Sights in St John’S
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Newfoundland Science Centre
A rainy-day option for the kids is the Newfoundland Science Centre with dinosaurs, a planetarium and space exhibits (check out the astronaut toilet or calculate your age on Mars).
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Johnson Geo Centre
Nowhere in the world can geo-history, going back to the birth of the earth, be accessed so easily as in Newfoundland, and the Johnson Geo Centre does a grand job making snore-worthy geologic information perk up with appeal via its underground, interactive displays.
The center also offers an exhibit on the Titanic, and how human error and omission caused the tragedy, not just an iceberg. For instance, the ship's owners didn't supply her with enough lifeboats so as not to 'clutter the deck,' and the crew ignored myriad ice warnings. What any of this has to do with geology remains unclear, but who cares? It's fascinating.
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The Rooms
Not many museums offer the chance to see a giant squid, hear a 40-part choral installation and peruse historical photos all under one roof. But that's The Rooms , the newly opened provincial museum, art gallery and archives. Frankly, the building is much more impressive to look at than look in, since its frequently changing exhibits are sparse. But whoa!
The views from this massive stone-and-glass complex, which lords over the city from a breath-sapping hilltop, are eye poppers; try the fourth-floor café for the best vistas.
There's free admission Wednesday evenings and the first Saturday each month.
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Cathedral of St John the Baptist
Serving Canada's oldest parish (1699), the Cathedral of St John the Baptist is one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical Gothic architecture in North America. Originally built in the 1830s, all but its exterior walls were reduced to ashes by the Great Fire of 1892. It was rebuilt in 1905. A gargoyle dating from the 12th century - a gift from the Diocese of Bristol - stands guard over the south transept.
The Gothic ribbed ceiling, graceful stone arches and long, thin stained-glass windows are timeless marvels. Students offer tours, organists play concerts, and church ladies serve high tea in the crypt.
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Fluvarium
The Fluvarium, a glass-sided cross-section of a 'living' river, is located across the street from the CA Pippy Park's campground. Viewers can peer through large windows to observe the undisturbed goings-on beneath the surface of Nagle's Hill Brook. Numerous brown trout and the occasional eel can be seen. If there has been substantial rain or high winds, all visible life is lost in the murkiness. There's also a demonstration fish hatchery.
Opening times vary, but feeding time is scheduled at 16:00, and tours are offered hourly except at 16:00.
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Queen's Battery & Barracks
You can see cannons and remains of the late 18th-century British battery at Queen's Battery & Barracks up Signal Hill. The diminutive castle topping the hill is Cabot Tower. It was built in 1900 to honor both John Cabot's arrival in 1497 and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Here Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi gleefully received the first wireless transatlantic message from Cornwall, England, in 1901.
There are guides and displays in the tower; an amateur radio society operates a station here in summer.
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Basilica of St John the Baptist
Built in 1855, the soaring twin spires of the Basilica of St John the Baptist pierce the sky and are visible all the way from Signal Hill. Inside, 65 unique stained-glass windows illuminate the remarkable polychromatic Italianate ceiling and its gold-leaf highlights. Free half-hour tours are offered 10:00 to 17:00 Monday to Saturday in July and August, according to demand. Ask about the Basilica-Cathedral Museum, which holds a small collection of sacred vessels, paintings and books.
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Newman Wine Vaults
Dating from the 1780s, the dark, cool Newman Wine Vaults are where the Newman company aged its port until 1996 (when European Union regulations forced the process back to Portugal). Tour guides relay fun stories like how English noblemen, who wanted to be buried in their homeland, got shipped back after death in barrels of port, since the alcohol preserved their bodies. There are no tastings, but you can purchase bottles.
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Government House
Set amongst a stand of chestnut, maple and oak trees is the Palladian-style Government House. Built at the same time as the White House, but at four times the cost, the austere mansion (1831) with its prominent corner quoins and window surrounds is home to the province's lieutenant governor. The interior maintains original furnishings and is open for free tours (10:00 Wednesday and Thursday); you must book in advance.
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North Head Trail
An awesome way to return to downtown from Signal Hill is along the North Head Trail (1.7km) that connects Cabot Tower with the harborfront Battery neighborhood. The walk departs from the tower's parking lot and traces the cliffs, imparting tremendous sea views and sometimes whale spouts. Because much of the trail runs along the bluff's sheer edge, it isn't something to attempt in icy, foggy or dark conditions.
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Signal Hill
A trip up Signal Hill, the city's most famous landmark, is worth it for the glorious view alone, though there's much more to see. An interpretive center features interactive displays on the site's storied history. The last North American battle of the Seven Years' War took place here in 1762, and Britain's victory ended France's renewed aspirations for control of eastern North America.
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Botanical Garden
Memorial University's botanical garden is at Oxen Pond, at CA Pippy Park's western edge off Mt Scio Rd. There's a cultivated garden and a nature reserve. Together, these and the park's Long Pond marsh provide visitors with an excellent introduction to the province's flora, habitats (including boreal forest and bogs) and animals (look for birds at Long Pond and the occasional moose).
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Fort Amherst
Across the Narrows from Signal Hill, and dwarfed by its massive cliffs, are the remains of centuries-old Fort Amherst. You can almost touch the icebergs and whales from here, and the views along the rugged coast are incredible. You'll discover remnants of WWII gun batteries and a lighthouse (1810), the first in Newfoundland.
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Quidi Vidi Brewing
Quidi Vidi Brewing is a microbrewery located in an old fish-processing plant on the tiny wharf. It's a swell place to slake one's thirst. By car, take Forest Rd from the city and follow it past the lake until it turns into Quidi Vidi Village Rd. Locals prefer you to park on the outskirts of town and walk in.
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Quidi Vidi Battery
Built in 1762 and still symbolically guarding the bay from up the hill is Quidi Vidi Battery . Built by the French after they took St John's, the battery was quickly claimed by the British and remained in military service into the 1800s. Period-garbed interpreters dole out historical information.
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CA Pippy Park
The feature-filled, 1343-hectare CA Pippy Park coats downtown's northwestern edge. Recreational facilities include walking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds and a campground. Memorial University, the province's only university, is here too.
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Royal St John's Regatta Museum
Inland from the village, Quidi Vidi Lake is the site of the city-stopping St John's Regatta. The Royal St John's Regatta Museum is on the second floor of the boathouse. Opening hours vary. A popular walking trail leads around the lake.
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Commissariat House
Near Gower St, the 1820s late-Georgian mansion, Commissariat House, was used by the supplies officer of the British military. The house has been restored to 1830s style and contains many period pieces.
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