Unique Experiences That Everyone Should Try (At Least Once)
Written by Payton McPhee
Thumbnail Photo by Atlantic Traveller
Living in a city tends to mean that its residents have access to a wide range of activities and experiences, and Halifax is no different. Halifax has so many unique and interesting activities that people may not realize are available. There are so many businesses that offer you a great time, as well as the opportunity to make countless memories, even if some may sound out of your comfort zone. This article provides Haligonians with a list of some of the most unique things to do in and around Halifax that are almost guaranteed to be a fantastic experience. In addition, most of these great activities are available year round, which means that students who only live here during the school year don’t have to miss out on the fun.
The Floatation Centre: Located at 2631 King Street in the North End, The Floatation Centre offers easily one of the most therapeutic and most beneficial experiences in Halifax. The Floatation Centre is a health and wellness spa that offers many different types of treatments such as massage therapy, acupuncture, and even counselling, but the main intrigue for The Floatation Centre is their specialization in sensory deprivation tanks. These tanks are known to have an abundance of therapeutic, mental, behavioural, and general health benefits. At The Floatation Centre, customers step inside a tank that is filled with 10 inches of water and 800 pounds of Epsom salts which causes you to float. Notably, these tanks inhibit your senses which is why they are called sensory deprivation tanks. These sensory deprivations are accomplished by having the tank be dark, requiring floaters to wear earplugs and having the water be the same temperature as your body. Although the idea sounds somewhat terrifying, the effects are so incredible that you will just have to experience it for yourself.
HFX E-Scooters: Located in the Salter parking lot on the waterfront you will find the home base of HFX E-Scooters. Although this is far from a hidden gem, HFX E-Scooters have become incredibly popular for a good reason. Not only are they loads of fun, but they are offered at a great price, with a ride costing only $0.25 per minute. In order to use and locate the scooters you must download their app which can be found on any App store. Since users are able to drop off the E-scooters at various drop off locations (or pay an extra fee to leave it anywhere) the app is crucial to tracking down a scooter. The E-scooters are able to travel all over the Halifax Peninsula and are a great way to have some fun, run some errands, or avoid taking the city bus. On the downside, this year the range of the E-scooters was somewhat restricted which means that riders can no longer travel across the MacDonald bridge which was, in my opinion, the best place to scoot to.
Splashifax: Although Splashifax had some trouble with opening this summer and finding a location that was acceptable, they are officially open for the 2021 season and can be found at 1840 Hammonds Plains Road. Splashifax is a giant waterpark made up of inflatable obstacle courses, slides and activities on Second Lake that offers fun for almost any age and skill level. Additionally, their location is on the property of Hatfield Farm, which means that customers can also have access to petting zoos, wagon rides, and a mini-golf course. Splashifax is the ultimate place to spend a hot summer day with friends. If you are looking to spend a day at Splashifax, make sure to book your tickets online in advance in order to secure a spot.
Rage Room Halifax: Do you ever get so frustrated that you just want to break something? Well, look no further than Halifax’s Rage Room. Located in the North End at 2820 Isleville Street, Rage Room is the ultimate way to let out any anger, frustration, or annoyance, as well as just have a little fun. At Rage Room, you are given the opportunity to break things without any consequences while using weapons like baseball bats, crowbars, and sledgehammers. They offer packages that range in cost and the number of items that they will provide to smash. Rage Room is a unique way to let off some steam and de-stress.
HaliMac Axe Throwing: Not only can Haligonians go to the Rage Room to smash things, they can also go to HaliMac Axe Throwing to embrace their inner lumberjack. At HaliMac, customers are taught how to throw axes and learn the best techniques and throwing styles in order to get as close to the bullseye as possible. The employees are incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and are able to teach you different tactics that work best for you. HaliMac is a great place for a date, an afternoon with friends, or to unwind after school!
Trapped: Being stuck in a room where you can’t get out has probably occurred in everyone’s nightmares at least once. However, with the rise in popularity of escape rooms, this nightmare has turned into a fun and scarily realistic experience for people to enjoy. Trapped, which is located at 1313 Barrington Street, lets customers put their problem-solving and teamwork abilities to the test in their real-life escape rooms. Trapped offers escape rooms at various levels of difficulty and scariness so that people of all ages and skill levels are able to participate and have fun. Personally, I think there is no better feeling than successfully completing a difficult escape room at Trapped with your friends!
Photo by Nova Scotia Connect. OnTree Fun and Adventure Park.
OnTree Fun and Adventure Park: Located less than an hour outside of Halifax, you can find OnTree Fun and Adventure Park in Windsor, NS across from Ski Martock. Open from April to November, OnTree is an exhilarating (and oftentimes, exhausting) adventure park that involves zip lines, obstacle courses and rope courses ranging from 3 to 80 feet above the ground. OnTree offers 18 unique courses of different skill levels and abilities so that everyone feels welcome and comfortable. Additionally, this summer, OnTree opened a wheelchair accessible course, which is an amazing way that the park has become more inclusive!
Playdium: There is a massive new building in Dartmouth Crossing located at 21 Cabela Road which is home to a place that will easily make you feel like a little kid again. The Playdium, which opened in February of 2021, offers all of the best indoor activities under one roof. At the Playdium, customers have access to numerous arcade games, interactive video games, virtual reality experiences, and bowling, which makes for an undoubtedly enjoyable experience. With over 30,000 square feet of amusements, the Playdium is the ultimate place for a date night, birthday celebrations, or even an activity for a rainy day.
Pop Up Cinema: Sometimes, living in the city can make you miss small town things - one of those being going to the drive-in theatre. Although they are hard to come by lately, with the closest drive-ins being New Glasgow’s Highland Theatre or Kentville’s Valley Drive-In Theatre, Halifax found a solution by creating the Pop Up Cinema, which is a temporary drive-in that has a different location each weekend. The Pop Up Cinema offers all of the great things about a drive-in such as the snacks, the big screen, and loud audio, all while being in the heart of the city.
Photo by The East Coast Curator. SENSEA Nordic Spa.
SENSEA Nordic Spa: Located less than an hour away from downtown Halifax, you can find SENSEA Nordic Spa in Chester, Nova Scotia. SENSEA is the first Nordic Spa in Nova Scotia and involves various indoor and outdoor services that cater to hydro and thermo therapy. These therapies involve heating up the body with saunas and hot baths, and then cooling it down through cold plunges, waterfalls, shower buckets, and ice fountains. These therapies have many health benefits, and you can take advantage of this experience by purchasing a $50 day pass.
Halifax is a vibrant city that has a lot to offer its residents, and this list is far from exhaustive. There are so many unique experiences and activities that are available in and around Halifax, and it is usually the lesser known ones that tend to lead to the best memories.