St. John’s

With a history spanning around five centuries, St. John’s offers tourists many historic places to visit. The Cabot Tower at the Signal Hill National Historic Site was where Guiglielmo Marconi received a wireless message in 1901. The Cape Spear National Historic Site is popular with visitors that go there to spot whales in the ocean. St. John’s is also home to eight museums, which include the James J. O’Mara Pharmacy Museum, Railway Coastal Museum and The Rooms Provincial Museum. The Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden and its five nature trails is a popular tourist destination.

Top 10 popular St. John’s attractions

Cape Spear National Historic Site
Cape Spear National Historic site is the oldest lighthouse in Newfoundland and the most easterly point in North America. A visitor’s centre greets you when you arrive and describes how the original lighthouse and house have been restored to 1939 appearance. Arrive early and you can walk the trails and have a chance to see whales, seabirds and icebergs, as well as the rising sun at the first point in North America.

Johnson Geo Centre
The life story of our planet is presented through the geology of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of the museum is located underground in an excavated glacial formation so you can see and touch the rock. One exhibit is dedicated to oil and gas industry and will take you to a drilling platform. Another is dedicated to the Titanic, the great ocean steamer that sunk just 560 km off Newfoundland.

Quidi Vidi Battery Historical Site
The Quidi Vidi (often pronounced Kiddy Viddy) Battery was erected by the French in 1762, and then rebuilt by the British. It is designated as an historical site and people in period dress answer questions and demonstrate what life was like in 1812. The Royal St. John’s Regatta, the oldest continuous sporting event in North America, is held here on the first Wednesday in August .

Signal Hill
Signal Hill received the designation as a National Historical Site location where Marconi received the first wireless message in 1901 from Cornwall, UK. Prior to that, it was the location of the final battle of the Seven Years’ War and a defensive post during the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War. Cabot Tower was built in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and now houses the Marconi exhibit. Trails along the water allow for whale-watching and iceberg-watching, best done during summer months due to cold winter winds.

Gros Morne National Park
Gros Morne National Park was named a UNESCO Work Heritage site for rare geology and stunning views. RV and tent camping is available in one of five campgrounds or travellers can rough it in the backwoods. An extensive hiking trail network allows you to see the collisions of tectonic plates and one of the world’s best examples of Earth’s exposed interior. Boat tours, theatre, music, beaches and skiing are all part of the joy of exploring Gros Morne.

The Rooms
In 2004, the Newfoundland Musuem, the Provincial Archives and the Art Gallery moved into shared space. The Museum’s collection includes items recovered from the Titanic, prehistoric aboriginal artifacts and rare 17th century maps. The Archives are a great spot to check if you are working on a family tree and the move to the new location allows the Art Gallery to display traveling exhibits so be sure to check their schedule before you go.

The Fluvarium
The Fluvarium is a pubic centre for environmental education. Through a pane of glass visitors can view marine life, including brown trout and salmon in their natural habitat. The centre houses many aquariums to give visitors a view of other native Newfoundland fish and amphibians.

St. John’s Harbour
Located near downtown, there are many restaurants and gift shops here. You can watch international ships come in to dock and many whale-watching and iceberg-watching tours leave from the harbour. May and June are the best time to see whales and icebergs. A statue marks the spot where Canadian resident Terry Fox started his famous run across Canada, with a prosthetic limb, in an effort to find a cure for cancer.

Newman Wine Vaults
The vaults were discovered in 1679, when a Newman’s ship due for London was blown off course and had to winter in St. John’s Harbour. The wine was held in caves and when it was opened that Spring the taste had improved. The practice of sending wine to Newfoundland to mature was continued until at least 1893. It is open to the public from June to August and interpretive tours are available. Off season, the vaults are open for special events and performances.

George Street
The nights come alive in St. John’s with a visit on George Street, crammed full of pubs, bars, and restaurants. The two blocks that make up George Street are only open to vehicular traffic in the morning and it becomes a pedestrian walkway at noon until the wee hours of the morning. Every type of music is represented, from jazz and traditional to hip-hop and alt-country. Regular events are going on so be sure to check the schedule and come prepared to have a good time.

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