Staff Pick

Road Trip Mahone Bay to Oak Island – The Money Pit Curse

Mahone Bay Oak Island
15
km
0h24
drive
Summer
season

The Itinerary

Oak Island, a small 0.57 km² wooded island in Mahone Bay, is the epicentre of modern history's longest treasure hunt — since 1795, dozens of groups including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Errol Flynn have dug to find what the mysterious "Money Pit" hides. The Curse of Oak Island (History Channel since 2014) has revived global interest.

Legend has it that pirates' treasure (Captain Kidd, Blackbeard), the Ark of the Covenant, Shakespeare manuscripts or even the Holy Grail are buried there — protected by an ingenious tidal flood system. Six searchers have died on site under the "7 must die before the treasure is found" curse.

The island is now private (the Lagina brothers, TV show stars, are co-owners), but Friends of Oak Island Society offers guided tours of the Mahone Bay Museum / Oak Island Exhibit. En route, Mahone Bay and its 3 iconic side-by-side churches, UNESCO Lunenburg 10 minutes away, and the causeway provide an offshore island view.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Money Pit (Oak Island)
    230 years of treasure hunting, private Lagina island.
  • ✦
    Three Churches Mahone Bay
    Iconic NS image, perfect alignment facing harbour.
  • ✦
    Mahone Bay Museum
    Oak Island exhibit, treasure hunt history.
  • ✦
    Curse of Oak Island Tour
    Friends of Oak Island Society tours, summer only.
Practical info
  • Departure Mahone Bay
  • Destination Oak Island
  • Distance 15 km
  • Duration 0h24
  • Category Short (< 100 km)
  • Best season Summer
Themes
mystery treasure tv-show pirates Family bay unesco legend

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