HMCS Haida National Historic Site
HMCS Haida National Historic Site
4.5
About
This place is temporarily closed. The last Tribal Destroyer in the world, HMCS HAIDA is Canada’s most famous warship. She inspires countless adults and children and draw visitors from Ontario, across North America and from around the globe. This WWII Tribal Class destroyer is now a floating memorial and naval museum.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
441 reviews
Excellent
307
Very good
120
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
3
lilly350
Kitchener, Canada8 contributions
Sept 2019 • Family
It was so much fun, kids enjoyed filling out the booklets. Kids were so amazed with all the interested in the different flags and meanings. It was nice to meet some of the retired sailors. All in all very interesting and exciting stories about the old days.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alicia M
Monticello, MN125 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Once you pay for your tickets to get on the ship you are allowed to go to most places on the ship but not all places are easy to get to. There was staff or educators throughout the ship the day we were there. I don’t know if I would take small children or if you struggle with heights or dizzying effects ad you might not want to use many of the ladders on the ship which are not all for the faint of heart.
Written August 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Teammilitello
Des Moines, IA2,792 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
What a gem. This ship is not like the others. It’s smaller & more easily assessable to all areas of the ship. We left feeling like we knew everything about the ship. There are a lot of guides throughout. Cannot believe how little it cost. No trip to Hamilton is complete without a visit here.
Written July 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin F
Toronto, Canada1,243 contributions
Aug 2019
She was too good for the Toronto waterfront but has found a welcome home happily in Hamilton. A nice reminder of the incredible job the RCN did during the war in keeping the convoy lanes open. Some folks want to forget Canada has a worthy history but you can find some here.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Inspire21430552102
8 contributions
Jun 2023 • Friends
It was a very interesting relic only remember it is only open certain days. We went Tuesday but it wasn’t open til Wednesday.We took pictures of the outside. They are doing a lot of work on the harbourfront.,starting to look good, but a lot of yellow tape around when we went.
Written July 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Albert Y J
1 contribution
Jul 2015 • Couples
Went to the HMCS Haida hoping to see the ship and also to make a video of me walking through the ship taking about the stuff I see. Figured once I finished collecting all the video I'll edit it and share it online. There was ABSOLUTELY no signage at the ship or warning on the websites about photos or videos (as of July 14, 2015). That's until a parks employee asked me about what I was going to do with the video I captured, when I told them they directed me to the gatehouse to ask for permission. By the time I got to the gatehouse someone asked me a series of questions about what I was doing and then preceded to tell me that ANY footage, as long as it is shared online (facebook, twitter, youtube) falls under "public distribution" and I would have to pay at least $300 in order to shoot it. I was in total shock and asked for someone higher up to talk to. They told me to call Greg on Tuesday (today) which I agreed to do. So I called and was told that that this was the universal Parks Canada photo and video footage policy, that as long as it is to be shared online would have to apply for a film/photography permit, which at the cheapest is $300. So for all of you thinking of going to the Haida, be warned of these absolutely draconian photo and video policies that do not belong in the 21st century. I will be getting in touch with the minister for Parks Canada and get to the bottom of this utterly insane rules. I can't even post pictures to tripadvisor by their definition, so no pictures, sorry.
Written July 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandeep_p
Mississauga16 contributions
Jul 2011 • Couples
Wow! What an experience it was. It was a real eye opener to see how the warship was organized and how the captain and crew used to work. The ship was huge...great guns,great technology (considering it was in 1950's) even then I was amazed at the amount of machinery present on the ship. Now I know how a warship is like from the inside. Don't miss this guys. Also, please make sure you take a bottle of cold water on board the ship cause it really gets hot in there. Definitely an A+ in my book.
Written July 23, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Murray S
Hamilton, Canada144 contributions
Aug 2012 • Solo
The Haida is a great day trip and adventure on a awesome navy ship. The Haida is a National Historical Site operated by Parks Canada and the Friends of HMCS Haida. It is located on the Hamilton waterfront that has other amenities and activities such as restaurants, parks, and walking trails. The Haida itself takes a few hours to explore, and has ladders to climb; so remember to wear good shoes!
