A fun and iconic landmark! Perfect for photos, and it really captures the musical spirit of Cape Breton. Worth a stop if you’re nearby — you can’t miss it!

Big fiddle next to the cruise port. It's in good shape and worth a photo but not much more then a road side attraction. It's nice and gives the town something but don't go to far out of your way for it.

Standing proudly on Sydney’s waterfront, the Giant Fiddle is more than just a landmark — it’s a symbol of Cape Breton’s deep musical roots and vibrant Celtic spirit. You can feel the pride of the island the moment you see it towering against the harbour skyline. The area around the fiddle is beautiful and lively, especially on sunny days when the boardwalk fills with music, laughter, and the smell of the ocean. It’s the perfect place for a stroll, some photos, or simply sitting by the water watching the boats go by. There are cafes, local shops, and small markets nearby, making it easy to spend a relaxing afternoon here. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a live performance or local event — a reminder that music truly lives at the heart of Cape Breton culture. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, the Giant Fiddle is a must-see stop that perfectly captures the charm, pride, and rhythm of Sydney. 🎶

We got off the cruise ship and the fiddle was located in an area off to the right. There were A few small shops and a larger area that featured many local vendors. People were very friendly and there was quite a lot of quality shopping located at port. There was also a large Adirondack chair for a photo opportunity.

We were there on a cruise ship. The mall had lots of small shops set up kind of pop-up places. There's a restaurant. The fiddle is outside at the end of the pier. It's kind of cool

Of course, it's a tourist attraction, but still fun, on a very walkable waterfront area. This area is known for celtic music, so the fiddle makes sense here. Also, we passed a person bagpipes and a mandolin player while walking the area (we were visiting via cruise ship, so they saw us coming,) Loved it.

Really enjoyed Sydney, Nova Scotia. Got to see the Big Fiddle and lots of wonderful small shops of hand crafted items from locals. Highly recommend!

Wonderful place to look around and to get inspired by local artists, occasionally they have exhibits upstairs!

This store is a treasure in downtown Sydney. If on a cruise, it is walkable from the harbor. The arts and crafts are unique and well priced, considering the quality and workmanship.

I love my 'Little Ghost' pendant I purchased here on my cruise port stop! So cutely made and a wonderful piece of art with meaning. This was a great place to stop to meet and shop local artisan made goods. Apparently the vendors come and go so you could have a different experience depending on when you visit!

Loved it here! I researched it before, and it was just as awesome in person. It feels like an art gallery, but you actually get to buy the pieces!

Fantastic place to view a variety of local crafts.

Very busy. Lots of interesting works of art for sell.

Worth a stop. Interesting items

This house is interesting because as you move through the house starting in the basement, you move through different periods starting with colonial times and how they would've cooked 🍳 their food in a fireplace with another brick enclosure where they'd bake their bread. Different rooms have different guides who tell the story of the house. How it was first owned by Samuel Sparrow in 1786 and later bought by Thomas Jost in 1836. The Jost descendants gradually changed it over time. Lastly, they tell of the lady Joan Harriss who bought the house that had gradually become dilapidated and paid to have it restored before turning it into a museum. There is an admission fee of $4 with it free for children and students. It's normal hours are Monday to Friday 9 to 4 p.m. and open any day a cruise 🛳 ship 🚢 is in port.

House is quirky and hyper unique. Staff are wonderful and enthusiastic about the place and very informative. Anecdotally they gave me a free bottle of water on a hot day when I didn’t have any Canadian cash. Just warm and real folks here. Much love from the USA!

Very interesting piece of island history. The staff were also very informative and entertaining. I am super curious about the anchor they have and hope they learn more about it when I come back. Have actually started thinking about getting that anchor tattooed on my body lol - it was so cool. A great place to stop by and interesting things in their collection

From outside it is tiny looks lame. Wow was go smacked by great staff n cool stuff loved it. Only 4 dollars

My wife and I visited today while we visited Sydney, our cruise stop for the day. The tour guide Ben did a phenomenal job and made the history come alive with information about the home, occupants, history and info about the region. The entire staff was extremely friendly and informative. We highly recommend!

Learn some history see it and feel it makes it come to life

Awesome and had a wonderful time. The man showing us around was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Had a delightful time.

Beautiful spot to take your dog for a walk! Snow can get deep in some areas in the winter. The trail is not maintained during the winter months. Lovely spot!

Beautiful park, for a nice walk. Stroller friendly trails and has nice family picnic spots. Be careful in the winter as the wooden trails can be very slippery!

