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Calling at the port of Halifax can be a both an entertaining and educational experience with great museums, gardens and historic forts.

For a small city, Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, has seen its share of maritime disasters, no surprise given that this is a city by the sea. Painful though these tragedies were, they make fascinating, interactive viewing for kids and families - and a wonderful way to experience and learn about history.

On December 6, 1917, during the First World War, Halifax was a jumping-off station for supply ships ferrying goods and material across the Atlantic. At exactly 9:05 (we know this because watches and clocks froze in time, their hands fused) the Mont Blanc, a French munitions ship, collided with the freighter Imo in Halifax Harbor, setting off the world's largest non-nuclear explosion to date.

You can hear the cries of alarm and listen to the whispered, awe-struck voices in the moving exhibit at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (902/424-7490)

In my recent visit, families were very engaged in the dramatic presentation. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of kids and parents exchanging comments about the events and the exhibits. They were involved, asking all sorts of questions, the kinds that reveal a surprisingly deep curiosity about history and its affect on human emotions. One young boy wanted to know if the pets died, too.

The Museum is one of Halifax's stellar attractions, and unlike many museums, this one is a welcoming place: its exposed beams and bricks and its broad-planked flooring are very comfortable. Families find that strollers and "family things" pass easily along the broad corridors and natural structures. Children have a chance to walk around and enjoy the space, instead of feeling confined by the tighter quarters and restrictive attitudes of many museums.

Standing alone, a simple example of the power of irony, is the sole remaining deck chair rescued from the Titanic. Above this is the breathtakingly naive quote: "God Himself could not sink this ship." A crewman on the Titanic allegedly said this to Mrs. Albert Campbell, as she boarded the ship in Southampton, England, on April 10, 1918 - a provocative topic for family discussion if there ever was one.