Sydney Mines Heritage Museum & Cape Breton Fossil Centre

Overview

The Sydney Mines Heritage Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and memories of the area as well as educating future generations about the richness of our town and lineage. The old Sydney Mines Train Station is home to the Sydney Mines Heritage Museum.

Experience our heritage in coal mining, steel making, and the railway through our collection of historical artifacts and archives, photographs, pottery, and memorabilia. Take a guided tour of the museum for an animation of history via a description of the artifacts and external historical walks.

Sydney Mines is one of eight important fossil sites in Nova Scotia and is known internationally for excellent examples of plant fossils. The Cape Breton Fossil Discovery Centre showcases the rich deposits found in the Sydney Coalfields.

These Coalfields extend 21 miles along the Cape Breton coast dipping under the Atlantic Ocean. Shales and sandstone of the coalfields produced fossils from 300 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period. A walk along the shoreline near Sydney Mines uncovers many treasures from an era when Cape Breton Island was close to the equator.

The Centre is an excellent place for school children to learn about fossils and the history of our region. Bring the entire family for a day of fun and exploration! See 300-million-year-old plant fossils from the rich deposits of the Sydney coalfield, enjoy stories from our guides and explore the coastline to find your own hidden treasure