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Halifax Explosion Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour

5 Reviews 3.80 out of 5 stars Based on 5 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and TripAdvisor | Halifax, Canada
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 33 (0) days in advance.

90 to 140 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Instant confirmation

Overview

Walk through the Halifax neighbourhoods shaped by the devastating 1917 explosion on a flexible GPS-guided audio tour. Stories play automatically as you follow the 5 km route through memorials, historic streets and the rebuilt Hydrostone district.

See the HALIFAX EXPLOSION MEMORIAL BELL TOWER, FORT NEEDHAM MEMORIAL PARK, RICHMOND STAIRCASE and HYDROSTONE MARKET while hearing remarkable accounts of survival, rescue and rebuilding. Optional trivia adds to the experience.

Start whenever you like, pause for photos or breaks and finish at your own pace. Download before you arrive; no mobile data or signal is needed during the tour.

What's Included

  • Download on WIFI before (no signal required or data used during tour)
  • Live GPS map shows route & your location
  • Flexible dates - tour is yours to keep and enjoy anytime on Tripvia Tours.
  • Smartphone/tablet/headphones (audio will play from device speaker)
  • **Recommended attractions may be closed/inaccessible due to season or reasons beyond our control.
  • Attraction tickets
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

5547 Young Street
Halifax, NS B3K 1Z7, Canada

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Book Online

Our secure website provides real-time availability, instant confirmation, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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Safe & secure Easy breezy Hassle‑free

Hydrostone Park

HYDROSTONE PARK. Begin a 5 km walk through the neighbourhoods transformed by the 1917 Halifax Explosion and their remarkable recovery.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

St. Joseph's Square

ST. JOSEPH'S SQUARE & PARISH. Pause at the memorial to the Catholic parish and community devastated by the explosion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Novalea Drive & Hennessey Place

FORT NEEDHAM MEMORIAL PARK. Walk through the historic military hilltop reshaped as a neighbourhood park and memorial landscape.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

MC72+M7

SS MONT-BLANC, SS IMO & THE EXPLOSION. Discover how the two ships collided and set the disaster of December 6, 1917 in motion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower

HALIFAX EXPLOSION MEMORIAL BELL TOWER. View the striking hilltop monument honouring the people of Halifax and Dartmouth affected by the blast.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Fort Needham Memorial Park

RICHMOND STAIRCASE. See the symbolic staircase and railings bearing the names of businesses destroyed in the explosion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Canada Family Court

SUPREME COURT FAMILY DIVISION & RICHMOND SCHOOL. View the civic site while uncovering the post-explosion school and the tragedy of Roome School.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M97V+Q8

SECRET OF THE TREES. Discover the surprising natural feature that once made these trees notorious in lumber mills across North America.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

3365 Robie St

FRANCIS MACKEY. Meet the Mont-Blanc harbour pilot whose life was forever changed by the explosion and its aftermath.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Robie Street & Wells Street

ROBIE STREET WATER RESERVOIR. See the 1913 reservoir that survived the blast and later received heritage recognition.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M98R+44

PATRICIA & HER CREW. Pause at the firefighters' memorial and learn about the engine crew who lost their lives responding to the disaster.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M99W+82

FIRE, ICE & BLACK RAIN. Picture the brutal weather and terrifying conditions survivors faced after the explosion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M99W+PH

TSUNAMI. Stand above the harbour slope reached by the powerful wave triggered moments after the blast.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M99W+JR

HOUSE HOLES & THE RAZING OF RICHMOND. Look for traces of vanished homes in the landscape of a neighbourhood levelled by the explosion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M9CX+66

VINCENT COLEMAN. Discover how the railway dispatcher's final warning helped save hundreds of lives.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Barrington Street & Duffus Street

CAMPBELL ROAD. Trace the former dirt road once lined with North End shops and homes before the disaster reshaped Richmond.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M99X+HQ

THE MIRACLE OF ASHPAN ANNIE. Hear the extraordinary survival story of a baby found alive after the devastation.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

IRVING SHIPBUILDING INC.

IRVING SHIPYARDS CONTROVERSY. View the modern shipyard and consider the debate surrounding its development on this historic waterfront.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

MC92+3J

THE AMAZING ADVENTURE OF BILLY WELLS. Follow the astonishing escape of a young survivor caught in the explosion's path.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Veith House

HALIFAX PROTESTANT ORPHANAGE. See Veith House, now an active community hub, and its memorial to children lost in the explosion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

MC74+X2

HALIFAX AT WAR & THE ROYAL NAVY COLLEGE. View the former college site and discover how wartime discipline helped its occupants survive.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

MC72+7V

TO THE RESCUE. Discover the extraordinary international relief effort and the tradition of gratitude that continues today.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Novalea Drive & Kane Place

HYDROSTONE DISTRICT & OUT OF THE ASHES. Explore the landmark garden suburb built as Halifax rebuilt after the disaster.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

M96X+WM

QUAINT FUNCTIONALITY: THE HYDROSTONE'S BACK LANES. See how practical service lanes shaped daily life in the rebuilt neighbourhood.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Hennessey Place

TUDOR REVIVAL DESIGN. Admire the English-inspired rowhouses created for families rebuilding their lives after the explosion.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

MC62+M3

HALIFAX RELIEF COMMISSION BUILDING. View the heritage building that coordinated recovery and reconstruction after the disaster.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Hydrostone Market

HYDROSTONE MARKET. Finish among the active shops and eateries of this restored commercial block at the heart of the historic district.
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5 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Show 26 more stops

Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Halifax Explosion Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (AST). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

Still have questions?

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Activity code: C-214606P110

Traveler Photos

Reviews

3.80
5 reviews

Average 3.80 out of 5 stars based on 5 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
2
4 stars
1
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
0
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 33 (0) days in advance.

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What's Included

Activity name

  • Download on WIFI before (no signal required or data used during tour)
  • Live GPS map shows route & your location
  • Flexible dates - tour is yours to keep and enjoy anytime on Tripvia Tours.
  • Customer Service via Phone & Email
  • Trivia questions at each stop (optional)
  • Tour guide commentary automatically plays at each point of interest
  • Smartphone/tablet/headphones (audio will play from device speaker)
  • **Recommended attractions may be closed/inaccessible due to season or reasons beyond our control.
  • Attraction tickets
  • Parking fees
  • In-person tour guide

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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