Saint Andrews offers a range of things to enjoy during a stay: galleries and exhibitions at the Fundy Discovery Aquarium, the history of the St. Andrews Blockhouse, gardens and visual art. Reasons to visit vary considerably. If you are planning a stay, you can first consider whether you are especially interested in history, art, gardens or the aquarium.
Aquarium and Tours
The Fundy Discovery Aquarium is located at 1 Lower Campus Road in Saint Andrews. General admission provides access to the galleries and exhibitions. Group tours and behind-the-scenes tours are also offered; availability may vary. So check the latest visitor information before your trip and, if you are considering a tour, check whether it is available on your dates.
Blockhouse, Art and History
The St. Andrews Blockhouse commemorates the War of 1812: residents built it at the time to protect themselves from American privateers and the American military. Visitors can explore the barracks. This combines a specific historical background with a visit focused on the rooms of the blockhouse.
The Oppenheimer-Prager Museum at Dayspring offers a different focus. It displays works by Joseph Oppenheimer and Eva Prager. In the destination of Charlotte County, the Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre on the Saint Andrews waterfront adds another cultural perspective, with a focus on visual art and crafts, natural history and conservation education. The museums and institutions thus address a range of topics, from the works of individual artists to natural history and conservation education.
Gardens and Seasonal Visits
Kingsbrae Garden covers 27 acres and includes more than 50,000 perennials in themed gardens. Children can explore a cedar maze. The two figures convey different scales: the size of the grounds and the variety of plants in the landscaped garden areas. In the wider destination of Charlotte County, Kingsbrae Garden is open daily from mid-May to October. Check seasonal information before your visit.
Ministers Island: Plan Access for Low Tide
Ministers Island is a National Historic Site of Canada. The island has more than 20 kilometres of nature trails. In the wider destination of Charlotte County, there is also an important access requirement: Ministers Island is accessible only at low tide and includes the Van Horne estate. Walking trails and coastal views are also among the island’s features. Plan your visit around the tides and check the relevant information before your trip. This makes planning different from a visit to Kingsbrae Garden: the stated visiting period there is seasonal, while access to the island depends on low tide.
Charlotte County in a Wider Context
Saint Andrews is part of a broader regional context: the coastal communities of Charlotte County extend from St. Stephen and Saint Andrews to the coastal islands along the western shores of the Bay of Fundy. Other cultural themes can be found elsewhere in the county. In St. Stephen, the Chocolate Museum tells the story of confectionery making and Ganong’s Canadian confectionery innovations. Visitors can watch Ganong Hand Dippers make chocolate using a method that has remained unchanged for more than a hundred years. The Charlotte County Archives preserves records reflecting the experiences of people in the county from the 18th to the 21st century. The region’s cultural focus thus ranges from confectionery making to historical documents spanning several centuries.
Explore more destinations: Grand Manan, Caithness, Pocologan, Fairhaven, St George, St Stephen, Pennfield, Bocabec
For the broader travel overview: Charlotte County.
