About Sherbrooke Village
Nova Scotia's largest living-history museum depicting 1860s gold rush life. Costumed interpreters demonstrate blacksmithing, weaving, and heritage crafts across 25+ restored buildings on the St. Mary's River.
Features & Highlights
Detailed Information
Visiting Sherbrooke Village is like stepping into a living photograph of 1860s Nova Scotia. As the province's largest living-history museum, this 25-building heritage site along the St. Mary's River transports visitors back to the gold rush era, when timber, tall ships, and gold transformed a quiet Eastern Shore settlement into a prosperous boom town. Costumed interpreters demonstrate blacksmithing at the forge, weaving on period looms, and baking in wood-fired ovens, making history tangible for visitors of all ages. With a 4.5-star Google rating across more than 200 reviews, Sherbrooke Village is one of the anchor attractions of the Eastern Shore — and a worthwhile stop on any drive along the Marine Drive.
Most visitors spend the better part of a day here. The village's 25 original buildings line the main street of the actual community of Sherbrooke, and the self-guided General Admission route lets you wander in and out of homes, shops, and workshops at your own pace. If you want structure, guided tours and a deeper "Explorer Experience" are bookable, and the village runs full-day artisan workshops — from blacksmithing to pottery — for visitors who want to leave with a skill as well as photos.
Planning Your Visit
Season and hours (2026)
Open June 3 to September 13, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. On four "Culinary Fridays" the village shifts to 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for evening meal events: the Lobster Boil (June 26), Lumber Camp Cookout (July 10), Chowderfest (August 7), and Harvest Feast (August 28).
Admission
Adults $20, seniors and students $15, youth (6-16) $8, children 5 and under free, and a family pass (2 adults + 2 youth) $50. Season passes cover repeat visits, and the village also participates in Nova Scotia Museum pass programs.
Getting there
42 Main Street, Sherbrooke, NS — roughly 2.5 hours from Halifax via Highway 7 along the coast, or via the Trans-Canada through Antigonish. Pair it with the Sherbrooke area of the Eastern Shore guide or continue to Cape Breton on a multi-day loop.
Food
Beyond the culinary event Fridays, the village has on-site dining options in season — check the official site for the current café and restaurant schedule before relying on them.
