St. John’s Things To Do – Attractions & Must See

Things To Do in St. John

Signal Hill

Signal Hill is a national historical site of Canada that overlooks St. John’s harbour. During the summer, you can visit the Visitors Intepretive Centre. Other highlights include the remains of late 18th century cannons of the British at the Queen’s Battery & Barracks. There is also a beautiful castle on top of the hill called Cabot Tower, built in honor of the arrival of John Cabot in 1497 and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Of course, there are fantastic views of St. John and the surrounding area, but the wind is very strong and fog is a constant problem. There is a road leading up from St. John’s which you can walk, or you can take a taxi.

Downtown

The main streets in St. John are Duckworth Street, Water Street and Grower Street. These streets are easy to navigate and there are lots of shops, restaurants etc. If you want to buy souvenirs, there are several shops at Duckworth Street which sell interesting souvenirs of Newfoundland. The city’s tourist office is located at Water Street.

Sandwiched in betwen Water Street and Duckworth is George Street. Another great place to stroll. This street has the highest concentration of pubs and bars and places to eat. Not much else to buy on George Street other than food and drink.

The Harbor

St. John’s harbor was visited by Corte-Real in 1500. In 1528, King Henry VIII allowed English fishermen to erect and maintain fishing stations at St. John. By the 1610’s, St. John was a well established village that served the seasonal fishing fleets. St. John’s village had a permanent population of about one dozen people.

The Narrows is a small entrance to St. John’s harbor from the Atlantic Ocean. It can be seen from St. John’s harbor and on top of Signal Hill. There is a lighthouse at the Narrows to guide ships into St John’s harbor. Remember to visit Fort Amherst, which is located here as well.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about things to do in St. John.