The best park i have visited in sydney

Beautiful park Nice place to take a troll And relax in nature Kinda far from the city

This is a beautiful park for leisurely walks and scenic views.

Love it, it's beautiful place , looking out and seeing the cruise ships in.

This is a great park with shaded pathways and amazing views of the Sydney Harbour

A beautifully preserved eighteenth century house, one of the oldest in North America. Set out very well, and kitchen garden was very interesting.

It was an accurate display of life hundreds of years ago. The artifacts and house show quite explicitly the lifestyles then. It was both interesting and worthy of the visit.

Wonderful Nova Scotia Museum in historic home built by Loyalist Rev'd Ranna Cossitt, first Anglican minister of Sydney.

Cool family story, good interpreters and well restored!

very well curated. living history staff were very knowledgeable and dedicated. well worth the time and money

Very informative and interesting museum. Helpful staff.

$2 per person and you get choice of guided or self guided with a sheet of paper describing each room. Two women in period costume are there to guide you if you like. Interesting little house that highlights what was considered normal back then. The poor woman of the house had 13 children and died in childbirth at the age of 46!!! It's great they could preserve some of the old tools, books, clothing, etc and you get a sense of life back then. Short walk over after visiting the giant fiddle.

Let's take a moment to appreciate the rich history of St. George’s Anglican Church! This magnificent church, dating back to 1785, stands as a testament to the timeless beauty of Gothic Revival architecture. As we explore the grounds, we'll come across the historic graveyard, where early citizens were laid to rest. The intricate sandstone and limestone grave markers truly stand as works of art, offering a glimpse into the past. And how amazing is it that we get to meet a guide dressed in Edwardian costume? Their stories about the church's royal visitors and local history are absolutely fascinating. St. George’s Anglican Church is not just a place of worship, but a living museum of Cape Breton's history. It's truly a must-see for anyone interested in the fascinating past of this area.

Beautiful church and great church members explaing the history of this Anglican Church. Graveyard out side to the right.

We had a nice visit of the church. A docent in costume welcomed visitors. They have information if the church history and old documents.

This is a beautiful church steeped in history. On occasion, parishioners provide talks about the founding of the church to serve the British garrison at Sydney, church architecture, and the fascinating stories of parishioners, including the infamous David Matthew, who plotted to kill George Washington, and was involved in many other dishonorable enterprises.

The church opens in the late morning through the lunch hour on cruise ship days. The volunteers do a wonderful job and are dressed in their Edwardian costumes. If you are visiting Sydney on a day with a ship in port, drop in for a visit to the oldest building in town.

Our first stop after leaving the cruise ship shops as it piqued our interest and was close by. Local volunteers give an excellent history of the building and church.

An incredible blast from the past. Rich in history, like no other historic cape breton landmark, in the city of Sydney. Pay it a visit. Read the literature. You'll be surprised to learn how this little church played such a vital role throughout our years.

It was closed:( But the trees were pretty nearby with all the fall leaves on the ground. The graves were eroding. The exterior of the church was cool.

A historical church located on the Main Street. Unfortunately it was closed on a weekday.

Nice little Church museum. You'll probably want to visit because of the free wifi and AC washroom. Maybe take a few minutes to learn a bit of the history.

Took the ghost tour from here. Was completely by chance since we didn't even know it existed until we walked up to the front to see if we could find hours for the museum. Beautiful little church with a lot of history and the lady doing the ghost tours knows a lot about the area and is super nice.

Beautiful church. Lots of history

Alot of History. Diffenty worth a visit.

Beautiful art by local artists. Wonderful folk musicians play during the day. A young guide from the Sydney Society was there telling the history of Sydney and the region. It was interesting and informative.

We come here eat all the time and I never left a review but that changes today. The food we had today was amazing and the steak was mouth watering 😋

One of the nicest golf simulators I've played. My second time here today. Hundreds of courses to choose from. Plenty of clubs to use if you don't have your own or you may also bring your own to use. Security will check them as you enter. Check-in is at the casino restaurant. There is a nice lounge area with complementary tea, coffee, and soft drinks. $35/hr is very reasonable for a sim. I recommend one hour per golfer to complete 18 holes comfortably.

Food is above and beyond once again! Always something great to try on the menu like the wings and potato skins! Great service and music entertainment with “Wills Addiction” and friends in attendance! The staff really tries to make your experience the very best it can be! Such a great St Patrick’s Day experience !!!

In an area where Sydney Eagles hockey team plays. Nice medium size casino with good variety of machines. Clean restrooms.

We actually want a little bit of money and the chicken strips are the best I have ever had anywhere.

