The Rooms
Observation Decks & TowersArt MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Rooms is a place for all of us: for those who live here and those who want to experience it fully. Part sanctuary, part showcase, part classroom and part playground, it’s both a destination and a journey. This is a gathering place, a creative space and a cultural centre as distinct and unique as Newfoundland and Labrador. It is our place to come together, to create meaningful and memorable experiences. It is our place to share the best of who we are.
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  • J&S
    642 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth 2-3 hours of your time!
    The museum is well laid out. They recommend you start on floor 4 and work your way down. Floor 2 is dedicated to WW1 and the experiences of the Newfoundlanders. I would personally start here. This was the most interesting and poignant part of the museum. We spent 2 1/2 hours and would have liked an hour more but they were closing
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 June 2023
  • Sonia F
    Milford, New Jersey274 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of a kind museum
    The Rooms offers history and art with great sensitivity. I've been to world-class museums around the world but The Rooms stands out. They present their collections, focused on the history and people of Newfoundland, in evocative and thought-provoking ways. The structure itself has fascinating architecture and a beautiful view of the harbor. Be prepared to spend a few hours.
    Visited June 2023
    Written 22 June 2023
  • 387archie
    Saskatoon, Canada9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Rooms
    Front desk staff were very friendly and helpful. Admission fees are reasonable. Wide variety of displays and art on display. Enjoyed the musical presentation. Didn’t eat in their cafe, but it was full and had a lineup to get in. Great views from 3rd and 4th floor.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 July 2023
  • Caribby96
    Burnaby, Canada236 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So informative
    I visited on the first evening of my trip to Newfoundland, and this was a great place to start. I learned so much about the history of St. John's and Newfoundland. If you go on Friday night, there is free admission for students, which was awesome. This place is huge and you can spend hours here reading everything. There is also an amazing view of the city!
    Visited July 2023
    Written 28 July 2023
  • Liz S
    52 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much more than we expected.
    We went to The Rooms curious about the building, the view and the architecture…. but learned and saw so much more. The displays were interesting and informative and covered a wide variety of topics. The World War One gallery was a wonderful tribute to the various Newfoundland Regiments. The view from the third and fourth floors as well as the cafe was stunning. Well worth a visit if you are in St. John’s.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 July 2023
  • Conny Wylie
    Ottawa, Canada878 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not a Hotel...But a Museum
    The Rooms in St John's Newfoundland, is a cultural facility that acts as a repository of all things depicting the history and culture of Labrador and Newfoundland. A non-intuitive name, The Rooms (Museum) pays homage to the 'fishing rooms' that dotted the Newfoundland waterline and represents an integral part of Newfie heritage. The Rooms is segmented into 3 distinct components : the Archives, the Art Gallery and the Museum. I related more to the Museum segment that portrayed animal and plant life of the tundra and bog. I was mostly captivated by the stuffed Newfie wolf,,,,,it was the spitting image of my dog.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 21 September 2023
  • Danielle P
    Coastal South Carolina, South Carolina123 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must see attraction
    Customer Service: 5 Location: 5 WIFI: 5 Restrooms: 5 Cleanliness: 5 We visited the St. John's Rooms museum on Monday while we was docked for our port day. It was conveniently about a 15 minute walk from the cruise ship dock.  Upon entering the Visitors center we were quickly greeted by a friendly staff member. They were able to quickly provide us with alot of useful information. They pointed out that some parts of the museum were free, and there was like 4 rooms that required a ticket. We decided to not get a ticket because we were on a limited time schedule. 
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 September 2023
  • LJT
    Winnipeg, Canada113 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful history museum and art gallery in one
    We arrived at The Rooms just as they were opening, and had a wonderful experience with the place nearly to ourselves. A very interesting design with both an art gallery and history museum in one, each covering multiple floors. A good variety in both areas, it was easy enough to take in most of the museum in a few hours but with enough depth that it would be worth going back again.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,898 reviews
Excellent
1,328
Very good
447
Average
99
Poor
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Terrible
6

James B
Ancaster, Canada4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2013 • Couples
Lovely way to spend an afternoon learning about the history of Nfld with carefully chosen exhibits featuring artifacts from early life on the island. The other half of the space contains exhibits of art by Nfld artists or scenes around Nfld. A delightful restaurant with very reasonable prices rounds out the experience.
Written 4 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bcnett
Stoneham, MA469 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2013 • Couples
I was hoping that a NEW museum would have benefited from many of the old museums. This is one of the worst museums I have been in. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to this museum. For example the area about Fort Amherst and the formation of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary appeared to be out of chronological order. Another person who was looking at the exhibit the same time I was said that it appeared to be something that had been done as a project by high school students. The exhibition was out in the corridor. ( I thought this museum was called the Rooms so that exhibitions could be located in rooms). The whole area was very dark and some of the writing was too small and too low to be able to read it.

