Exploring the GeoParks and Museums of Parrsboro Nova Scotia
Published: September 4, 2026
I recently spent the weekend in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia to take in a local musical at the Ship’s Theatre. I know it may seem silly to some to create a vacation around one thing but I really enjoy exploring new corners of this province when I can.
Oh. My gosh. I’ve lived in Nova Scotia all my life and know we have many impressive geological formations but I was not expecting their incredible magnitude. I was blown away.
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We stayed at Five Island Provincial Park which is located at 618 Bentley Branch Rd (Hwy 2), Five Islands, NS
Friday: at the park
The view from the park
Friday we spent enjoying the park.
Five Island Provincial park is located 32 km (20 miles) east of Parrsboro and is home to some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. Someone could easily spend their whole getaway in this park. There’s multiple hiking trails, beaches to comb and water to swim or kayak in.
The park attendants were kind and knowledgeable about the land. At check-in the attendant behind the counter was thorough with the park map to show us exactly where our spot was, the direction of the streets and where we could find services. She spewed information at me so fast I zoned out a little but I got the gist of it all after by brain has time to catch up. There is also a little trolly of free books in the check in cabin for those who may need a little extra reading material.
We arrived for the 2pm check-in and spent the first bit getting set up- we are tenters so we were in the un-serviced area of the park at site 42. Our set up isn’t special but I’m meticulous about comfort when I camp so I’ve made a universal list for every camping trip to ensure optimal outdoor enjoyment. I love being outdoors in my gardens but I have a tougher time camping (I like my bed).
🏕️The Ultimate Camping List 🏕️
Information on Saqawey Nte’pitem or ‘Old Wife’ and where it was located before the lands of Pangea began to separate.
After set up and a catch up with our fellow campers, we wandered the UNESCO Geo Park off the campground which was an incredible combination of clay and volcanic rock. The name of this peak was Saqawey Nte’pitem or ‘Old Wife.’
The Old Wife is one of the most spectacular exposures in the world of cataclysmic events 200 million years ago that marked the end of the supercontinent Pangea and the beginning of our modern continent and oceans. I learned the next day at the Geological Museum that Porrsboro once shared land with Morocco. I found this incredible fascinating considering the environmental differences between us and Africa.
The rules of the park say you can take smaller rocks that you can comfortably pick up and manage so I found a nice chunk of volcanic rock to bring home.
Cliffs on the “Old wife’ Geopark. On the right is volcanic rock.
Saturday
On the Saturday we headed into Parrsboro. The 32km stretch to town is a fun windy road with lots of unique homes to take in. There was also tons of yard sales set up and if we’d had more time in the area I definitely would have considered doing a little treasure hunting.
In Parrsboro, we visited the Fundy Geological Museum, The Ottawa House Museum and took in the Partridge Island Geopark.
Fossil from the Fundy Geological Museum
The Fundy Geological Museum is located at 162 Two Islands Rd, Parrsboro and takes you along the journey of how the current Fundy landscape was created and what you can find in this area. It’s filled with fossils and minerals and is rich in history of the area.
Some of the fossils you are even allowed to touch! Which I did… See on Instagram.
My favorite part of this museum was learning about the supercontinent Pangea and the geological connection we have to Morocco. 250 million years ago we were attached to Morocco!
Geologists have found that the rocks, mineral deposits, and fossils in the Meguma Terrane of Southern Nova Scotia match up perfectly with those found on the coast of Morocco. My nerd is showing, I know, but it’s SO NEAT.
Getting to see the oldest Dinosaur in Canada was also a treat.
It takes about an hour to get through the entire museum then there’s a fun little gift shop called the Mesozoic Market to visit at the end that was filled with local and handmade items. I picked up an adorable dinosaur mood ring, a sticker and a smudge stick.
The next stop was Ottawa House By the Sea Museum which is located at 1155 Whitehall Road
Parrsboro, NS. This museum was a complete change in content (much closer to present day). The stunning 18th century building with hand-hewn timber was once the summer home of Sir Charles Tupper. Tupper was the Father of Confederation, Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867 and 6th Prime Minister of Canada (he was prime minister for 7 days).
The museum was full of treasures showcasing life in the 1800s. It included tools, clothing, furniture, and ceramics. It also had rooms dedicated to ship building, school life, rumrunning and the former settlement on Partridge Island. I made a quick compilation video on Instagram of some of the rooms.
It’s incredible to see how prosperous the area was back in the ship building era. It makes me a little sad to see the state of the town now but I’m hopeful it’s economy will see a shift again soon.
After we checked out every room in the museum, we made a bee line for the ice cream shop included in the building for some Moon Magic (Chapman’s Ice Cream version of moon mist).
We then enjoyed our ice cream along the shores of the Partridge Island Geopark which once again has some of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen.
The view from Partridge Island Geopark
Partridge Island, or Wa’so’q (which means heaven) to the Mi’kmaq is one of the basalt headlands and islands that are a signature of the Geopark. It showcases land from the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (circa 200 million years ago).
We were there at low tide which gave us the opportunity to walk miles of sand that would otherwise be immersed by the ocean. We checked out the fishing weir and helped keep the space clean by picking up some lobster bands.
I have difficulty putting the views into words. All I could think of was the quote from Pirates of the Caribbean “Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” I can fully appreciate why the Mi’kmaq considered the space to be heaven. There’s a calming beauty to this space that must be experienced first hand.
While we were packing up to leave my spouse and I both agreed this was an incredibly fun visit and we’re looking forward to coming back. I knew we would enjoy ourselves here but I wasn’t expecting my curiosity to be so peaked. We already have a list started for our next visit to Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.
The next time we find ourselves at Five Island Provincial park I am aiming to book spots 92 or 93 as the view was breathtaking. They are walk-to spaces, so not available for RV campers but ideal for the tenter looking for a view.
