If you go to Halifax

By Stanton H. Patty, Globe Correspondent, 05/10/98

-- Maritime Museum of the Atlantic: one of Canada's foremost museums. Downtown, at 1675 Lower Water St. Exhibits about the Titanic sinking in 1912, the Halifax Explosion in 1917, and Halifax's role in assembling North Atlantic convoys to beleaguered England in World War II. Historic vessels berthed by the museum include HMCS Sackville, last of the Canadian naval corvettes that escorted the wartime convoys, and the Acadia, a pioneering research ship. Open every day. Tickets are about $3.25 US for adults, 75 cents for children ages 6-17; about $7.50 for a family.

-- St. Paul's Anglican Church: on the southern end of the downtown Grand Parade, Halifax's early-day military parade ground. Opened in 1750, St. Paul's is the oldest building in Halifax and the oldest Protestant church in Canada.

-- City Hall: The Victorian building at the northern end of the Grand Parade dates to 1890. Visitors are invited to have tea at City Hall with His Worship, Mayor Walter Fitzgerald, at 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in July and August. No charge.

-- Halifax Public Gardens: The 17-acre park, established in 1866, is considered a superb example of a formal Victorian garden. The garden is at Spring Garden Road and South Park Street, an easy walk of about 10 minutes around the south side of Citadel Hill.

-- Province House: Canada's oldest legislative building (1819), still is in use for the Nova Scotia government. Downtown, framed by Granville, George, Hollis, and Prince streets. Charles Dickens called it ``a gem of Georgian architecture.''

-- The Old Burying Ground: Halifax's first cemetery, with burials from 1749. Fascinating old gravestones, including many decorated with sorrowful carvings, ranging from angels to weeping willow trees. Downtown, at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Barrington Street.

-- Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel: Also known as ``The Church Built in a Day.'' The tiny church is in Holy Cross Cemetery, a short walk from the downtown core, bordered by Queen, South, and Park streets.

-- Harbor Tours: Book at Murphy's on the Water, at the Cable Wharf on Halifax's historic waterfront. Tickets are about $2 US for two hours of sightseeing.

-- Farmers' Market: A Halifax tradition since 1750. Housed in the former Keith's brewery complex downtown at 1496 Lower Water Stt. The public market, featuring items ranging from fresh produce and seafood to berries and flowers, is open from 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays; from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. No charge.

-- Shakespeare by the Sea: The bard's plays are staged in summer in Point Pleasant Park, on the southern tip of the Halifax waterfront. Guests follow actors and actresses through the park's footpaths during the productions.

-- Tourism Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Marketing Agency, PO Box 519, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 2R7. Phone 800-313-4447 or 902-424-5000; fax 902-424-2668.