been. It is a waste of space payed by our taxes.

Amanda Piccott

Kids (and myself) had a BLAST :) Smaller than I anticipated, but still loads of fun

Krystyna black

Love that this local museum brings interesting exhibits recently like Body worlds RX and Dinosaurs. Although I wish there was more to the dinosaurs, definitely a great place to bring kids to see replicas

Jessica O

Half of the exhibits were closed for renos but what we were able to see was fun. We enjoyed the animals and the projection show on the solar system. My kids and I had fun at our first visit!

Natalie Cantle

This is a fun museum to visit ! A little on the small side but definitely one of my favourites in Halifax. They have lizards, frogs and snakes in tanks to view and usually have a themed temporary exhibit which is always super cool. Also they have a very cool exhibit with various bird species, marine species, a touch tank, and very interactive. Highly recommend.

Neill M

Excellent displays to educate and entertain! They have a lot of living creatures, as well as preserved. One in particular is Gus, a tortoise that is nearing his 100th birthday and has become the museum’s mascot (I saw him previously 20 years ago when I was a kid, so quite special to many locals). The museum itself is not that big but could easily keep you and the family busy for 2 to 3 hours.

Alex Corrigan

Last Saturday I took in the Egyptian Mummies and eternal life exhibit at the Museum of Natural history.This exhibit was very well put together for the viewer to move seamlessly through from start to finish with very little contact.Worth the adult price and would go back again before it ends Nov 8 for another look.

A Giant Panda

Place was small but informative. Lots of varied exhibits and more live animals than one would think would be in a museum. Their exhibit on the local indigenous people is probably the most comprehensive of any I've seen, especially about the mic mac people. Great place to spend an hour or two but don't go in expecting to spend the whole day there. Admission is also very reasonable

T Brown

Great place especially for kids, inexpensive and educational. There are live animal exhibits ( reptiles / amphibians) and nice collection of taxidermy / skeleton specimens. We got there early on Saturday, which was good, because it was quite crowded as we were leaving.

Michael MacDonald

The current exhibit includes on loan items related to various periods of ancient Egypt. There are even mummies! I highly recommend you see this exhibit before it's gone. There are permanent exhibits worth seeing as well. Lots of great animal exhibits, but also a wonderful Mi'kmaw display that was really impressive.

Thiago Andrade

Looking forward to visit it again!

George Dao

Nice family activity. I love the way the staff makes an effort to get the children involved.

Liam Duncan

Ya got of love kids, haha. Wonderful history on the indigenous people of NS

Darryl Ritter

Very educational and excellent presentations. The girls with me, loved it. I enjoyed it too. The price is very reasonable too. Gus is cool to see. Would definitely do it again.

H M

Always enjoy seeing Gus and all the other little creatures featured at the Museum of Natural History.

Greyson Jones

Excellent collection of indigenous artefacts, and beautiful collections of pieces through history, indigenous animal bones, prehistoric pieces, and of course their living tortoise, I believe to be the oldest of his kind... A must see. No pictures attached because you have to see it yourself.

Saint Apollonia

The Museum of Natural history is always a great place to visit. Their permanent exhibitions always bring back nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the area and they really step up their game with their visiting exhibitions. It is affordable pricing, accessible to all ages and abilities, and exactly as a museum should be.

Sidney Hamilton

Good price, nice exhibits, and very informative about the local area. The temporary Egyptian exhibit is a must see while it's there. Also go around 3:30 if you want to see an adorable 97 year old tortoise named Gus walk around the museum. That being said, the museum is a bit small and can get a little crowded in some areas at times, and parents tend to not watch their kids here which can be a bit of a nuisance, but that's more the fault of parents around here than the museum.

John van Gurp

Love everything about our museum!

Liam Mather

For a small museum, it can be surprisingly engaging and the staff are very informed. Like many museums, it's overall quality is going to be linked to whatever is the feature exhibit. Addition of the touch tank and the boat display as permanent things can easily help you kill an hour or two with the little one and the proximity to the public gardens, Citadel, or the Common's playground allows the facility to be part of a bigger downtown adventure.

chuck bishop

The dinosaur exhibit was wonderful to go to my children enjoyed themselves immensely great family outing

Noel Waterfield

I always go when new exhibits come in.educating and fun

Harley Rayner

Cute museum showing local animals and heritage. Very well catered towards children so they can easily see everything and learn.

Ian Daniels

If you have kids and plan to go to the museum more than 2 times in a year then the family pass is worth buying and is total no brainer. Gus is always fun to see and plan visits around. He is walked around the main floor of the museum most days near closing and it great fun for the kids to see. *This routine was pre-covid*. The spherical projection theatre is amazing! The staff are always helpful and happy to show the kids the tanks, animals, and provide unique and noteworthy experiences of seeing the animals and displays. It's a great museum!