Quite possibly the best nachos in all of Canada. They dont just pile on the tortillas and then dump the cheese and toppings over top… they actually do a good job layer tortillas, cheese (shredded and melted queso), toppings, and then another layer of each. The only thing to critique is that we added on chicken at $4.99 and it certainly was not $5 worth of chicken there.

I lost all my hard earned money would not recommend unless your are into that sort of stuff. 😢 😭

Very nice nature trail. Path is well maintained and not a lot of incline. Perfect for people with mobility issues, or anyone looking for a nice, quick hike within city limits. Lots of squirrels and bluejays present in Oct. Would recommend.

This is one of our favorite places in the world. The natural, unspoiled beauty combines with well maintained, family friendly trails. There are always friendly people, some alone, some with friends, kids, and dogs, but it never feels crowded. The streams are gorgeous and provide a relaxing, soothing sound.

Great trail considering it's right in Sydney. Small creek running through it with lots of small bridges to cross back and forth. Excellent for a chill walk with the dog. Lots of birds and squirrels to keep them entertained. Downside is that it is so close to the highway in spots that it can get a little noisy with the urban sounds you're trying to escape from. Be careful in the winter as it can get icy in spots. They are constantly working to improve the trails, with tree cleanup and new gravel in some areas.

Great trail. It’s possible to walk with a stroller but some areas are quite bumpy.

Such a beautiful trail and very well maintained. Love that it is dog friendly and there are always people walking along as well and are very friendly as well.

Well kept trails, they’re quite a few different routes that intertwine and some do not show on All Trails so I got ‘lost’ a couple times but never hard to find my way back on track. I think once a person has been a few times and has the lay of the land it’s a fantastic place for short or long walks! Beautiful scenery along the brooks too.

My favourite trail walking in Sydney. Perfect for walking your dog or younger children buy still enjoyable as a nature hike

Finally made it to the ‘mothership’ after years of enjoying their brews from NSLC. Was not disappointed. Great place to seek out. Only 5km from downtown Sydney. Good vibe on a Tuesday afternoon! Hope to be back soon!

Breton Brewing is an absolute gem in Cape Breton! From the moment you step in, you're greeted with warmth and a welcoming atmosphere. The variety of brews they offer is impressive, each with its own unique flavor profile that caters to all tastes. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their craft, always eager to recommend a new favourite for a newcomer like me. The taproom itself is cozy and inviting, perfect for catching up with friends or enjoying a quiet pint solo. Overall, Breton Brewing is a must-visit destination for any newcomer in the area. Highly recommend!

It's Breton Brewing. There's really not much else to say. Amazing beer, amazing staff, amazing location. Full stop.

Live music, country style, was great. The Stout beer was also great. It's really a place to drink not to eat, only small snacks are available : chips, bretzels.

We found this unexpected local brewery and absolutely enjoyed the atmosphere. The beer flights were perfect. This was one of the highlights of our cruise visit to Sydney.

Good Beers! Nice Local Atmosphere!

A bit far from Cruise ship terminal and give yourself time to call a cab

Beautiful trail with moderate challenge steep on some sections — great views of Sydney Harbour, Howie Centre, and waterfalls. Trails are well-marked, but some sections can get muddy and loose gravel, so wear good hiking boots. Perfect for a 2–3 hour nature escape. Highly recommend, especially during fall colours!

This is a pretty solid hike and definitely a good something to do if you're looking for a hike near Sydney. If you start on the main trail, the first 20 minutes are basically straight up. Its pretty slippery on the gravel and coming down is worse, but its great exercise. The rope supports are not super helpful. The rest of the hike is lovely but mostly in the woods. The western trail is poorly marked and easy to miss. Overall, it was a good experience.

We loved the trails at Coxheath Hills. The red trail is rated moderate which I think applies to the joggers running up the hill, not the rest of us. It is a tough climb if you aren't in great shape. We aren't, but we took it as a challenge. We made it to the top and the views were 100% worth it. We decided to complete the purple trail and head back down. The purple trail was so much easier. Beautiful forest trail, easily followed, with loads of mushrooms, butterflies and birds along the way. We could not find the yellow trail, we think we figured out where one end of it is. It is overgrown and might get more use if there was a sign or something near the entrances. We will deffinitely walk the trails again on our next visit home.

Nice hike that will definitely get your heart rate up. Decent view from the top with benches that is overlooking Sydney harbour. Near the top is "Pittman Lodge" where you can enter and sign a guest book and take a seat for a rest before hiking back to the bottom.

