Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
be (actually, you'll be listening and eating, and they'll do all the talking). The crypt,
by the way, has never been used for burials.
Rooms
MUSEUM
( 709-757-8000;
www.therooms.ca
; 9 Bonaventure Ave; adult/child $7.50/4, 6-9pm Wed free;
10am-5pm Mon, Tue & Thu-Sat, to 9pm Wed, noon-5pm Sun; )
Not many museums offer the
chance to see a giant squid, hear avant-garde sound sculptures and peruse ancient
weaponry all under one roof. But that's the Rooms, the province's all-in-one historical
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.
The views from this massive stone-and-glass complex, which lords over the city from
a breath-sapping hilltop, are eye-poppers; try the 4th-floor cafe for the best vistas.
NEWFOUNDLAND FAST FACTS
»
Population: 484,700
»
Area: 111,390 sq km
»
Capital: St John's
»
Quirky fact: Newfoundland has 82 places called Long Pond, 42 called White Point
and one called Jerry's Nose
Johnson Geo Centre
MUSEUM
( 709-737-7880;
www.geocentre.ca
; 175 Signal Hill Rd; adult/child $12/6; 9:30am-5pm)
Nowhere in the world can geo-history, going back to the birth of the earth, be accessed so
easily as in Newfoundland, and the Geo Centre does a grand job of making snore-worthy
geological information perk up with appeal via its underground, interactive displays.
The center also has a
Titanic
exhibit about how human error and omission, not just an
iceberg, caused the tragedy. 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 warn-
ings. What any of this has to do with geology remains unclear, but who cares? It's fascin-
ating.
Trails with interpretive panels wind around outside. The Geo Centre is up Signal Hill
Rd, about 1km beyond downtown.
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