List of museums in Newfoundland and Labrador facts for kids

Welcome to a super cool guide to museums in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada! Museums are like treasure chests filled with amazing objects that tell stories about the past, art, science, and history. They collect and take care of these special items, then show them to you so you can learn and explore.

This list will help you discover some of the fantastic museums you can visit in this beautiful province. Get ready to explore everything from ancient history to incredible inventions!

Exploring History Museums

Many museums in Newfoundland and Labrador focus on history, helping us understand what life was like long ago.

Local History and Community Life

• The Admiralty House Museum in Mount Pearl shares stories about local history, early wireless communication, and famous inventor Guglielmo Marconi. You can also learn about shipwrecks like the S.S. Florizel.
• The Bonavista North Museum & Gallery in Wesleyville offers a mix of local history and modern art.
• The Bleak House Museum in Fogo also dives into the local history of its community.
• In Burin, the Burin Heritage Museums let you step back in time. They include a 1910 bank, a 1920 house with old furniture, and an exhibit about the Burin Cottage Hospital.
• The Carbonear Railway Station Museum in Carbonear tells the story of the town's past.
• The Conception Bay Museum in Harbour Grace has exciting tales of local history, pirates, and even early aviation!
• The Cupids Museum in Cupids explores the history and culture of this historic settlement.
• The Dr. Henry N Payne Community Museum in Cow Head shares local history and culture from the Great Northern Peninsula.
• The Durrell Museum in Durrell focuses on its community's past.
• The Flambro Head Museum and Café in Job's Cove also highlights local history.
• The Glovertown Museum in Glovertown is another great spot for local history.
• The Lamaline Heritage Museum in Lamaline tells local stories, including the impact of the 1929 tidal wave disaster.
• The Lawn Heritage Museum in Lawn focuses on its community's history.
• The Pouch Cove Museum in Pouch Cove explores local history and technology.
• The Red Bay Community Museum in Red Bay shares the history of this important whaling site.
• The Road to Yesterday Museum in Bay Roberts shows what a store and businesses looked like around 1900, along with local history.
• The Rorke Store in Carbonear teaches about the history of a local store, its people, and the fishing industry.
• The Torbay Museum in Torbay is dedicated to local history.
• The Trinity Interpretation Centre and Trinity Museum in Trinity both offer insights into the rich history of this famous town.
• The Twillingate Museum in Twillingate explores local history and culture.
• The Whitbourne Heritage Museum in Whitbourne covers local history.
• The Willow Tree Museum in Hant's Harbour also focuses on local history.
• The Wireless Relay and Interpretation Centre in Fogo tells the story of the old Fogo wireless station and local history.

Historic Homes and Buildings

• The Beckett Heritage House in Old Perlican is a historic home that shows what a fishing family's house was like from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s.
• The Blackhead One Room School and Church Museum in St. John's is a unique 1879 chapel that started as a one-room school. You can visit by appointment.
• Commissariat House in St. John's is an 1830s house built to supply the city's soldiers.
• Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site in Brigus was the 19th-century home of Arctic explorer Bob Bartlett. It has exhibits about his exciting life and travels.
• Hiscock House in Trinity is a house from 1910, showing how people lived back then.
• Lester-Garland House in Trinity is a rebuilt brick house from 1819-1820, offering a glimpse into that time period.

First Nations and Indigenous Cultures

• The Boyd's Cove Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd's Cove displays ancient artifacts and exhibits about the Beothuk people, who were early inhabitants of Newfoundland.
• The Demasduit Regional Museum in Grand Falls-Windsor (formerly the Mary March Provincial Museum) explores the local history, artifacts, and culture of the Beothuk and other early settlers. It's part of The Rooms.
• The Labrador Interpretation Centre in North West River tells the stories of Labrador's founding peoples, including the Innu, Inuit, Metis, and other settlers. It's also a branch of The Rooms.
• The Hopedale Mission National Historic Site in Hopedale has artifacts from the 19th century, showing the history of the Moravian missionaries and the Inuit people.

Maritime and Fishing Heritage

Newfoundland and Labrador has a deep connection to the ocean. Many museums celebrate its maritime history.

• The Cape Bonavista Lighthouse in Bonavista teaches about lighthouse technology and the lives of lightkeepers.
• The Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site at Cape Spear features a lighthouse and a keeper's home from 1939.
• The Fishermen's Museum in Port de Grave shows what life was like for Newfoundland's inshore fishermen. It includes a typical fisherman's home and a one-room school.
• The Musgrave Harbour Fisherman's Museum in Musgrave Harbour displays tools and items from the fishing industry.
• The Point Amour Lighthouse in L'Anse Amour is a mid-19th-century lighthouse with exhibits on Labrador's maritime history.
• The Provincial Seamen's Museum in Grand Bank explores the fishing industry and life along the coast. It's a branch of The Rooms.
• The Ryan Premises National Historic Site in Bonavista is a restored merchant's property. It has exhibits about different types of fishing (inshore, Labrador, international, and seal fisheries), traditional furniture, and local history.
• The Winterton Boat Building Museum in Winterton celebrates the craft of building wooden boats.
• The Ye Matthew Legacy in Bonavista features a replica of John Cabot's 15th-century ship, the Matthew, and tells the story of his voyage to Newfoundland.

