We recently had friends visiting from Honduras and decided to immerse them into some local history…read moreby booking a 'Travel Through Twine' walking tour of the Battery in St. John's with Randy Pearcey. I have to say that it is one of the best ways to spend a few hours, especially if you have friends or family visiting from away. Randy is a retired teacher and is a wealth of knowledge of the area with an ability to educate his guests in a very passionate and informative way. Tony Pearcey had the wood stove nicely burning by the time we returned to Pearcey's Twine Store after our walking tour, which was so welcoming. We were able to relax, tell a few stories and enjoy the view of the harbour. This tour is highly recommended. It's a very good experience and will leave you with many good memories. I highly recommend it. Janet Lenover Bay Roberts, NL

From the owner: The guided tour will take you on the breathtaking North Head Trail; watch the waves of the North…read moreAtlantic Ocean roll as Randy gives an authentic account of the area as only he can. Randy was born in St. John’s and raised in the Outer Battery by a family of fishermen – his knowledge of Signal Hill and its history, coupled with his outgoing personality, creates memories that will last a lifetime. No Signal Hill tour would be complete without a visit to the Pearcey Family Twine Store and Stage. Erected in 1890 by Randy’s great grandfather, experience an on-the-water museum while learning about the cultural significance of the cod fishery to Newfoundland and Labrador, the international influence on St. John’s Harbour, and so much more! Want to journey back in time on your next vacation or staycation? Drop us a line — you will not be disappointed!

Went here while we were on our vacation. Beautiful place. We went exactly during the firing time,…read morewhich was nice. There is a noon day cannon firing, so just look for the timings online. You can even fire the gun by paying some money and registering online beforehand. They will provide you with a uniform and badge before doing this activity. Signal Hill historic site has amazing ocean and St. John's views from the top. If you are lucky, you can see whales too. There is a popular hike too if you have time. It does have a gift shop and museum inside the building. Parking on the top is limited. If you are not lucky, there is overflow parking below too; you just have to walk a little to the top, that's all. Definitely recommend this place to get the beautiful views!

Standing atop Signal Hill is a magical experience where history meets raw natural beauty. Looking…read moredown at the Narrows and the vast ocean from 167 meters up is absolutely breathtaking. Best of all, it's just a quick 2.5 km trip from the heart of downtown. This site holds immense global significance; it is the exact spot where Guglielmo Marconi received the first-ever transatlantic wireless signal in 1901, changing global communication forever. Another major highlight is the Noon Day Gun ceremony at 12 PM sharp. Hearing the cannon boom and learning how it served as a crucial time signal for mid-19th-century ships navigating across time zones is fascinating. Entry was free in Summer 2026 thanks to Canada Strong pass. Parking is always free. The top lot fills up fast, so get there early. In case it is already full, you may need to park below the hill in the overflow parking and walk 20 minutes to the summit. There are no toilets at the summit tower, but the small gift shop and the historical museum make it well worth a couple of hours of exploration!

August 2024 - Fantastic Roman Catholic Church that is a million steps uphill from the dock. A taxi…read moreis recommended. The history of the building is very interesting. The tour guides at the church are great. Visit it, it's a high point of St. John's.

One of the most beautiful cathedrals we have seen. It was built around 1855 and the towers reach…read moreupwards toward the sky so that it stands out all over the city. Inside the main altar is beautiful and there are statues all around. The stained glass windows are gorgeous. There are other buildings that surround the church as there have a lot of ground space. There is a pillared entrance as you come up the street that makes a great frame for a picture.

Essential service when traveling in St. John's for a short trip and with a small group. For just…read more$55 (adult) for two days, you get driven from Downtown to all the key tourist destinations like Signal Hill, the Geo Centre, Quidi Vidi, The Rooms, and Cape Spear Lighthouse. You can hop on and hop off at any point. They make a stop at each of these locations each hour until around 3 pm each day (check their schedule on their site or grab a pamphlet at their booth). You'll find their first pickup stop right in front of the Alt Hotel and that's where you can also buy a ticket. We stumbled across them while walking by, initially considering Ubering to our destinations, but after comparing the prices, this seemed worthwhile. For reference, an Uber ride to Cape Spear from Downtown is $40 one way, so it seems like a no-brainer to use this service for a couple or small group, especially if you're not using a rental car. The driver also acts as a tour guide while driving across town, providing a bit of history. Coincidentally, Bobby was our driver both days; each time we hopped on, it was him, and he was friendly and added to the enjoyment of our ride to the destination.