Great hike! As others have said, the first part of the hike from the main trail head is extremely steep. Once up, it is much easier. To note, as of July 2025, the Western Trail loop is closed. We went up from the main trail head and descended via the access road route to the alternate trail head and then walked back along the road to pick up our car. If you find the idea of the steep section too daunting, just ascend and descend via the secondary access point.

The first time we've done this and honestly it is one of the best trails but one of the hardest trails we've done. I really did have trouble at parts but there was a nice view. I was expecting more from the view to be honest with you. I enjoyed the hike up though. It does level off after about ten minutes or twenty minutes you will have an easier time after that. I really and truly felt accomplished after doing this trail. Wonderful day and an even grater time. The door is normally open in the cabin if you do that main trail. We didn't do the western loop trail, but it's five k and really seemed nice, but we didn't have time.

Takes a half hour to meet the peak! Awesome trail, if you're dedicated!

Great little piece of Mi'kmaq history. Nice displays with cool artifacts. Beautiful baskets old and new. Whish it was a little bit bigger, but still cool overall.

Jeff did an Amazing program for our group. His deep love of his people was very evident. The information he shared and the stories he told were delightful!! The Park was absolutely gorgeous with Fall colors. Thank you Jeff for a very memorable experience.

Membertou Heritage Park was wonderful! Staff were knowledgeable and extremely friendly. High recommend this on your visit to the region.

Very interesting video presentation about the boarding schools and the actions against the local population. As well there unique displays showing the culture

Great history just small. If you are in Sydney you should go

We brought some visitors from Toronto and had a fantastic day making drums with Mr Ward. Our visitors were thrilled by the storytelling and their drums that they made themselves. I also come by to visit the gift shop several times a year; there's always something special there.

We really enjoyed this museum. The information was well presented and there were lots of cultural items including a birchbark canoe. The staff was friendly. In fact the general manager, Jeff, came out and talked with us informally. We learned a lot. He really made the information come alive. It really could not have been any better.

I visited Fort Petrie with my family. We had a great time. The lookout at the top of the tower is impressive and Rob knew a lot about the coastal defence in Cape Breton during WWII. The museum also has several WWII uniforms, accessories and medals. So glad we dropped by!

Tour from cruise ship, 15 minutes is not long enough! With a lovely view point. 😃 An hour at Whitney museum too much!

The veterans took the building over in 1990 and opened it as a museum 8 years later. THANK YOU VETERANS 🇨🇦 One of seven batteries that protected the Port of Sydney. 150 stationed here during WWII

The museum was closed as it was early Sunday morning. Beautiful place to stop & stretch your legs as there is lots to look at! Looking across the water you may even see the NFL Ferry.

Amazing 🇨🇦 WW1&WW2 history, the importance of Sydney's role in protecting the Atlantic route patrolled which has anti submarine destroyers. Very cool place to visit and rich history. Has collections of pictures, antique guns, bullets, gas mask. Relys on donations, so definitely donate as it's amazing and maintained by veterans.

The small museum tells big stories. Before visiting here, I didn’t even know there were lots of heavy fighting between here and Newfoundland plus Germany ever landed North America and U-boats were sunk very close by. The museum keeper is very knowledgeable and very friendly. We loved visiting here. (He even gives bookmarks(homemade)

This was truly an amazing experience. Being able to walk up the tower to see the lookout from the fortress during World War 2. If you're in the area, I HIGHLY recommend stopping in on your way.

A loss tonight 4-0. They played alright but the rimouski team is strong. We out shoot the competition but they had more quality shoots. Great ambiance and we always like to support our local product and have fun doing it. The cold beer are also an added plus. Till the next game. Cheers.

The Centre 200 will be hosting the World's Women's Curling Championship from March 16th-24th. Thirteen teams from Canada (Rachel Homan), Denmark (Madeline Dupont), Estonia (Marie Kaldvee/Liisa Turmann), Italy (Stefania Costantini), Japan (Miyu Ueno), New Zealand (Jessica Smith), Norway (Marianne Rorvik), Scotland (Rebecca Morrison), South Korea (Eun-ji Gim), Sweden (Anna Hasselborg), Turkiye (Dilsat Yikdiz) and United States (Tabitha Peterson) will be competing for the converted gold medal 🏅 As I guaranteed, there was tremendous curling that took place this week and Team Canada -- the fantastic Team Rachel Homan --- took home the gold and truly made the nation proud.

