Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 explores the experiences of immigrants to Canada and their contributions to the nation’s development.
Planning your visit
Around a million immigrants entered Canada through Pier 21 in Halifax between 1928 and 1971 — the last surviving ocean immigration shed in the country, and the Canadian equivalent of Ellis Island. War brides, refugees, displaced persons after 1945, and Hungarians after 1956 came through this building.
The museum occupies it, and the immediacy of standing in the actual hall is the point. Exhibitions cover the journey, the arrival, the examinations, the trains west, and the settlement that followed, built substantially on oral histories recorded from immigrants themselves.
The museum also covers the wider history of Canadian immigration policy, including the exclusions — the Chinese head tax, the Komagata Maru, the refusal of the St Louis carrying Jewish refugees in 1939 — without softening them.
Canadian troops also embarked from this pier for both world wars.
A research centre helps visitors trace family arrivals.
Bookable options are admission tours. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21?
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is in Halifax, Canada. The map on this page marks its exact location.
What are the opening hours of Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21?
Thursday 9:30 am-5:30 pm. Hours change on public holidays, so check the official site before travelling.
Do I need to book Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
