Things to do in Shediac
And a little beyond, by car
Four-star B&B in Shediac
And a little beyond, by car
Shediac calls itself the Lobster Capital of the World, and it has the 90-tonne lobster to prove it. It’s a small town with a long summer and a short drive to almost everything. Here’s our list, from the end of the driveway to the Bay of Fundy. Drive times are from Le Griffon, and rounded.
Rotary Park, 229 Main Street · All year · Guided visits May to October
The World’s Largest Lobster: 11 metres, 90 tonnes, in a public park. The best photo is up a short flight of stairs. Beside it, the Homarus Centre runs a guided visit of about an hour on the life of a lobster, with a touch tank (admission). Our Witzend kiosk is in the same building, and books tours, tickets, and adventures across the region.
All over town
In 1926, Shediac lawyer and mayor Edward R. McDonald patented his Crossword Game, played with lettered tiles. Our bistro keeps the tradition alive with more than 2,300 board games.
Parc Pascal-Poirier, 10 Weldon Street · Sundays, 9am to 2pm, mid-June to early September
Farmers, makers, and good smells, a short walk from the door.
The first two weekends of July · 2027: 3 to 11 July
New Brunswick’s longest-running festival, since 1949: La Grande Table down Main Street, concerts, a run, and a great deal of lobster. The town fills quickly, so book early.
More than 12 km · All year
Trails and bike paths. The northeast section links downtown to Pointe-du-Chêne and Parlee Beach.
399 Main Street · Closed for restoration
Built about 1825, it’s the oldest house in the heart of Shediac, and the home of Pascal Poirier, the first Acadian senator. Le Foyer de l’imaginaire acadien, which Séb chairs, is working to reopen it.
About 5 minutes · Mid-May to mid-October · Daily vehicle fee
A Blue Flag beach on the Northumberland Strait: warm salt water, lookouts, birding in the marsh, and easy trails. A Mobi-mat runs to the water for walkers and wheelchairs, and the new comfort station is accessible. Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach. Our Morse et Marteaux East Canteen and East Tikki Bar are at the east end; WitZuit opens at the west end in May 2027.
About 8 minutes · Late May to Labour Day · Parking fee
A working harbour with seafood shacks, ice cream, shops, and a public patio. Stay for the sunset.
From Pointe-du-Chêne Wharf · Summer
Lobster Tales: haul a trap, then learn to crack and eat a lobster, in about two and a half hours, in English and French, with a licensed bar on board. Book ahead.
About 20 minutes · June to September
Five kilometres of sand and a boardwalk; in 2018, Canada’s first Blue Flag saltwater beach. Nearby, the Smokehouse Museum tells the story of herring smoking, still practised along this shore.
About 15 minutes · Haute-Aboujagane
Thirty-six holes on two courses, The Pine and The River. Call before you go: (506) 532-4634.
About 15 minutes · July and August
A miniature village of six buildings, among them an 1842 house, an 1870 school, and a lighthouse, with more than 3,000 artifacts.
About 40 minutes · Irving Eco-Centre · Free
A 12 km sand dune across Bouctouche Bay, with an 800-metre boardwalk. Visitors with mobility needs can reserve an electric-vehicle tour at 1-888-640-3300. Dogs aren’t allowed on the boardwalk.
Grand-Bouctouche, about 35 minutes · Summer, and Akadi Lumina in autumn
Antonine Maillet’s island village, where the characters of La Sagouine come to life, in French. In autumn, Akadi Lumina, a 1.5 km night walk.
Grand-Bouctouche and Ste-Anne-de-Kent, 35 to 45 minutes
A former convent, toured in 30 to 45 minutes from July to September; and, a little farther on, a soapery whose 45-minute guided tour is free, in English or French.
About an hour · Parks Canada admission
Dunes, lagoons, and forest. The Kellys Beach Boardwalk (2.4 km return) crosses the dunes and is accessible.
Bore Park · Twice a day · Free
The Bay of Fundy tide comes up the Petitcodiac River in a single wave. Check the City’s timetable and arrive 30 minutes early. Level, accessible paths.
About 35 minutes · May to September
Put the car in neutral and watch it “roll uphill.” Nearby, Magnetic Hill Winery, on an 1867 estate, pours tastings all year.
Downtown Moncton
Moncton’s museum and its Transportation Discovery Centre; and, on Main Street, the city’s grand bilingual theatre.
232 Gauvin Road · Saturdays, 8am to 1pm, all year
The big Saturday market. Adorable Chocolat keeps a counter there from late September to late May.
About an hour · Mid-May to late October
More than 20 sea stacks along the Bay of Fundy. At low tide you walk the ocean floor; a ticket is good for two days in a row, so you can see both tides. The stairs have 99 steps; a shuttle runs to the top of them, and an accessible 0.8 km gravel trail gives another view. Check the tide tables.
Memramcook, about 35 minutes
The exhibit on the Acadian odyssey, a 19th-century theatre, and a café. The place to understand where the Acadians came from, and why they stayed.
Aulac, about 50 minutes · Summer
A star-shaped fort, its casemates, and a lookout over the Chignecto Isthmus.
Tantramar, about 50 minutes · All year · Free
3.5 km of accessible trails and boardwalks through a marsh.
About 50 minutes · Mid-May to mid-September
A warm, unsupervised beach with a view of the Confederation Bridge.
One to one and a half hours
Fundy’s cliffs and the village of Alma; or the Confederation Bridge, whose toll you pay on the way off the Island. Two good reasons to leave right after breakfast.
Want a hand? Our Witzend kiosk at the Homarus Centre books a good deal of this. And at check-in, we’re glad to point you the right way.
426 Main Street, Shediac, NB E4P 2G4
(506) 532-5412 · info@legriffon.ca
Check-in from 4 to 9pm · Open year-round · Free parking