Not many museums offer the chance to see a giant squid, hear avant-garde sound sculptures and peruse ancient weaponry all under one roof. But that's The Rooms, the province's all-in-one historical museum, art gallery and archives. The building itself, a massive stone-and-glass complex, is impressive to look at, with views that lord it over the city. Has an on-site cafe and excellent restaurant.
The Rooms
Top choice in St John's
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Signal Hill National Historic Site
1.44 MILES
The city's most famous landmark is worth it for the glorious view alone, though there's much more to see. The tiny castle atop the hill is Cabot Tower,…
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5.2 MILES
Constructed in 1835, the oldest surviving lighthouse in the province sits on the dramatic headlands of the continent's most easterly point. The wind here…
Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
21.2 MILES
Consisting of four islands in Witless Bay, this reserve is North America's largest Atlantic puffin colony, with more than 260,000 pairs nesting here…
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1.73 MILES
Over Signal Hill, away from town, is the tiny picturesque village of Quidi Vidi. Check out the 18th-century battery and the lakeside regatta museum, but…
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2.36 MILES
The feature-filled 13-sq-km CA Pippy Park coats downtown's northwestern edge. Recreational facilities include walking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, a…
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29.12 MILES
Diverse birdlife, along with beaver, moose and snowshoe hare, can be seen in this lush park only 53km south of St John's. A highlight is the 1.25km trail…
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23.19 MILES
Back in its heyday as a busy port, Capt Abram Bartlett needed a new deepwater berth. Brigus was ideal, but the surrounding cliffs made docking tricky. His…
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26.37 MILES
This is the airstrip Amelia Earhart launched from in 1932 when she became the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo. In fact, it may have been the first…
Nearby St John's attractions
1. Basilica of St John the Baptist
0.11 MILES
Built in 1855, the soaring twin spires of the basilica pierce the sky and are visible all the way from Signal Hill. Its design marks the revival of…
2. Anglican Cathedral of St John the Baptist
0.16 MILES
Serving Canada's oldest parish (1699), this Anglican cathedral is one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Gothic architecture in North America…
0.39 MILES
The largest municipal park in St John's has a very British feel, with its manicured lawns, shady trees, surrounding brick buildings and general green good…
0.39 MILES
With iconic statues of a Newfoundland dog and a Labrador Retriever, this park hosts the City of St John’s free Music at Harbourside lunchtime concert…
0.59 MILES
Dating from the 1780s, these dark, cool wine vaults are where the Newman company aged its port until 1996 (when EU regulations forced the process back to…
1.12 MILES
Nowhere in the world can geo-history, going back to the birth of the earth, be accessed so easily as in Newfoundland. The Geo Centre does a grand job of…
7. Royal St John's Regatta Museum
1.14 MILES
Quidi Vidi Lake is the site of the city-stopping St John's Regatta. The Royal St John's Regatta Museum is on the 2nd floor of the boathouse, and gives an…
1.14 MILES
Features interactive displays on the site's history. The last North American battle of the Seven Years' War took place here in 1762, and Britain's victory…