SYDNEY MINES HERITAGE
eMUSEUM

About us

The Sydney Mines Heritage Society is a non-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and memories of the area as well as educating future generations about the richness of our town and lineage. The old Sydney Mines Train Station is home to the Sydney Mines Heritage Museum.

Experience our heritage in coal mining, steel making and the railway through our collection of historical artefacts and archives, photographs, pottery, and memorabilia. Take a guided tour of the museum for an animation of history via description of the artefacts and external historical walks.

Sydney Mines is one of eight important fossil sites in Nova Scotia, and is known internationally for excellent examples of plant fossils. The Cape Breton Fossil Discovery Centre showcases the rich deposits found in the Sydney Coalfields.

These Coalfields extend 21 miles along the Cape Breton coast dipping under the Atlantic Ocean. Shales and sandstone of the coal fields produced fossils from 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period. A walk along the shoreline near Sydney Mines uncovers many treasures from an era when Cape Breton Island was close to the equator.

The Centre is an excellent place for school children to learn about fossils and the history of our region. Bring the entire family for a day of fun and exploration! See 300-million-year-old plant fossils from the rich deposits of the Sydney coal field, enjoy stories from our guides and explore the coastline to find your own hidden treasure.

Hours & Admission

Open:
Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.
June to mid-October

Admission (includes both museums):
Children under 12: $3.00 +tax
Seniors: $4.00 +tax
Adults: $5.00 +tax
Family: $9.00 +tax

Fossil Field Trips with the museum curator Dr. Stuart Critchley of the fossil rich coastline of the Sydney Coalfield are held when weather and tidal conditions permit, so contacting the Museum at 902-544-0992 to make a fossil tour reservation ahead of time is well advised:
Children: $4.00 +tax
Seniors: $8.00 +tax
Adults: $10.00 +tax
Family: $25.00 +tax (includes admission to both museums)
Groups: Discounts available

Visitor Services

Guided museum tours, field trips, Laboratory, Meeting Room Rental, Gift shop, Wheelchair access washrooms, Cafeteria, Catering Services, Reception Facilities, Location Map

Publications & Products

Development of the Sydney Mines Heritage eMuseum website is a work in progress dependent on availability of funds. The historical content of this website is taken from our publications:

The photographic content of the Sydney Mines Heritage eMuseum website has been selected from our digitized collections database that can be viewed at the Artefacts Canada website.