Halifax Explosion Smartphone Audio Walking Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  Join tour guide Jeff as you discover one of the greatest tragedies in Canadian history. You'll not only see historical sites & landmarks, but hear the stories of survival & perseverance that surfaced during the 1917 Halifax Explosion. During the 5km tour you'll see the Memorial Bell Tower, Hydrostone District & various memorials, learn about the miracle of Ashpan Annie, the adventure of Billy Wells, the ensuing Tsunami & much more! Live GPS map shows where you are and where to go next. As you get close, tour guide commentary will automatically play. The tour also comes with a location based trivia game. After the commentary plays, look at your device and tap your guess at the answer. Keep the professional tour guide experience, ditch the crowded tour groups, tight schedules and high prices. It’s yours! Enjoy anytime, not just on your booking date. Stop & start anywhere along route. Note: the number of travelers you select is the number of devices you can download the tour to.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2

  Three moments in time...we'll tell you about the memorial to the Catholic Parish of St Joseph’s.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3

  We'll tell you how the park began as military grounds to it's rebuilding of a neighbourhood park and memorial today.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4

  SS MONT BLANC, SS IMO & THE EXPLOSION. Here we'll tell you about the ships involved and the events leading up to the explosion.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5

  We'll tell you about the impressive monument to the people of Halifax and Dartmouth, who experienced first-hand, the devastation of the Halifax explosion.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  RICHMOND STAIRCASE. We'll tell you the symbolism of the staircase and railings, into which are the names of businesses that were destroyed in the blast.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7

  RICHMOND SCHOOL. Here we'll tell you how this building, originally built to house a school, was constructed immediately after the explosion and the tragedy of the Roome School.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8

  SECRET OF THE TREES. We'll tell what secret made them infamous in lumber mills from Canada to the southern states of America.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9

  THE STORY OF FRANCIS MACKEY. You'll hear his story, the pilot onboard the Mont-Blanc, and how his life was profoundly changed after the explosion.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  ROBIE STREET WATER RESERVOIR. We'll tell you about the reservoir, built in 1913, it's survival as well as it's special designation.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11

  PATRICIA & HER CREW. Here stands a monument to the firefighters of Halifax who lost their lives on that day in 1917. We'll tell you a bit about the "Patricia" as well.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 12

  FIRE & ICE & BLACK RAIN. As you are walking, we'll talk about the horrific conditions the explosion and weather caused for the survivors.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 13

  TSUNAMI. We'll tell you how it swept up this hillside and would have reached your feet had you been standing here then.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14

  HOUSE HOLES AND THE RAZING OF RICHMOND. You'll see the changes in the land around you and hear about the ghostly markers of where people once lived and died.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15

  VINCENT COLEMAN. Hear why Haligonians will always remember Vincent Coleman as a hero who is credited with potentially saved hundreds of lives

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16

  CAMPBELL ROAD as it was once know, was a simple wide dirt road lined with shops and houses. We'll tell you a bit about it.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 17

  ASHPAN ANNIE. We've got a wonderful surprise at this stop - good news about a baby’s miraculous survival!!

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 18

  We'll tell about the controversy around this structure and why it ended up being built here.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 19

  THE AMAZING ADVENTURE OF BILLY WELLS. We'll tell you his incredible story.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 20

  HALIFAX PROTESTANT ORPHANAGE. You'll see a colourful memorial on the white picket fence painted by the children of the Veith House.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 21

  THE ROYAL NAVY COLLEGE once stood across the road, we'll tell you how the efficiency of the co-commander helped everyone survive.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 22

  TO THE RESCUE. We'll tell you about the amazing help Halifax received from around the world and a tradition that is still followed today.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 23

  HYDROSTONE DISTRICT. You'll hear about the town planner and how he brought the idea of English garden cities to Halifax.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 24

  QUAINT FUNCIONALITY - THE HYDROSTONE'S BACK LANES. Hear about the reason for "back-lane" business!

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 25

  DESIGN: TUDOR REVIVAL. As you walk along you'll see a block of rowhouse cottages, built using the English style, for surviving families.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 26

  HALIFAX RELIEF COMMISSION BUILDING. We'll tell you about the committee formed to deal with the emergency in this building, now designated a cultural historic site.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 27

  We end our tour here at the Hydrostone Market. This tour was not about monuments or buildings but about the people who lived through that awful day and those who raced to help them. We hope their stories are an inspiration. Our starting point is just across the road in the park.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Wheelchair accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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