Jer Green (Greener)

A nice museum to learn a few things about local history. The kids enjoyed most of the exhibits as they were mostly interactive. A good way to spend 2 hours!

MADDAWGNETWORK

Amazing displays well worth a short visit

Dylan DeGrace

Very reasonably priced. Well curated permanent exhibits that showcase the Nova Scotia region from wildlife to geology. We went during the Egyptian temporary exhibit and what a treat that was! All staff were very polite. However, it is my hope that there is some funding in the future to update the facilities and grounds. It's definitely showing its age.

Jeremy Harlow

WonderFull Time, Free admission, feels like it keeps getting smaller as i get older... c'est la vie

Jordan Hiltz Haughn

A truly satisfying and rewarding visit! The staff were very friendly and sweet, and the exhibit information was interesting and well displayed. I was specifically there to see the Body Works RX exhibit and that alone was completely worth the admission rate (about $6 for an adult, which was low anyway). If you enjoy learning, I highly recommend paying a visit to the museum. It has all the right mixtures of local interest and specialized exhibits!

Nixrin

Great museum with knowledgeable and friendly staff. There are plenty of exhibits for both child and parent, including live reptiles, bees and a salt water aquarium. There is also a small gift shop that you can look through at the end. My only gripe is that the bathrooms are on the bottom floor.

Shaza Gameel

Beautiful but extremely small. It's a one hour stay place! Not enough explanation of materials in the show room. Egyptian boring section takes third of the museum space. I wish Halifax can pay more attention to this important museum and source of information reflecting what is Nova beautiful Scotia all about! Visit other museums around the world guys, watch, learn and FIX! ????

Michael Lynch

If you're looking for a well worth while way to spend your Sunday then you should consider going to the Museum of Natural History. It's only the price of a craft beer to get in and the staff are very courteous, informed and helpful. Be prepared to be wowed and amazed. Also don't forget to say hi to Gus.

LIHUI LIU

A place to remember! It is a small museum right in the downtown. We visited it many times in the past. Sadly say bye to the collection that being displayed for 50 plus years on thanking giving day of 2021, last day to see them. Look forward to seeing the new collection in 2023. This place does require a parking fee, $1.5 per hour but you may find the free parking nearby. The favorite part is to meet the turtle Gus and it will turn 100 years old in August, 2022. You can only see it around 3:30pm at the backyard of the museum when weather permits.

Gabriela Albuquerque

Awesome museum, great for kids and inner kids. The collection is huge and varied. It's a very fun place to go, and if you want to take your time and learn more, it has lots of texts to read in all the museum too. The shop is very cute, my little changing color stegosaurus ring is a huge success everywhere I go...but there are more serious gifts too, if it's what you need.

Matthew Murphy

The dino exhibit was great, a couple of hands-on activities and life like animatronics. The permanent installations are cool too, especially the sand table. Not a whole lot of material though, plan for about an hour.

Danielle Arsenault

Children really enjoyed the it here, but they are science buffs. They could have been at the displays for hours

Colton White

I have been loyalty attending this Museum on a regular basis since I was a very young lad. It is a constantly evolving and interesting platform for the assimilation of abstract knowledge delving into some of the most interesting and far a field topics this could very tactfully amuse engage and inspire a young growing mind for the betterment of their overall awareness of pertinent general knowledge there could very earnestly mean the difference between oncoming Generations thriving due to general knowledge awareness and being ignorant to very important Notions that are globally relevant not just nationally not just for provincially not just originating in the present far distant past or immediate long-term future but helping provide a bigger picture. Learning from the mistakes of our forefathers in addition to mistakes is that irrelevant within the last decade 50 years 20 years Etc. But also having live and tangible displays that makes everything all the more accessible to the developing mind by incorporating living and well articulated scientific diagrams I have nothing but good to say about this institution please expose your youngins to the contents of this well laid out facility of inspired displays thank you

Sean Prosser

The Mummy exhibit currently showing at the museum is amazing (Feb 2020) and definitely worth checking out. Gus was out for a walk in the gallery today and it was nice to see him still going strong. If you get the chance to go see the exhibit, its worthwhile if you have an interest in ancient Egypt

Ilona Chodnicka

Like every well designed natural history museum, ideal for a 2h visit. Kids were enchanted by the resident tortoise, George (?), who happened to be on a walk but you were "welcome to come and visit him here ".

Rachel MacIvor

This is and always has been one of my favorite museums. From plastination to geology to mummies to the universe, their exhibits are always amazing!