The ship represents a unique part of Canada’s history and this information is well displayed onboard. Most visitors are amazed when viewing the living conditions of the sailors and the self guided tour takes you through the living quarters, bridge, engine room, and other parts of the ship. Parks Canada reps and the Friends of the Haida provide guides to answer questions, and French language services are available.
There is a video onboard that describes the Haida’s history from WW2, Korea, NATO duties and finally as a museum ship. Visitors are tasked to find out what a tiff or a sparky was, and the kids can search for the toy mice hidden onboard. There are plenty of great stories; such as the emergency appendicitis operation at sea or when the crew became honorary Texans!
The Haida is great place for anyone to explore and see what life at sea was like in the navy, and is a great experience for vets and ex-navy personal to reconnect to their personal history. It is a excellent day trip and a way to spend the afternoon. The Haida belongs to the Historic Naval Ships Association, so if you liked the HMCS Sackville, HMS Belfast, or the USS Intrepid you will like HMCS Haida.
The ship represents a unique part of Canada’s history and this information is well displayed onboard. Most visitors are amazed when viewing the living conditions of the sailors and the self guided tour takes you through the living quarters, bridge, engine room, and other parts of the ship. Parks Canada reps and the Friends of the Haida provide guides to answer questions, and French language services are available.
There is a video onboard that describes the Haida’s history from WW2, Korea, NATO duties and finally as a museum ship. Visitors are tasked to find out what a tiff or a sparky was, and the kids can search for the toy mice hidden onboard. There are plenty of great stories; such as the emergency appendicitis operation at sea or when the crew became honorary Texans!
The Haida is great place for anyone to explore and see what life at sea was like in the navy, and is a great experience for vets and ex-navy personal to reconnect to their personal history. It is a excellent day trip and a way to spend the afternoon. The Haida belongs to the Historic Naval Ships Association, so if you liked the HMCS Sackville, HMS Belfast, or the USS Intrepid you will like HMCS Haida.
Written September 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doeraymee
Canada327 contributions
Wow! after visiting this ship, I feel that every sailor who sailed in it should receive a medal, whether they were "war heroes" or not. Just to survive in the unbelievably crowded conditions must have required extraordinary courage and discipline. The captain and the officers had it very good in comparison but the average joes ate, sat and stored their belongings in a space about 2 ft wide and slept in hammock overhanging their seat/storage box.
It really gives you an appreciation for what these sailors went through, even BEFORE the weapons started flying!
Visit this place and you'll never again moan about how small your home is.
It really gives you an appreciation for what these sailors went through, even BEFORE the weapons started flying!
Visit this place and you'll never again moan about how small your home is.
Written August 10, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nilsthulin
Karlskrona, Sweden2,250 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
This ship was bought by 5 guys and rescued from scrapyard, all the other 30 ships was either lost in war or decommissioned. Kind of mind-blowing to imagine that this was a ship participating during D-day 2 world war.
Written June 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola. No veo por qué no los permiten, pero es posible que desee llamarlos. Probablemente estén permitidos, pero solo para estar seguros, deberías llamarlos. Aquí está su número de teléfono. Espero poder ayudar !!
905-526-6742
Written July 3, 2019
Hi there, I'd like to know if visiting the warship in May would be too cold. were you mostly inside or outside on the deck?
thanks a lot!
Weida
Written February 26, 2019
Hi - it depends on the weather but end of May should be warmer and we will be open on the weekends by then. The ship visit includes both inside and outside. Dress for the weather and remember that since we are on Lake Ontario, it's always a bit cooler. Hope this help!
Written March 17, 2019
Would touring of this ship be possible with a small infant wore in a carrier?
Written August 12, 2018
I would say no because there are a few places where you have to climb or descend metal “ladders” the term used by the navy to describe steep stairs.
Written August 13, 2018
Yes, there is a small parking area close to the ship, and outside the fences. It gets pretty busy, though.
Written July 19, 2017
manalshtiwie
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Hello Are there cruises from Germany to Canada? Please give me some information about these trips. thank you
Written June 2, 2017
The HMSC Haida national historical site is not for cruises, it is a historic site for touring an old military ship. Hope that helped :)
Written August 15, 2018
as the Haida is a Parks Canada site and a war memorial no dogs are allowed on board.
Written May 16, 2017
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