Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guide for St. John's in Newfoundland - Newfoundland Purple Travel Guide
We have some special destinations planned for Day 2 of your self-guided St. John's tour. We provide detailed information and a self-guided tour with the best things to see and we show lots of photos so you know what you can expect.
Today is your first full day in St. John’s. We will get started with a self-guided walking tour of downtown St. John’s and then see some landmarks to the east and conclude the day with a screech-in ceremony that will make you an honorary Newfoundlander.
Table of contents
Self-guided tour of downtown St. John’s
Like yesterday, park at or near the Colonial Building. There is only paid parking to visit the other attractions in downtown St. John’s, so if you don’t mind walking about 2 miles (3 km), then you can leave your car here.
Colonial Building
The Colonial Building, built from 1847 - 1850, was the home of the Newfoundland government from 1850 - 1959.
Built in neoclassical style, it was built from white limestone that was imported from Ireland.
The building is open 7 days a week from May 1 until November 20. Admission is charged and we recommend joining a guided tour. During the tour, you will learn that, in the past, the ruling party chose to sit on the left side of speaker in the House of Assembly, because the heaters were located there, and it was therefore the warmest part of the house in Newfoundland’s cold winters.
Even though the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly does not meet in this building anymore, this tradition is apparently still observed.
Government House
Built from 1827 – 1831, Government House is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Canada’s province Newfoundland and Labrador.
The building is constructed in Georgian style using red sandstone, which was quarried at Signal Hill in St. John’s, and trimmed with English Portland stone.
The upper floor is the residence of the lieutenant governor and it contains some offices – it is off-limits for visitors.
The ground floor is used for official government celebrations, like greeting visiting foreign dignitaries, and can be visited on guided tours when not in use.
Guided tours run throughout the day and are free - photography is allowed.
Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Built from 1839 – 1855, the Basilica of St. John the Baptist is the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland. It was the largest building project in Newfoundland’s history and, at that time, it was the largest church in North America. Today, it is the second largest church in Canada.
It was built with limestone and granite from Galway and Dublin (Ireland), bricks from Hamburg (Germany), local sandstone and Newfoundland bluestone which is responsible for the characteristic grey color.
The basilica is not oriented on an east-west or north-south axis, but its facade is oriented along the line between the rising sun during Winter Solstice, and the setting sun during Summer Solstice.
In 2022, the basilica was sold to the Basilica Heritage Foundation (non-profit consortium which protects historic properties) to raise money to compensate men who were sexually abused at the former Mount Cashel Orphanage. The sale does not change the status of the Basilica as the main Catholic church in St. John’s.
The East Tower contains one bell that was cast in Ireland. At the time, it was the largest bell ever cast in Ireland. The West Tower has eight smaller bells.
Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
The Anglican parish in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador was founded in 1699. The building that you see today is at least the 8th building on or near this site. The first six were wooden constructions and they were all destroyed by military conflicts. Construction of the first stone church on this site started in 1843, but the Great Fire of 1846 destroyed it.
The cathedral that you see today was built in multiple phases. The nave was built from 1847 – 1850 and it served as the cathedral for 35 years.
The choir and transept were built from 1880 – 1885.
During the Great Fire of 1892, the roof ignited and collapsed, causing severe damage, including destruction of all but two of the stained-glass windows.
Restoration started in 1893. By 1895, the chancel and transepts were rebuilt, and in 1905, the Nave was finished. The same year, the church was re-consecrated.
The original plans called for a spire, which has yet to be built. The parish is collecting money to finance the roughly $3 mio construction cost.
The cathedral was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1979 and lauded as a nationally significant example of Gothic Revival architecture.
Mile 0 - Trans Canada Highway
Even though the entire transcontinental federal–provincial highway system in Canada is officially called Trans-Canada Highway, what is typically called Trans-Canada Highway (abbreviated TCH) is the 4,645-mile (7476 km) route that consists of:
- Highway 1 from Victoria in British Columbia to Manitoba
- Highways 17 and 417 in Ontario
- Autoroutes 40, 20 and 85 in Quebec
- Highway 2 in New Brunswick
- Highways 104 and 105 in Nova Scotia
- Highway 1 through St. John’s in Newfoundland
Over much of its length, this highway is paralleled by other highways which are sometimes also considered TCH.
Like Route 66 in the US, the TCH has developed a sense of national pride and nostalgia and inspired tourism with sightseeing itineraries especially in its rural non-expressway sections.
Technically, the Trans-Canada Highway starts in Victoria, BC and there is a 0 km (mile 0) marker. Interestingly, St. John’s also has its 0 km (mile 0) marker which sits in front of the St. John’s City Hall.
St. John's Information Centre
Only a few feet away from the 0 Mile marker is the St. John's Information Centre.
If you have any questions or want to pick up some brochures or get some tips for your St. John’s visit, feel free to go there and talk to the nice staff.
You can also call them at: 1-844-570-2009 (Toll Free) or 709-576-8106 (regular)
Now get back to your car and drive to your next destination.
Cape Spear Lighthouse and Easternmost point of Canada
About 7.5 miles (12 km) east of downtown St. John’s lies Cape Spear. The easternmost point of North America lies at Cape Spear.
The first lighthouse that was built here in 1836, was the second lighthouse ever built in Newfoundland – the first was at Fort Amherst (likely built) in 1813, but it was replaced with a newer one. The Cape Spear Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland. It is now a museum and not used as a lighthouse anymore. A newer all-white (except for the red railing) lighthouse was built in 1955 about 565 ft (172 m) to the north-east. It is still operating.
During World War II, a gun battery with barracks were built here to defend the entrance to St. John's harbor. Parts of the barracks, underground passages and bunkers are empty, but accessible and even the gun barrels are still here.
Now get back to your car and drive to your next destination.
Fort Amherst Lighthouse
When you drive to Fort Amherst, please be advised that the road is closed to visitors with cars about 0.4 miles (600 m) before the lighthouse. There is a small parking lot and the walk to the lighthouse from there is easy and has beautiful views.
Fort Amherst was built here in the 1770s, but the original fortifications of are no longer visible. The fort was named after William Amherst, who successfully recaptured St. John's from the French in 1762.
The first lighthouse at the Fort Amherst site was built in 1813. The lighthouse you see today was built in 1951 and decommissioned in 1982. It is the 3rd lighthouse that stands here.
The Fort Amherst Lighthouse is located on the southern side of the Narrows, which is the entrance to St. John's harbor.
Fenced off and inaccessible are the remains of World War II defensive structures and two guns that were erected here to defend against German submarines.
Now walk back to your car and find a parking spot near George Street in downtown St. John’s for a special ceremony.
Christian’s Pub
The Christian’s Pub website says it all: Come from away, leave as an honorary Newfoundlander.
The screech-in ceremony is a popular tourist activity which is performed at Christian’s Pub and some other pubs in Newfoundland and even some tourist boats and it involves drinking some Screech Rum, tasting some flambé bologna, kissing a codfish and maybe best of all, listening to Skipper Lukey sharing his entertaining take on Newfoundland’s culture, history, language, and amazing ability to memorize names.
At the end of the ceremony, which takes anywhere from 30-45 min., you will be awarded a certificate.
If you are in doubt whether you should do it, the answer to your question is: Yes. Even Anthony Bourdain visited Christian’s Pub and became an Honorary Newfoundlander!
Please be advised that it is absolutely necessary to register for the ceremony in advance as they frequently sell out, even though there are multiple ceremonies per day.
After the ceremony, you can find a restaurant or pub of your liking on George Street or nearby Water Street.
This concludes your tour for today.
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