Of course, there’s more to do than Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island! Let’s explore some of what else there is to do in this beautiful Province.
For an island that only takes about three hours to drive across, there’s a lot to do here! In fact, I found so much to talk about, I’ll be breaking it down into several posts. This first post will just be about the North Cape region.
NORTH CAPE
Visiting the North Cape itself treats you to red cliffs, a lighthouse, lots of modern windmills, and a wind energy interpretive center containing a museum, gift shop, and restaurant. Also starting from here is the North Point Nature Trail, a 2-ish mile-long boardwalk along the ocean.
There is a fee to tour the interpretive center, around $3-4. Open from May 14-Oct. 7 from 10-6 or 9 am-8 pm in July & August. In Tignish.
CANADIAN POTATO MUSEUM
Apparently, Prince Edward Island potatoes are a big deal and they have a Potato Museum to prove it. And any place that has the “world’s largest potato sculpture” has my attention. The museum is dedicated to the history of the potato and its impact locally. The site contains a restaurant and a gift shop. I’ve heard the poutine is pretty good here.
You can up the potato ante with a Farm Tour which includes a visit to a local potato farm, a talk with the farmer, a tour of the potato museum, lunch in the restaurant, and a chance to make your own potato fudge. Cost is $65-79 ($49-59 USD) per person.
Cost for just the museum is $10 ($7.50 USD) and under, with a family rate of $23 ($17.27 USD). Open May 15-October 15, 9:30-5:30. In O’Leary.
PEI COASTAL EXPERIENCES
Described as many as the highlight of their trip, the Martin Family at Prince Edward Island Coastal Tours & Experiences will let you experience life as a local. Go clamming, have a lobster boil on the beach, tour a local farm, or let them introduce you to local musicians.
Rates are $60 ($45 USD) per hour, with most experiences lasting 3-4 hours. Tours operate from June 15-October 15. In O’Leary.
WEST POINT LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM
The picturesque West Point Lighthouse is now a quaint inn, but you can visit the museum and climb the 72 steps to the lantern deck. Surrounded by Cedar Dunes provincial park and lots of boardwalks and walking paths.
Admission is $5 ($3.76 USD). Open 8:30 am-9 pm, June 8-September 17. In West Point.
GREEN PARK SHIPBUILDING MUSEUM & YEO HOUSE
Another one of the seven Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage sites is the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum. Green Park juts out into the Bideford River, there’s a campground here, the Shipbuilding Museum, and a Victorian Mansion belonging to wealthy shipbuilder James Yeo. The Third Sunday in August is a popular blueberry social.
Admission is $5.75 ($4.32 USD) or below with a $15 ($11.27 USD) family rate, or inclusion on the PEI Historic Sites Passport. Open June 4-Sept. 3, from roughly 9-5. In Port Hill/Tyne Valley.
ISLAND TRADITIONS STORE: HOME OF THE BASKET WEAVERS
The Island Traditions Store is a Prince Edward Island mainstay and an attraction in and of itself, especially if you are lucky enough to see the artists making baskets on site. You can also sign up for a workshop to learn to make your own basket!
Basket sales are at all sized and price points, one-day workshops cost between $95-515 ($71.35-386.80 USD) for the kit + class. Open 10-4 in May, 9-5 in June, and 9-7 in July & August. 9-4 September-November. In Richmond.
VILLAGE MUSICAL ACADIEN
At the Village Musical Acadien, or “Acadian Musical Village”, you can dine in the restaurant, see a free afternoon concert, attend a dinner theater show in either French or English, or sign up for “Frolic, Fricot, and Fiddles” a cooking class where participants learn to make “poutine a trou”, a traditional Acadian pastry.
Reviews complain that lunch is expensive, but that may figure in the cost of the free entertainment. The dinner theater costs $33.90 ($25.46 USD) for adults and 14.80 ($11.12 USD) for children 12 & under. The cooking class costs between $50-90 ($37.55-67.60 USD), depending on how many in your party.