The building is a lot of wasted space. It is dark and dreary. The signage is poor and often non- existent. It is hard to know even what floor one is on. Because of the lack of signs explaining things, I kept saying to my husband, "So what". I did not understand why unexplained pictures and objects were taking up space.

There was a very impressive church model that was quite big. There was one very small sign on a wall (not next to the church) that said it was a church. There was no explanation of why it was there, why men were bowling in the basement of the church, or what the significance of the church was.

In the section on the Irish, I kept getting frustrated because it was too dark in the room and some of the writing was so small that it could not be read. The lighting and the size of the writing was a problem everywhere.

I suggest that you go on a Wednesday night from 6 to 9 or on the first first Saturday of the month when admission is free to see if you like this museum. If you do then you can return and get a tour of the building for $7.50 and see the museum at your leisure.
Written 4 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jim M
Calgary126 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Couples
My wife and I toured the Rooms and loved it. My wife liked the art display by Mary Pratt and I enjoyed all the old history and displays in the museum. The best kept secret of the Rooms is the restaurant on the top floor. We had a great lunch there and came back the next night for dinner. Great food and great value.
Written 4 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Susan D
New York City, NY9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Couples
The architecture is beautiful, the exhibits well-presented. There is a nice cafe for lunch. The views from the museum are outstanding.
Written 3 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AnnaCMac
Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada43 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Friends
The Rooms is an expansive facility with lots of information to take in. It was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon indoors. Some of the exhibits were better than others. I'd recommend planning your time based on your interests, and start with the exhibits you are most interested in. We were getting quite worn out as the afternoon went on, and weren't as enthused about some of the exhibits we visited later in the day. The view is incredible. The cafe was very busy, so we weren't able to get a seat there.
Written 1 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chris H
Burlington, Canada2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013
I enjoyed going to the Rooms. They covered all of Newfoundland s rich history and had numerous artifacts and interactive guides to help the viewer understand the significance of the item.
Written 31 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jill P
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Canada49 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Family
I expected more considering how massive the building is. I also found the staff pretty unfriendly and unhelpful. The view is nice from the top floors. The main exhibits are okay. No kid friendly, despite us going on a day when they were featuring a kid-friendly activity. Skip the gift shop and buy MUCH cheaper elsewhere.
Written 30 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travellingsooncanada
St. John's, Canada125 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Family
Spend the morning browsing the galleries, then have a late lunch in the cafe, enjoying one of the most spectacular views of the St. John's "Narrows".
Written 29 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AimeeDP41
Kingston, Canada102 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Family
The Rooms is so perfectly located, and the brilliant designers made these lobbies on each floor with floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of downtown/harbour/Signal Hill that you don't want to miss. The architecture/view alone is worth the visit, but there are also exhibits on each floor.

The Rooms has something for every interest - archives, science, history, fine arts, more. Each exhibit could take a half hour to an hour.

The admission price is just $20 for a family of four, and if you take time to appreciate all the varied exhibits you could spend a half day there.

There are plenty of places to sit, rest, and look at the view. You will learn something new - guaranteed.

At the end, there's a gift shop with again, a nice variety of interests - history, science, art, culture.

The Room's website is great, keep an eye out for special exhibits.
Written 26 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steven B
Toronto, Ontario, Canada14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Couples
What a fantastic place! The facility is large and generous for a city the size of St. John's - or cities with millions for that matter - no expense spared without being boujee. The Newfoundland exhibits on the upper floors were curated well. Well presented with good information and followed a chronological progression in addition to various thematic displays. The lighting was great, don't forget to look up!

The Mary Pratt exhibit was such a treat; felt so spoiled to have caught it before it departed - what an artist and collection on display! The 20's exhibit (mostly old shoes and LV) was fun and well showcased. Kudos to the gallery and its curators for putting on a world-class show in all your spaces. I was moved!
Written 25 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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THE ROOMS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)