They cut our tour short even though we paid for a full tour. We didn't get to see much of the city…read more It was a waste of money.

Usually, smaller cities have smaller museums. St John's is the exception. The Rooms is a very large…read moremuseum with more than four floors of space. My friend and I visited on a rainy day when they stayed open until 9 p.m. Here's our experience. 1) Admission: Adult regular tickets cost a little over 10 Canadian dollars with parking five per vehicle. (Pay at the kiosk in the museum lobby on your way out.) It's worth the price. 2) Experience: We started at the top floor with their art gallery and exhibits about the history of Newfoundland. In the museum section is a staircase that takes you to more items. On the top floor are a few items from the Titanic. (It's here where the first distress signals were picked up, and they helped with the relief efforts.) The bottom floors have more art and exhibits about Newfoundland's history to present. 3) Space: The architecture and views are both standout features. The space has plenty of restrooms, a cost check, and gift shop.

Beautiful view of St. John's and Signal Hill. Amazing cafe…read morethat also includes the amazing view. Very interesting exhibits. The room with the animals was our favourite. Personally didn't care much for the art exhibit though, and also loses half a point for having the thinnest ply toilet paper ever in their bathroom.

This is the first stop (optionally) on the trek up to the top of Signal Hill. Plenty of parking and…read moresome amenities inside like a cafe/chocolate store, restrooms, and exhibit. The views here are gorgeous and there are plenty of trails to wander as you take in the natural beauty and bird's eye views of St. John's.

Since my last visit to Signal Hill two years ago, the clean drive up the hill has been replaced…read morewith a weird roundabout dealie that forces cars and pedestrians alike over to the Signal Hill Visitor's Centre. It's a small, uninspiring building from the outside that holds a museum with a military-communications slant and a very wee café slinging the necessities: hydration for the hikers, light lunches for those waiting for the hikers. A bottle of water and a Gatorade was $5 flat. From what I could see inside, the exhibits themselves looked pretty bare bones but I did hear the staff person mentioning a twenty minute film that loops pretty frequently. Not exactly sure what it's about but I'd say any movie is a tough sell when you could just pop up to the top of Signal Hill and soak in the view.

A very informative museum with lots of samples and a fairly large gift shop. We didn't take the…read moretime to read everything, so we were probably only in there about 45 minutes. Cheap entrance fee & plenty of parking.

I actually thought this museum was great. I found the displays interesting. There were fossil…read moredisplays, replicas of human skulls from Neanderthals comparing to modern day humans & short movies about how the earth was formed etc. I didn't pay much attention to the oil related displays so maybe that's why I enjoyed it. Nice to see actor Gordon Pinset doing one of the informative movies.

A magical place where the North American continent ends on the east side! The sheer vastness of the…read moreblue Atlantic is mesmerizing, and looking out from the cliffs knowing Europe is the next landmass is unforgettable. The highlight of our visit was watching a family of three whales (two adults and a little calf) swimming through the waves below us! It's an easy 15km drive from St. John's. Free parking and great walking paths make it a breeze to explore. Just be prepared for the elements. It is exceptionally windy and raw out on the headland, so dress in layers! Carry your hats and sunscreen! You will need them!

To visit the easternmost part of Canada and North America, visit here. There are a spacious parking…read morelot and paths that lead you to the landmark. There are paths leading to two different lighthouses, one which you can tour inside for free. There's also a little local art gallery on the site. Spend time exploring the old fort and going through its tunnels.

We came here for my wife's birthday (at the time, fiancé), and it turned out to be an absolute…read moreblast -- easily one of the highlights of our trip! The crew was amazing and so memorable, making the whole experience even better. The views along the coastline and out on the water were stunning, and we even made it all the way down to the beautiful Cape Spear. To top it off, we were lucky enough to spot a couple of whales, puffins and eagles during the trip -- truly unforgettable. If you're in St. John's, this is an absolute must-do experience. Highly recommend!

We were not disappointed!! Today we saw lots of puffins, a bald eagle, several northern Gannett…read more(looks like an albatross!) but the best part was seeing 2 humpback whales who came up to the boat. They even rubbed their backs under the boat and nudged us some. Several times they poked their noses out of the water, flapped a fin like a wave, and brought their tails out of the water, we got sprayed by there blowhole. And they stayed around the boat. Outstanding. The crew was serious about safety and even provided a squirt of sunscreen. The history, humor, and Screech-in ceremony were certainly memorable. Definitely recommend this group!