GREAT WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING. THE EAGLES NEED TO BRUSH UP ON THEIR DEFENCE LATELY 🤔🤔 BUT GOOD ACTION HOCKEY ☺ IF YOU HAVE THE "NHL BLUES" FROM THE BIG CITY'S THIS IS THE PLACE TO COME AND WATCH ☺☺ ( FOOD IS PRICED DECENTLY AND NOT TOO SHABBY....I RECOMMEND THE POUTINE IF YOUR REALLY HUNGRY 😎😎😎)

Great concert.

This night was truly a night to remember it was mother daughter date and the performance didn't disappoint we both enjoyed the show and she made sure she showed her enjoyment she got a high 5 from a performer which was the highlight of her night....we will go again if we are lucky enough to have them back

Went to the Women's World Curling, it was great, mind you the parking sucks, especially when you are handicapped and thought because there were back doors you could get in them....NOT , had a long walk to the front of the building , stupid set up, go up a load of stairs, walk across a platform about 30 ft. long and than back down a bunch of stairs, especially using a cane, I usually use my walker, what the heck would have happened than. I only took my cane as I knew our seats were down front, but thought there was a different level you could go in to get to our seats. I actually asked the site where I bought my tickets if there was handicapped seating and they didn't reply, so we wanted to go to the game and didn't want to not be able to get tickets, so I had no choice but to purchase them. The game was great, a great experience, but enjoy watching it on television better, you can see the close up plays etc. Last time we were at this facility was to see Bryan Adams quite a few years ago for our anniversary, the prices for the last concert there just after things went back after Covid were ridiculously priced. I believe we paid $70.00 a ticket for the first concert and the cheapest this last concert was $500.00 a ticket, I don't know how they sold out or sold any for that matter...I love Bryan Adams but there's a certain price point I will stop at no matter who it is for.

Great arena,not a bad seat in the building,seen the Harlem Globetrotters.

On our self tour of Sydney, we noticed the Wentworth Park was close to downtown. We enjoyed a leisurely walk through town ending up at Wentworth Park. This is a very welcoming Park with a lake, walkways and more. We walked th edge of the Park and then headed over to the Boardwalk and Esplanade for a slow walk to the Cruise Terminal.

I liked the ducks 🦆! The trees were pretty and starting to turn colors. We sat on the benches and watched the water. Nice to walk around the park.

I was able to visit this place at not the best time to appreciate it (night, still almost winter and -8 degrees Celsius), but even so it was quite a pleasant place from my view. I can imagine what it’s like here in the summer. The locals are very lucky to have this small park.

A nice small park. Good for family walking after dinner!

25-minute walk from the cruise port is this small oddly shaped long park. Not really fair to judge a park on a rainy foggy day, but it was lacking in some typical park amenities such as water fountains, bench seating, garbage cans, and most importantly public restrooms (did see one Porta potty). Some of the steam water wasn't clean and grass was ready for a cut, but still overall looked nice and sure it is appreciated by residents, particularly on a nice sunny day when the amphitheatre has music.

Splash pad and separate great playing area for the children. It's a beautiful place to relax and feed the birds, enjoy a game of chess(with your own pieces), there is also a bandshell, so why not pack a lunch and enjoy the day with family

Pictures and reviews can not do this park justice especially if you visit on a beautiful day. I was here on a Summer Concert day and found many wonderful people to have good conversations with.

It sounds funny to say I had one day in Sydney while on a cruise and spent it at a public library, but it’s true. I come from OKC, Oklahoma in the US, and I was astounded at the number of popular books that were actually on the shelves or even for sale. And the children’s section was well-organized. I love it! Furthermore, as an old book nerd, there were countless books from times long past, in nearly perfect condition, and a collection of plays. Compared to my local library, this is amazing!

Today I visited the library for the first time, and I must say I had a wonderful experience. The staff there are super supportive and friendly. The library only accepts CASH, unfortunately I wasn't carrying it today but they still allowed me to get my printouts. I am thankful for their generosity and kindness. I'm going to visit again soon. The library is spacious and we can access it through the website, that's amazing. Best day!

Great place but wish it was open earlier/later.

I love the book Museum! The Codex format is still one of the most efficient information storage and retrieval systems mankind is the most efficient information storage and retrieval system we have.

Staff is AMAZING... buuuut, there are too few electrical sockets for laptops or smart phones in all the library... more are needed URGENTLY!

New to this area and the staff were very helpful in getting me set up with a library card and helping me navigate around. Lots of resources here. I even picked up a number of books in their sale shelves for just a few dollars.

Awesome signed up for a membership card, great place to go and relax and do a little research and studying. Looking forward to using this facility.