Science and Nature Museums

These museums help you understand the natural world around us.

• Abbott's Wildlife Museum in Bonavista is a natural history museum.
• The Fluvarium in St. John's is all about freshwater ecosystems, showing you what lives in rivers and ponds.
• The Johnson Geo Centre in St. John's explores the geology of Earth and the province, covering topics like volcanoes, earthquakes, and climate change.
• The Newfoundland Insectarium in Reidville has displays of both mounted and live insects – perfect for bug enthusiasts!

Art Galleries

If you love art, these places are for you!

• The Beaches Heritage Centre in Eastport is an arts center with an art gallery and theater.
• The Christopher Pratt Art Gallery in Bay Roberts is located in the old Western Union Cable Station. It features works by artist Christopher Pratt and other changing exhibits.
• The Grenfell Campus Art Gallery in Corner Brook is part of Grenfell Campus, Memorial University and showcases various art pieces.
• The Rooms in St. John's includes a fantastic art gallery.

Open-Air and Living History Sites

These museums let you experience history outdoors or through reenactments.

• The Barbour Heritage Village in Newtown is an open-air museum with a schoolhouse, a sealing interpretation center, a fisherman's stage, a theater, and an art gallery.
• The Battle Harbour Heritage Properties in Battle Harbour is a restored salt fish premises and community, showing what life was like in a historic fishing village.
• L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site in L'Anse aux Meadows has reconstructions of three Norse buildings and archaeological remains, showing where Vikings once lived!
• Norstead: A Viking Village and Port of Trade also in L'Anse aux Meadows, is a recreated Viking-era village where you can experience life as it was over 1000 years ago.
• Mockbeggar Plantation in Bonavista is a 1939 period fishing plantation house, complete with a fish store, carpentry shop, and even a cod liver oil factory.

Specialized Museums

These museums focus on specific topics, from mining to military history.

Mining and Industry

• The Bell Island Mine Museum on Bell Island has artifacts and equipment from an iron ore mine, and you can even take a tour!
• The Logger's Life Provincial Museum in Grand Falls-Windsor is a recreated 1920s logging camp, showing what life was like for loggers. It's a branch of The Rooms.

Aviation and Military

• The Labrador Military Museum in Happy Valley-Goose Bay has items from Canadian, American, Dutch, German, and British Air Forces.
• The North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander showcases historic aircraft and the history of aviation in the province.
• The Quidi Vidi Battery in St. John's was an artillery battery during the War of 1812.
• The Royal Canadian Legion Military Museum in Grand Falls-Windsor is operated by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 12.
• The Royal Newfoundland Regiment Museum in Pleasantville tells the history of the brave Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
• Signal Hill National Historic Site in St. John's has exhibits about the historic fort and a Marconi wireless station, where the first transatlantic wireless signal was received.

Technology and Communication

• The Heart's Content Cable Station in Heart's Content is where Cyrus West Field's first Transatlantic telegraph cable landed, connecting North America and Europe!
• The Newfoundland Power Electrical Museum in Victoria is a former hydro power station and a replica sawmill, showing how electricity was generated.

Other Unique Museums

• The Banting Interpretation Center in Musgrave Harbour tells the story of Sir Frederick Banting, who helped discover insulin and tragically died in a local plane crash in 1941.
• The Green Family Forge in Trinity is a historic working blacksmith shop.
• The James J. O'Mara Pharmacy Museum in St. John's is an 1895 drug store with old equipment, run by the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board. You can visit their website for more information.
• The Lifestyles Museum and Cooperage in Victoria displays tools and equipment used by blacksmiths and coopers (barrel makers).
• The Railway Coastal Museum in St. John's focuses on the history of railways and coastal transportation.
• The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Police Museum in St. John's shares the history of the police force. You can visit by appointment.

Regional Highlights

Labrador's Treasures

• Gateway Labrador in Labrador City covers the history of Labrador, including its Indigenous people, fur traders, mining, railroads, and hydropower.
• The Labrador Heritage Museum in North West River focuses on local history.
• The Labrador Straits Museum in L'Anse-au-Loup highlights local history, especially the role of women in communities.
• The Loder's Point Premises in St. Lewis explores local history and the fishing industry.
• The Net Loft Museum in Rigolet showcases local history and fishing tools.
• The White Elephant Museum in Makkovik also shares local history.

Avalon Peninsula Adventures

The Avalon Peninsula is home to many museums, including:

• The Colony of Avalon Interpretation Centre in Ferryland explores the history and artifacts from the Province of Avalon, with a reproduction 17th-century room and an active archaeology dig site.
• Castle Hill National Historic Site in Placentia features fort ruins and exhibits about the fort and the fishing village.