Citadel Hill, Military fortress in Halifax, Canada

Citadel Hill is a star-shaped fort of stone and earth on Halifax's fortified summit, with four bastions linked by grass-covered ramparts around a flat parade ground. Two long stone barracks with dark roofs stand inside the walls, one along the right side and one near the upper left, with a smaller stone building at the top right corner. The present fort was built between 1828 and 1856 to a design by Gustavus Nicolls of the Royal Engineers.

Four forts have stood on Citadel Hill since 1749, when Edward Cornwallis founded Halifax. The third, built from 1794 to 1800, was the only one officially named Fort George, after King George III. The present stone star fort was designed by Gustavus Nicolls of the Royal Engineers, begun in 1828 and finished in 1856. It was transferred to Canada's militia department in 1906.

Guards dressed in 78th Highlanders uniforms perform traditional military drills daily from May through October and fire the noon gun. These living demonstrations show visitors how soldiers once worked and what their daily routines involved.

The fort sits on the summit of Citadel Hill above downtown Halifax, and construction and levelling lowered that summit by ten to twelve metres. Paths run along the grass-covered ramparts and across the large dirt parade ground inside the walls, where two long stone barracks stand. The site is operated by Parks Canada and restored to its Victorian-era appearance.

The Army Museum inside holds one of Atlantic Canada's largest collections of British military artifacts from the 1800s. Visitors encounter rare weapons, equipment, and personal items from soldiers that are rarely displayed in other museums.