Laura MN

Always love going here especially with family members of all ages. They cycle exhibits often so there is always something new to see and experience. Each section has lots of info to read and learn but also has interactive elements to them as well which is great. Staff is always friendly, the building is accessable and they recently started offering a time with reduced stimuli with the noise and lighting on the first Sunday of the month, they even provide a sensory map of the museum both online and at the front desk. The price is also incredibly affordable, I often get the pass for the year which pays for itself after about 3 visits.

Olivier Lacroix

There was a few animals but it is completely empty... nothing got my interest... badly made stuffed animals. I mean its free so its worth going but not very impressive

Miguel Mendez

I've been to better museums. Though this is Halifax and not a major city. Very kid friendly. My faveotie part was about sable Island and its wild horse population!

Nathalie Landry

Good for small kids but for teenagers and adults it's limit boring. It's fun at the start but the visit is really quick. They need to work on presentation and new articles to add on exhibition. No dinosaurs, no body exhibition...only rocks, few bones of reptiles and dead animals...

Danielle Zwicker

Great time at the Museum of Natural History. The dinosaur exhibit was great! My daughter loved it, very interesting and wonderful place to bring the kiddos. Very inexpensive and informative.

Roady NS

Words cant describe how much I love this place, and the wonderful memories I’ve retreated. The details and the historic words, I felt like I was right in Egypt! I even bought some souvenirs to remember this fabulous moment, I’m more than satisfied with my visit! Highly recommended.

Gabriel Murphy (Gabe)

It felt empty not what I remembered, idk if they're getting ready for new stuff but very disappointing.

Stacy Bruce

Good fun, kids love to visit

Danielle “Lynn” Lane

Excellent little museum. Some live animals to check out, including Gus, the world's oldest gofer tortoise. If you go around 3:30 you will get to see him on his daily walk!

Sarah Bent

We went to see the dinosaurs but all the kids aged 5 to 13 loved it. I have mobility challenges and was able to borrow a wheelchair no questions asked and it really gave us a much easier trip. Staff were knowledgeable and courteous. Can't wait til we go back!

Himanshu Maheshwari

It is an interesting place to go with kids. There are skeletons of animals and birds. One section is dedicated to the science room, you can see the globe there. Snake and bees are kept on the other side. There is a tortoise name GUS who is 99 yrs old. Kids will learn the importance of trees by hearing the story. You can hear the voice of different animals in tiny cave. The entry fees is free for July and August 2021.

Cindy-Lee Samuel

So fun and interactive for our 8 and 10 year old. Clean and very covid friendly, plus free admission

Hilary Ann Greene

The dinosaur exhibit was on and it was amazing. The price is really good for what is offered. We really enjoyed our time. Can't wait to see what the next exhibit is.

Shane Fewkes

The museum itself is actually quite small. So myself and my girlfriend got through it all in about an hour, but I could see that it would be very child friendly and entertaining for little ones. We also visited for the Body World's exhibit which was incredible! Highly recommend seeing that if you can. Price is cheap enough for some decent family entertainment!

Anica K.

Staff was kind and helpful. There are looooots to see, the spider exhibit is really nice and they have a pretty good collection on sea things and birds. My favorite part is the glass beehive just wish there would be someone to talk about it on the free entrance day as some of us have a hard time affording an entrance. Still a pretty nice museum

Arthur Murphy

A bit on the smaller side when it comes to museums but it was fun looking at the actual animals as always and it's nice when it's free sometimes.

Melissa Hinckley

Great museum. A must visit if in Halifax. Many, ever changing displays.

Jason Noonan

Such a beautiful little Museum, me and my girlfriend had a blast visiting here getting to meet Gus and getting to partake in the scavenger hunt. If your in the area and need to kill some time then this is definitely the place to do it!

Emma Dilemma

Yesterday we went for the first time ever, and our 2 year old absolutely loved it! She loved the live animals which we expected, but she also was completely enraptured by the projection show about planets and moons! Would definitely recommend to anyone with wiggly little ones needing some stimulation.

Brian Dorion

First, the museum was undergoing a redevelopment of many of their exhibits when we visited in November of 2021. This unfortunately left slim pickings on things to see. We will have to return once all the exhibits are open again.

Stacy Peters

Awesome time! My 9 year old loved it. The mummy exhibit and Jupiter room were super cool! And gus!

