Signal Hill, St. John's

Geological Interactive museum located on the road up to Signal hill.
Learn about rock formations, world weather, oil drilling , mining etc.
Lots of interactive displays, short movies etc.
Not for the casual passer by but well worth a visit.
Expect to spend 1-2 hrs here and cost is 14 Dollars CDN approx as of May 2008.
Very good section all about the Titanic .. I spent 1 hr 30 mins here alone!

A nice welcome to the wild oceon here just minutes walk from Water Street... Some lovely walking trails around the cliffs and some historical sites to visit.
Get up early and take off on foot to explore the various winding paths and trails that cirle around this hillside at the edge of the Atlantic Oceon.
Another plus- great views of St Johns.
Expect wind!! Even if downtown St Johns seems calm it may feel like a world away when youre up on Signal Hill. Dont bring a beach ball! It may end up being a nice present for some kids up in Greenland!

Cabot Tower was built in 1897 (officially opened in 1900) to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Giovanni Caboto's (in English known as John Cabot) discovery of Newfoundland and Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee - held in 60th year of a monarch's reign. Cabot Tower is now the centre of Signal Hill National Historic Park, Canada's second largest historic park; from architectural point of view, it is also a very good example of late-Gothic revival style.

Of course, one of "must see" and one of the most famous locations in St.John's. I don't think there's a lot of St.John's visitors, who did not go up the serpentine to see the ocean, the harbour, the city, the Battery.. Beautiful place, indeed, but, if you have time - wait till it's sunny, the view becomes about 322 times better then :). And, be prepared - it may really windy up there.
Signal Hill got its name in 1762 (or 1763), because it was used in flag communication between land and sea. One of other significant facts are, that it was the reception point of the first transatlantic wireless transmission (end of 1901), which was originated from the Poldhu station, southwestern Cornwall, England, by Guglielmo Marconi and his assistant, George Kemp.

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Signal Hill used to be called Flagstaff Hill.

It was the sight of The Battle of Signal Hill in 1763. The battle included soldiers from France versus The Montgomery Highlanders and the Massachussetts Militia.

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Check out these old cannons. They are on display in front of The Battery Hotel on Signal Hill Road.

Divers salvaged them from a shipwreck.
Ther date from around Queen Anne's War or King Georges War ( 1700-1740).

Cannons like these were used to protect the fishing villages and outports of Newfoundland until the mid-1800's.

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Check out Queen's Battery on Signal Hill!

Queen's Battery was built shortly after the Seven Year War. It was used during the American Revolution and relepped a French Armada during the Napoleanic Wars.
During the Second World War, American servicemen occupied the location and set up an anti aircraft batttery nearby.

The Johnson GEO Centre tells the story of “Our Earth and Our People” by making great use of the geology of Newfoundland. Located on Signal Hill, the large, glass-encased entry is the only part of the building above ground. Most of the 33,600 sq. ft. of floor space is underground – right inside of solid rock walls, which for more than 550 million years have witnessed the story of Earth. Those walls are there to see and touch, and reveal the secrets of the creation of lands and seas, mountains and rivers, and the causes of earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves, and the ice ages.

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Quidi Vidi is a small fishing village located at a cove just below Signal Hill. This place is of very beautiful and idyllic setting, which is typical of Newfoundland. For those of you who wants to have an experience of the fishing villages in Newfoundland without getting out of St John's, then Quidi Vidi is the place for you. Also located here is the famous Quidi Vidi Brewery which makes the Quidi Vidi Beer as well as the Mallard Cottage, the oldest cottage in North America. There is a Quidi Vidi Lake near to this village as well.

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The harbour of St John's is located at Harbour Drive, and you can see many ships anchored here. Besides walking along Harbour Drive, you can have a good view of the harbour if you go up to Signal Hill.