Grand-Pré National Historic Site

Grand-Pré is a national historic site in Kings County, Nova Scotia, situated on farmland with a church, visitor center, and walking paths throughout the grounds. The site preserves the former settlement area of Acadian people and allows visitors to explore the landscape on foot.

Acadian settlers built a sophisticated system of dikes to farm the marshland starting in the early 1700s, but faced forced deportation by the British in 1755. This expulsion scattered the population and became a defining moment in Acadian history.

The church built in 1922 serves as the main gathering point for remembering Acadian people and their way of living on this land. You can see displays about their community practices and understand why this place remains deeply connected to their identity.

The site is open year-round with guided tours and interpretation in multiple languages available to help you understand the place. Wear comfortable walking shoes since the paths go through open fields and across uneven terrain.

The dikes built by Acadians around 300 years ago still work today and continue to irrigate farmland in the region using the same methods as the original builders. This working system demonstrates how well the early farmers understood water management.