Bumblebee Nickles

Always a good time. Bring your nature nerd friend. It's better with a guide

J. Ross Mayhew

This venerable establishment is a Halifax GEM!!!! The ever-changing landscape of permanent and temporary exhibits are VERY well researched and informative - and they cover a huge range of natural history: botany, anthropology, geology, ethnology, biology, history proper..... WONDERFUL place for children and adults alike. Staff is TOPS, and the people the public doesn't get to see very often - the curators and researchers - are some of the BEST around. I'm sooooo very happy this delightful place exists in Halifax. Hope they re-open soon!!!

D Bowden

It's been years since I visited the museum. The mummy exhibit was interesting, Gus is still kicking ????! Not much has changed over the years. The only issue I had was with parking. Be forewarned that parking is through either the Hotspot app, Indigo app or coins. **The parking lot is not zone D, it's the number on the post** You'll see what I mean if you go.

Tanya

Wasn't bad although I expected more from a Museum. I'm glad admission was free I wouldn't of paid for the entry fee

Self Served

I would not buy a yearly pass to this museum but it is good enough to spend a couple, and I do mean just a couple, of hours in. This museum has a little bit of everything, with a marine gallery, a mammal and bird section, a very basic archaeology section, and a very extensive geology section. Although beautiful, the Pollinating Constellations art creation doesn't really belong in a museum of Natural History but I quite enjoyed the temporary exhibit of selected influential people from Nova Scotia. What this museum does best is keep very young children (under 12) busy enough with a few interesting stations, interactive displays, GUS the close to 80 year old turtle, and a poop display (!). Guess that's worth the price of admission.

Tommy Tricker

The kids had so much fun!!

PureSurvival

Fun cheap experience.

Kenneth Carmichael

A nice museum to visit every now and again, especially when special exhibitions come to town. There have been a couple recent upgrades but generally the museum looks tired, and needs to be refreshed. Less dark colours and a brighter more modern exhibit in the geology of Nova Scotia area would be a great improvement. Hope to see some investments!

Hayley Schofield

The Mummy exhibit was fantastic! Covid percautions have been made with well spaced directional stickers on the floor guiding from exhibit to exhibit, masks required, two seperate cues for entry and gift shop, one group in the gift shop at a time, and an exit downstairs. (Bathrooms also downstairs) overall fellow visitors followed these protocols and were respectful of eachother's space. It was a great experience.

Ricardo F

Awesome museum! Kind of small but, the cheap price reflects its size, which is nice. Several different exhibits, currently: Mi'Kmaq, Egypt mummies, taxidermy birds, common Canada mammals, sea creatures and Sable Island horses. Everything is pretty organized and clean. We missed more thorough information one some pieces (especially in frogs, snakes, Canada mammals and Egypt exhibits). Really organized on pandemic era as well where you have to use a mask all times and only one family is permitted on souvenir shop and washrooms. Could have more staff on the way to explain or give more details. Kids loved a lot! We too!

Judy Baker

It is always nice to go to the museum, I can't count the times I've been. The best thing for me this time is that the bees are back, to see them clustered in the hive and their coming and going, gave me great joy, since our bee populations are dwindling. The museum has been cut back a bit, maybe because of covet, even so there are still a great number of exhibits to see and enjoy!!! Be sure to visit the museum, there is parking (pay), the staff are friendly, knowledgeable and willing to help in anyway they can, and let us not forget Gus the resident turtle who turned 99 on his Birthday this month!!!

Yulduz Khodjaeva

Rather modest, but packed with amazing sights.

Lelya Silva

wonderful place!!! we were with a child 2 years old, he was delighted. There are exhibits that you can touch, there is where to run around, jump for children. many species of dinosaurs, as well as animals and birds that live in our wonderful country. I highly recommend this museum, especially if you have children. this is an unforgettable experience

D Somerville

Fun. Lots of interactive tasks for the kids. We went on a rainy day and it was busy but never felt crowded. Good organization re covid restrictions.

Mick M. Sahib

My kids loved this place. It was a great place to visit as it was educational as well. The only weird thing is that we had to pay for parking. So when our time ran out, we just decided to leave although it would have been nice to stay a little longer. There is also a 95 year old tortoise that takes a walk outside that the kids can see. When we saw him, he was trying to escape by making a run for a spot on the fence that wasn't low enough. Other exhibits were quite nice and the staff were friendly.

Richard Reid

Absolutely amazing exhibits went to see several here and was not disappointing. always something new to see. be sure to check out the hologram globe my favorite part!

Jasmine Guthrie

Went for the frog exhibit and had a great time see all the amazing looking frogs

Erik P

Pretty nice, looked like it would keep kids entertained for a long time, took me about an hour to see it all.

Eric Lund

The guy who stuffed the exhibits had a sense of humour. It's run down and showing its age, and lacks the interactive exhibits as compared to other museums located outside the region. But the staff were highly motivated, quick to engage and tell you about nature. Worth the visit just to meet Gus, a landmark.

