This is a very nice gallery just across the street from the Doubletree. It features various…read morepaintings from local artists and a nice selection of indigenous soapstone sculptures. I thought that the pricing was fair and transparent, even down to whether tax was included or not. I left the shop with a nice set of watercolor cards and a book featuring gorgeous Newfoundland scenery. Like the previous reviewer, I was impressed with the engaging artist/owner (?) who explained the various works of art in an welcoming and friendly manner. I also learned a lot about Newfoundland itself and how to better approach Gayle and my visit. In the end, she was right. Our memories of Newfoundland were the landscape, the people, and the charming towns - as opposed to specific attractions.

This local gallery (on Duckworth Street closer to the Courtyard by Marriott and Sheraton) features…read more15-20 local artists. They have the requisite St. John's street scene paintings, along with a nice variety of still-life painting, soapstone sculpture, bronzes, etc. I was impressed with the art and even more impressed with the engaging and helpful artist who was on hand to answer questions. She told me about the gallery and also made suggestions of other galleries to see in town.

Visited this week, inspired by photos we'd seen of Ned Pratt's beautiful work. What a lovely…read moregallery, gorgeously curated, with excellent, helpful staff. Easily, the best in St. John's with a stunning collection of diverse items - and far beyond the oversold tropes of jelly bean houses (which few Newfoundlanders have ever owned or lived in), whales, and puffins. Oils, works on paper, sketches, large-scale photography, sculpture. Something for everyone, ranging from around $1,000 up to $15,000, which I think was the priciest one we saw. Don't miss this, and stay tuned to their website.

A true art gallery, not one that caters to those looking for Newfoundland mementos. New space is…read morelarge and tasteful. It's exterior is all industrial brick, so it's easy to miss. From the outside, you'd never guess it's a gallery. At far end of Water Street.

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.

Beautiful botanical garden and forest area. Lots a trails to walk. A lot geared towards kids but…read morethat's ok. We had a nice almost 2 mile walk and came inside to use the WC and call a cab. The business card for the cab neglected to put the area code on the card? The wonderful ladies at the botanical garden helped us out. Gave me the area code and called a taxi for us. Also gave us suggestions on a cemetery to visit. I get lots of different reactions when I ask about cemeteries and they weren't phased they were kinda exited. Great place and wonder friendly staff.

Beautiful gardens and large areas of wilderness to explore on trails rated between easy and…read moremoderate. Your self guided tour begins and ends at the main building adjacent to the parking lot. This houses their administration offices, gift shop, washrooms, displays introducing the park, as well as the space where they hold have information seminars and host children's groups. Obey all posted signs! Remember, this is a botanical garden and collection of any kind is not allowed (even for identification purposes). Perfect opportunity to polish up on your photography skills! ( http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/9GkkXRO6QvRiq3XD9MpRvg?select=5AjoCxJehgnMuqvSTwbKTg ) You won't believe the wonderful diversity of plant life here; the effort that has gone into identifying, developing and maintaining the various areas is phenomenal. Garden is open during all kinds of weather. It is even beautiful in the rain and the fog. ( http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/9GkkXRO6QvRiq3XD9MpRvg?select=tqO3TxZuNTSfcHOVpkdaBg ) Great place to visit and explore with kids of all ages.

We went to Manuels River as a last-minute activity before boarding a plane back to Toronto. We…read morethought it would help tire the kids out. But as we rushed off to the airport 3 hours later, we were wishing we had more time to spend at this beautiful place, and talking about all the things we'd like to do there the next time we visit. We started our morning with a tour of the truly excellent Interpretation Centre, which is the perfect size to get a great overview without being overwhelmed. The information is presented in a very accessible way, and there are plenty of things to touch and buttons to push to keep children engaged. We were also provided with some additional information by a Manuels River facilitator, Madison, who was very knowledgeable and great with our kids. She also provided us with a map and directions to set us up for our hike. The trails are well marked and well groomed and perfect for families - we even brought our stroller along. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. But the highlight for me was searching for trilobite fossils in the shale beds - and actually finding (a small) one! Very unique experience, and my dinosaur-obsessed kids loved every moment.

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.

When Gayle and I are travelling in a "foreign land", I try to find the regional crafts co-op…read more These shops offer a nice variety of high quality items from local artists, and at a fair price. In St. John's (in their current location on Water Street), I found the Newfoundland Crafts Council store and had the pleasure of visiting it a couple times during our stay here. The selection did not disappoint, as I came away with a nice forged letter opener from the Green Family Forge (Trinity) and a nice St. John's house magnet from Northeastern Folk Art. I could have easily done more "damage", but it was early in our trip and I needed to pace myself.

Love this place. It is more than just a craft shop, or gift store. It's a house filled to the…read morebrim with art. A heritage home. Judge your time well and give yourself opportunity to check out all that there is on the various floors. It is very easy to get stuck in an area of the house which contains all manner of wonderous things - and then you lose all sense of time and before you know it you've spent an hour looking at the rug hooking kits and have less time elsewhere. True story! Happened to a, uhm, friend of mine.... Perfect place to get a gift for someone away. Or for someone local. Or for yourself. Follow them on Facebook. They have a wonderful page which introduces you to not only the art, but the staff and artisans who create this amazing space. http://www.facebook.com/craft.council.5?sk=wall

This is a nice sized souvenir shop in the heart of downtown. They have a good selection of tshirts,…read moresweaters, & all the standard souvenir stuff. Prices were the same as all the other souvenir stores. They were friendly at this store. I ended up buying some tshirts for people back home.

My favourite little touristy shop in Downtown St. John's. The staff are friendly, very welcoming…read moreof kids, and they never hassle you to hurry up and buy something. They have everything from all sorts of trinkets to clothing plus the usual postcards/magnets/lapel pins!