Grand-Pré National Historic Site

On the low, dyked meadows of the Annapolis Valley, Grand-Pré National Historic Site stands as Canada's most powerful monument to Acadian history — and one of its most-visited national historic sites. This is the heart of the countryside that inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's celebrated 1847 poem Evangeline, and it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012 as part of the broader Grand-Pré heritage area. For Acadians around the world, this quiet corner of the valley is the symbolic homeland: the place where, between 1755 and 1762, thousands of Acadian families were rounded up and deported during Le Grand Dérangement. Walking the site's grounds today — with the Memorial Church, the statue of Evangeline, and the restored garden — is to stand at the emotional centre of one of North America's defining stories.

The site tells that story with real depth. The experience begins in the visitor centre, where a state-of-the-art multimedia presentation opens inside the hull of a deportation ship before guiding you through the history of Acadian settlement from 1682. From there, a path leads past serene duck ponds and weeping willows to the statue of Evangeline — Longfellow's heroine, cast in bronze and gazing toward the Minas Basin — and the Memorial Church, built in 1922 as a symbol of Acadian renaissance. The gardens, laid out in the early 20th century, frame the church beautifully and bloom through the summer months.

Practical Information

Address & Location
2205 Grand Pré Road, Grand Pré, NS B0P 1M0
Grand-Pré sits in the heart of the Annapolis Valley, roughly 90 minutes from Halifax via Highway 101 (exit 10). The site anchors the Grand-Pré UNESCO World Heritage Site; Wolfville is a 10-minute drive away, and the wineries of Gaspereau Valley are minutes beyond that.

Hours of Operation

• Open 7 days a week, 9 am to 5 pm
• 2026 season: May 15 to October 12
• Guided tours run twice daily in July and August (included with admission)
• Grounds remain accessible during posted hours; last entry 30 minutes before close

Admission

• 2026: Free admission through the Canada Strong Pass, June 19 to September 7
• Outside that window: standard Parks Canada daily fees apply; free for youth 17 and under
• The Discovery Pass covers Grand-Pré plus all other Parks Canada sites for a year

Amenities

• Visitor centre with multimedia exhibits and gift shop
• On-site parking and picnic tables
• Wheelchair-accessible pathways and facilities
• Electric vehicle charging stations
• Harvest Moon Trailway passes through the site — a 110 km cycling and walking route linking Grand-Pré to Annapolis Royal
• Parks Canada red chairs at the Grand-Pré View Park, a short walk up the hill

Contact

• Phone: (902) 542-3631 (toll-free 1-866-542-3631)
• Email: grandpre@pc.gc.ca
• Website: parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/grandpre

Plan to spend two to three hours — an hour for the visitor centre and its multimedia show, another for the grounds, garden, and Memorial Church, and a few minutes for the climb to the View Park for the classic view over the dyked farmland toward the Minas Basin.

Combine your visit with the nearby wineries (Grand Pré, Luckett, Gaspereau), the Old Congregation Church in Hortonville, and the Evangeline Trail — see our Grand-Pré UNESCO guide for a full itinerary and wine-tasting tips. In Wolfville, the historic district, farmers' market, and waterfront boardwalk round out a full day. During July and August, guided tours bring the deportation story to life with costumed interpreters — book your visit around one of the twice-daily tours if you want the full experience.

Grand-Pré rewards both the history-minded traveller and the casual visitor. Few places in Canada combine such emotional weight with such quiet beauty — the long views over the great meadow (grand pré, in French) that gave the site its name, the soft light on the Minas Basin at sunset, and the powerful story embedded in every corner of the grounds. Whether you come for the UNESCO designation, the Longfellow connection, or simply the setting, Grand-Pré leaves a lasting impression. With free admission for most of summer 2026, there has never been a better time to visit.