Things to Do in Halifax

Surprisingly spry for a 90-year-old, Gus the gopher tortoise greets Museum of Natural History visitors while strolling around the premises and snacking on clover and dandelions. As the museum's mascot for more than six decades, Gus has amassed a substantial following, and he keeps his 1,500+ Facebook friends abreast of the latest goings-on at his home's seven permanent galleries. Unearthed tools, arrowheads, and Tupperware of the Mi'kmaq and Acadian peoples await in the archaeology exhibit, and the pre-contact culture, religion, and language of Nova Scotia come to life in the ethnology hall. Life-sized models of feathered bipeds and four-legged furballs lurk in the mammals-and-birds gallery. Live snakes, frogs, salamanders, and honeybees call Netukulimk home, embodying a Mi'kmaq conception of the relationship between the human and natural worlds.

The first thing that strikes you upon walking into Kiddietown Play Centre are the vibrant colours. The hues of the emerald green astroturf, the sky-blue walls painted with impossibly fluffy clouds, and the fire-engine red slide draw wild little imaginations into the cheery 4,000-square-foot indoor fun emporium.

Determined to find a clean, safe place where his own two sons could play, Jamie Schneiderman founded Kiddietown Play Centre as a place where youngsters could romp heedlessly without their parents having to worry about them falling on a hard floor or drinking too much fizzy lifting drink. Amid the room’s palm trees and painted walls, young adventurers giggle and squeal as they carom around a variety of interactive play stations crowded with entertaining fixtures ranging from basketball hoops to toy trains. Wee guests can practice making faux burgers on the play barbecue or leap about the bounce houses to de-stress after long days spent submitting to gravity’s iron fist.

Certified by Transport Canada for safety, Four Winds Charters' experienced captains have been floating guests across picturesque St. Margaret's Bay for more than two decades. Tours and private charters set sail toward scenic coves and private islands as dolphins and sea birds pass by on their watery commutes. Four-hour deep-sea fishing trips drop anchor approximately 5 miles from shore, allowing the included hooks, rods, and hand lines to grab at mackerel, cod, and shipwrecked inner tubes. Catering is available for both private charters and fishing trips upon request.

Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures founder Morgan McDonald is a passionate rafter with a decade of experience navigating the Shubenacadie River, whose shores are made of clay and dotted with trees. The high and low tides here mean that there are varying degrees of wave intensity, and the company's experienced guides can tailor the experience to suit each group’s comfort level. Before the trip, guides will help passengers suit up in PFDs and store their valuables in waterproof bags. The crewmember can snap pictures of the trip along the way; they’ll then email the photos to you later or stuff them into a bottle and float them to postal workers wearing waterskis.

Glowing monkeys scamper toward a neon waterfall, and a knight bearing a radiant yellow lance rides past a bright orange octopus emerging from the ocean. What appears to be a time-traveling session gone awry is really the evolving environment within Putting Edge’s indoor black-lit mini-golf course, which whisks players to deep seas, Aztec jungles, and medieval times. Since opening its original location in Canada, Putting Edge has now expanded to 18 North American locations, all of which invite guests onto its challenging 18-hole courses to seek victory over opponents and the forces that keep their teeth from not glowing as brightly as they could. Elsewhere, the facility houses private party rooms, concessions, and an arcade filled with gamer favorites such as air hockey.

During an interview with Halifax magazine, Kristin Johnston stressed the value of her yoga studio's lounge as a discussion space. "It's so important that people talk about their experiences in the hot room,” she said, adding that, “We all struggle with something in that room and it is essential to have a space where people feel comfortable in sharing their experiences.” The lounge helps people do just that. It’s a place where beginners and returning yogis alike gather around a two-sided fireplace to mingle after stress-relieving 90-minute classes.

Kristin wasn't devoted to Bikram yoga and the spirit of community it engenders when she first began attending classes—it was only after completing a 30-day challenge that she decided to centre her career on the intensive art. Now, she happily leads others through the 26 postures and two breathing exercises that were selected by Bikram Choudhury to gradually stretch each body part. According to Bikram's philosophy, the sequence should be conducted in a room heated between 32 and 45 degrees Celsius, the ideal temperature for loosening and detoxifying muscles and cooking an egg on your abs. As guests segue from one pose to the next, they test their stamina in pursuit of benefits such as improved balance and flexibility.