Jason Whitman

The mummy exhibit was cool to check out. My kids, 8 and 5, were a bit too young to appreciate it but they really enjoyed the rest of the museum. Lots of interesting things to look at.

Farheen shaikh

Gus was d show stealer...kids n adults alike can enjoy this for abt an hour or 2

Jay Tee

Went here for the dinosaur exhibit. It was okay. Not as big as I thought it would be. It was still worth checking out and it's not expensive. Kids 5 and under were free but not much to keep their attention in the museum. We did the whole thing in less than 30 min.

Mike Whalen

Great place with lots of interesting exhibits that change on a regular basis.

Mohammed Issa

Great place for a family to enjoy a couple hours of history. We all loved the 3D elevation sand box!!

Tristan Smith

Great place for young and old. The Egyptian exhibit was a highlight for me. Maybe if I go without my kids I could enjoy it more. They are taking covid seriously and the museum is now 1 way and some touching exhibits are no longer available.

Krish Gopi

Exhibits on Canadian History, Plant and animal life, Geology. Was expecting a bigger museum, but it's small and can be covered in an hour. The museum is free in the summer (July & August)

Archonstix

The museum was wonderful with great descriptions and fun interactive exhibits. We had an excellent time during the Dinosaurs Unearthed event, the staff were pleasant, and the animatronics were engaging for my two year old.

Mike Swaine

Went to their special dinosaur exhibition...twice. Kids absolutely loved it! The museum itself is a nice place but not much changes over the years.

Sarah Power

Been a favourite since I was a kid. Can't go without visiting Gus!

Lily Bartel

Very cool museum! Not too much to see but just enough. Love the local animals! The spiders are a bit creepy but cool!

Emily D

Really fun place for all ages, the Mummy exhibition was great!

Rodney Sauveur

Great for kids and adults. A lot of exhibits are great for learning, touch and learn. The displays are fantastic. For the price it's worth the adventure. Plan to spend at least 3 hours there. There is a lot to do and if you rush too quick you will miss a lot. It is better than a movie for the price.

Paul Francis

Great experience, displays with buttons to push to hear animals. Fossils, animals, fish etc.

Amy Soucy

I really enjoyed visiting this museum! I was able to see the ancient egyptian display and it was really cool! Definitely worth the visit and also very family friendly! There's something interesting for the whole family!

Lyndsay MacDonald

Excellent procedures to help during Covid. There was staff constantly cleaning. The exhibits were great, our young children really enjoyed it. Hi was their favourite part!

Jennifer smith

It was a great experience for my daughter and me. Free admission for the summer, lots of great things to look at. My daughter enjoyed the live animals the most. ( Gus, snakes, turtles etc.) Thanks

Dimitrios Papapanou

Super fun museum and we learned a lot of things . Should stop for a visit.

Jessica Clayton

Good new to me indigenous exhibit at the beginning, the Egyptian exhibit was interesting (my only suggestion would be directional arrows in each exhibit room to help traffic flow), liked the Sable Island exhibit which I also hadn't seen before

Sacha Chapman

Its a late post, but the exhibits the museum puts on, are absolutely spectacular. And, the museum itself is an experience, that, i will take my child to many, many more times, so many things to see and learn about our Globe and Nova Scotia, all the animals and birds, and sea life....it goes on and on...Love this place❤

John Challes

Great experience for the old and the young. Interesting displays.

Rajeevan

Really nice small place with alot of cool things to see.

Luis G Torres

Great place, really fun, I just wish it was bigger. Also shoutout to the guy who gives the presentation in the room with projectors. He is super cool and knowledgable

maria jose Carmona

I like almost any museum, but I feel this museum need a new designer bc turns a little boring when you are walking around. But thanks for the little frogs, are so cute ????

Alecia Bryan

Great space to walk through even though half of the space was closed for renovations.

Josie Beazley

Amazing place to expand your knowledge! Very interactive and entertaining. Perfect spot for family adventures!!

TheyTarget

Great museum, I bring my kids here often and used to visit often as a kid myself. The exhibits change regularly and I find new things in the older exhibits every visit. It was a little crowded but is handling covid restrictions well. Gus is always fun to see as are all the little animals. They're current exhibits are very photo friendly and encourage pictures.

Kristen Kelly

I love taking my daughter here. An annual pass is a steal and great for rainy days and special exhibits. My daughter is in a wheelchair and the museum is accessible with lots of displays at toddler eye level. They also have a play space and parking is decent. If it's really busy you can park at the iwk parkade for same price.