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St. John's Attractions
6 Results
- Religious Site
Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
This impressive hillside cathedral was constructed in stages from 1843 to 1885, with additional rebuilding following the great fire of 1892. Designed in high Gothic Revival style by the noted English architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, the cathedral features wonderful stained glass… - Historic Site
Commissariat House
This stellar Georgian house, built in 1821, has served a number of purposes over the years. Originally constructed as offices and living quarters to serve Fort William and other military installations around the city, the building subsequently served as a rectory, nursing home, and… - Park/Garden
Memorial University Botanical Garden
An abundant selection of northern plants makes this garden well worth seeking out; it's tucked past a wooded ridge on the city's western fringe, at the back of lush Pippy Park. The plots are arranged in gracious themes: There's a cottage garden, a rock garden, and a peat garden, for… - Landmark
Signal Hill
Come for the history, stay for the views. Signal Hill National Historic Site is St. John's most visible and visit-worthy attraction. The rugged, barren hill is the city's preeminent landmark, rising above the entrance to the harbor and topped with a craggy "castle" complete with a… - Zoo/Aquarium
The Fluvarium
What's a fluvarium? Well, in the case of St. John's, it's sort of like an upside-down aquarium. This low, octagonal structure at the edge of Long Pond -- near Memorial University, a few miles west of the downtown -- opened in 1990 to explain local freshwater ecology to kids (and… The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery
The province's official art gallery has now moved downtown into The Rooms, the multifunction cultural facility that makes a very appropriate home for it. Permanent and rotating exhibits mostly showcase Newfoundland artists, but the occasional touring show highlights artists from…
St. John's Shopping
A number of downtown shops tout "traditional" souvenirs, though their offerings run the gamut from quality craftsmanship to tourist schlock; choose carefully. Duckworth Street is the main shopping area, and the street to walk up and down if you've only got time to shop a little.
For the real stuff, though, consult the online search engine of the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador at www.craftcouncil.nl.ca/studio. You can search by region; select "Downtown St. John's," and you get back a list of about a dozen potters, printmakers, fiber artists, and other artisans.
St. John's Nightlife
The nightlife in St. John's is extraordinarily vibrant, and you are doing yourself a serious injustice if you don't spend at least one evening on a pub crawl enjoying the local music, atmosphere, and drink.
Your first stop will probably be George Street, which runs for several blocks near New Gower and Water streets, close to City Hall. Every St. John's resident confidently asserts this street is home to more bars per square foot than anywhere else on the planet; being unable to track down a global authority that tracks and verifies these statistics, I couldn't confirm this mighty large boast. But it sure looks like it could hold the record.
The street is packed with pubs and lounges -- some fueled by beer, others by testosterone, still others (the best) by lively Celtic fiddling. The best strategy is to do a slow ramble down the strip beginning around 10pm or a little later, peeking inside those that seem to have appealing music wafting from within. Cover charges are universally cheap around St. John's, rarely topping C$5.
For blues and traditional music, try the lively Fat Cat Blues Bar, 5 George St. (tel. 709/739-5554), with acts scheduled almost every single night. It's open until 2am at a minimum, even on weeknights. A more upscale spot with slightly lower decibel levels is Christian's Bar, 23 George St. (tel. 709/753-9100), which also serves specialty coffees. Trapper John's, 2 George St. (tel. 709/579-9630), is known for its outstanding provincial folk music and pub beers; in addition, it tries harder (sometimes too hard) to affect a sort of Olde Newfoundland/modern-day pirate atmosphere.
Finally, The Ship Inn (tel. 709/753-3870) is tucked down an alley at 265 Duckworth St., a few blocks off George St. It's your best bet for true local character. In a public-house atmosphere filled with interesting locals, friendly bartenders dispense beer, wisdom, and local eating tips. It's a St. John's institution, featuring plenty of live local music.
Screecher Feature -- The city's traditional "screeching-in" ceremonies often surprise first-time tourists out for a drink in St. John's. It's a local ritual designed to do three things: Indoctrinate you into local life and graces; distract you from the challenge of downing the province's powerful local "screech" rum; and embarrass the heck out of you. (Locals tend to neglect to mention this part when inviting you into such a ceremony.) Bars up and down the George Street strip do the ceremony daily for blow-ins like you, more for their own amusement than your actual benefit. It basically involves goodly quantities of the cheap Newfoundland rum, plus the wearing of silly clothes, the eating of a local sardinelike fish, the kissing of a codfish, and a few other steps -- all done in a very public fashion. Think of it as a college hazing, plus tapas, minus the paddles. If you're a good sport, step right up. Avoid it if you're very shy in social situations (or allergic to fish).