The cooking class starts at 9:30, the restaurant & bakery open at 11, and there are two musical performances in the afternoon. The dinner theater starts at 7:30 Tues-Thurs. In Abrams Village.
THE BOTTLE HOUSES
Visit the quirky Bottle Houses and enjoy the changing light through the colored glass. Located right on the shore and boasting lovely gardens.
Admission is $8 ($6 USD) and under with a family max of $20 ($15 USD). Part of the ticket price goes to the children’s hospital in Halifax. Open 9 am-8 pm in July & August, 9-6 in shoulder season. In Wellington.
ACADIAN MUSEUM
The Acadian Museum is dedicated to the 300-year history of the Acadian (French-colonized) presence in Prince Edward Island. One of the seven sites of the Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation.
$4.50 ($3.38 USD) for adults, $12.50 ($9.39 USD) per family, or purchase a passport for $11.95 ($8.98 USD) or $31.95 ($24 USD) per family. Open 9:30-5. In Miscouche.
WYATT HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM
A fascinating look at life in a house led by enthusiastic docents, the Wyatt House comes highly recommended.
Cost seems to be around $10 ($7.51 USD); I couldn’t find anything official. Tours are on the hour from 10 am-5 pm with the last tour starting at 4:00. Open June 27-September 1, or call to book your tour the rest of the year. In Summerside.
EPTEK ART & CULTURE CENTRE
Find an ever-changing exhibit space for Island art and culture on the waterfront at the Eptek Cultural Centre. Then take home your own piece of art from the arts & crafts gift shop. One of the seven sites of the Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation.
FREE admission, donations welcome. Open 9-5 in summer. 10-4 during shoulder season. In Summerside.
COLLEGE OF PIPING AND CELTIC PERFORMING ARTS OF CANADA
The College of Piping welcomes you to their campus with mini-concerts throughout the day and an evening performance of Scottish music and dance most evenings in July and August. They also have a gift shop.
Mini-concerts are $7 ($5.26 USD) and go towards your ticket price for the evening show that night. Great Scot! the summer show costs $35 ($26.29 USD), doors open at 7 pm for the 7:30 show. In Summerside.
HARBOURFRONT THEATRE
The intimate Harbourfront Theatre seems to get rave reviews no matter what they are showing. They have a local cast of actors during the summer–“Maggie’s Getting Married” will play this summer–plus a rotating roster of musical acts (Union Duke) and other entertainment (The Comic Strippers.)
Plays seem to be in the $20 ($15 USD) range, other tickets vary around $30-50 ($22.53-37.55 USD). Operates year-round! In Summerside.
SUGGESTED TOURING
If I had all the time I wanted to spend on Prince Edward Island, I would visit the Bottle Houses in the morning light before heading out to the North Cape Interpretive center for a mid-morning walk along the boardwalk. Then I’d hit the Potato Museum for lunch, the West Point Lighthouse, and the Yeo House, stopping in at Island Traditions to look at the cool baskets. Then I’d try to catch the evening show at the College of Piping.
On another day, I’d tackle everything to do in Summerside, starting with the Wyatt House, looking in on the Acadian Museum and the Eptek Centre and generally walking around town before catching a show at the Harbourfront Theatre. Depending on what nights the Scottish music show is playing, I might reverse those evening options.
And if my budget at all allowed, I’d definitely want to book one of those PEI Coastal Experiences! Those sound like a really special experience, especially anything musically-inclined.
Wow, who knew PEI was famous for potatoes? The bottle houses looked pretty neat. Could you actually go inside them?
Yes, you can! They don’t look very big, but they’re big enough to walk around in.
PEI being famous for potatoes is one thing. Building a whole museum complete with “sculpture” is what’s really amusing to me. And exactly why I want to go see it.
Yeah, it sounds quirky. Maybe that’s what they were famous for before Anne of Green Gables came along.