The Halifax Citadel is a star-shaped fortress built atop Citadel Hill. It was designed to defend against a land-based attack. Officially called Fort George (after George II), Halifax Citadel took 28 years to build and was completed in 1856. It served as a British Naval station until 1906 when Canada took over it’s defenses. 

This is the saluting battery where they used to salute British naval ships by firing a cannon. The noon gun was also fired from this location each day at noon. The noon gun is still fired but from inside the fort.

Behind the saluting battery is the ticket booth. Admission was 12-13 CAD. It came across as $9.39. I believe children were admitted for free.

Some ticket agents are better than others. Mine just sold me the ticket. The other one was telling people about all of the events that happen in the fort. From that I was able to overhear about the 11:05 guided tour leaving from the information center. That’s where I’m heading in half an hour.

A Sentry stands guard at the Citadel. They have a changing of the guard every hour. I recommend getting here in time for the 11am change so you can be on the 11:05 tour which sees the noon gun firing. 

There is a ditch surrounding Citadel. It was never a moat.

The changing of the guard is every hour. The ones on break are in this room. You can come in here and talk to the off-duty ones.

I did not yet know about the hourly changing of the guard ceremony so I missed the 11am. I will get a good video of one in a couple hours and it will be this female guard leaving the post at that time.

This is a well where they used to get their water from.

In the back are a couple of cells. This used to be a short term jail.

There are three museums in here. One is on the upper floor of the barracks building in the middle of the fort. That one is dedicated to the Canadian army. The building behind that barracks has one dedicated to the history of Halifax. On the far wall is a room with another museum that I believe was WWII.

In front of the barracks in the middle is where the tour meets. I will be out there for the 11:05 tour.

The tunnel is how you enter the fort. The room to the right is the guard shack/jail.

This is the changing of the guard from inside the fort.

This is the barracks. I have time before my tour so I’m going to walk around upstairs.

I had heard there was an 11:05 tour. I wish I would have known the guard changed every hour. By the time I figured out this was going on, it was too late by the time I got over there. So if you do this I recommend getting there for the 11am guard change. Then hop over to the 11:05 tour. That’s going to end with the noon gun, which only happens once a day.

While I was waiting for the 11:05 tour (I got there 10:35), I went into the little museum they have at the information center and watched a short film.

Our guide is representing soldiers wives who lived and worked here. The Fort was supposed to be built in six years but it took 28.

Then we saw a firing display. I got to see it twice because I was close by during another tour later.

Here I was able to catch a little information about the gun before another firing display.

Next we went to the black powder magazine where the  black powder was stored. 

 

I went back later to take better pics that’s when I saw the second firing demonstration.

If you needed black powder you would get a barrel out of here, take it to shifting room, and get your pouch filled.

Due to the humidity in this room someone would have to take each barrel out and roll it once every day.

They have the mock school house next door to the powder magazine. They do that just for the convenience of the tour. It wasn’t really there. The actual school was on the other side of the Citadel complex.

On the tour we just walked by the school. I went back to that one later for pictures. At that point my guide from the tour was in the school playing the part of a teacher.

This is where the actual school was located.

After the powder room and school house, we headed upstairs.

Citadel was never attacked. It would be difficult to attack because attackers would have to get through other forts first and then attack the Citadel at it’s elevated position. Secret tunnels were built into the hill. This allowed the placement of mines that could be set off in the event an enemy attempted to dig a trench in the hill.

I went down here on my own after the tour. These were built as casemates but one of the rooms was turned into a long-term prison. 

This is the room that was turned into a prison.

The original intention was to fire cannons from these rooms.

Back on the tour.

These are signal masts representing the ships coming into port that day.  The taller one was commercial. The flag of the company coming in would go up five hours ahead of time so locals would know what boats were coming to town and which goods would soon be available for purchase.

The smaller mast was for military ships.

This 11:05 tour is going to end with the firing of the noon gun. The Noon gun has been fired in Halifax every day since 1856. It was to Let everyone know it was midday. The gun was fired in the evenings around 8-9 pm to let soldiers know it’s time to get back to the fort and go to bed.

Bagpipers played songs staring at 5:30am. Based on the song being played people around the Citadel knew what time it was. On most days you can find bagpipers here but not on Sunday. Today is a Sunday.

The noon gun takes 4 pounds of black pound to fire one 12 pound shot.

These are a couple of the rooms downstairs near the Halifax museum.

After the tour I went back upstairs and walked the perimeter. 

Each cannon location has a storage area built into the wall.

One thing that will get you in trouble here is sitting or standing on the wall. The guards will yell at you. I saw a lot of it while I was here.

It’s all downhill from here.

I enjoyed my visit to the Halifax Citadel. There is a lot to see and do in there and it cost me less than $10.