The museum, gallery, and archives are housed in a beautiful landmark building inspired by historic buildings. The Rooms currently has an exhibition on WWI and Newfoundland's participation. The presentation is very well done, especially the stirring HD video reenactments integrated with historic photos and artifacts. The natural history gallery has one of the world's oldest fossils. The art exhibition of Inuit art showed me a new perspective on the changing artistic practices in Northern communities (it's not all soapstone). The building itself offers the best view of St. John's harbour to be found anywhere in the city, and you can enjoy it from the cafe on the fourth floor. Highly recommended facility, more polished and larger than one would normally find in a city this size.
I love this place so much that a I visited twice in one week! The first time, my husband and I focused on the WWI exhibit as his uncle who was from NFLD died for that cause. We were able to find his records etc. at the archives office, they were very helpful. We also had lunch there and were blown away by the view! Funny, I had not been much impressed when I first saw the exterior of the The Rooms as we were driving into town, "What's that building?" But once I visited, I was so impressed by this place, the views from the inside are so spectacular! it's. worth a visit for that alone. We were also able to visit the exhibit on the people of Newfoundland, the Cod industry, etc., all very very interesting and well put together! Thank you...
Excellant ambience, beautiful location and charming servers ready to help and suggest. The food is awesome and portion size is just right. Had all veg dishes which were lip smacking. This is the place one would like to visit again and again.
Two of us had lunch here after taking in the exhibits. The views of downtown and the harbor are great from here. The menu has a nice selection of local favorites and the service was good.
The view is really great from here, makes for a very enjoyable lunch. Service is great they are really professional and attentive. The Caesars are unique as they are made with vodka, Clamato, Worcestershire, red wine, horseradish, sriracha and tabasco. We ordered their lunch special: scallops over quinoa and veggies with lemon and thyme (delicious and very fresh) and the screech brisket sandwich with salad (the flavour was incredible and the meat was perfectly cooked). It is a pricey lunch with the bill coming to almost $80 but a really nice experience.
The Rooms Cafe is located right inside the Rooms Gallery. It boasts a bright atmosphere and probably one of the most beautiful views of the harbor. The menu ranges from inexpensive dishes to moderately priced and has great breakfast/brunch selections. Staff is professional and the seating is quite casual. But really... you come here for the view.
The food is as great as the view! The seafood chowder was wonderful. If you are visiting St. John's and looking for a place to lunch, this is a must!
Dine with a million dollar view.. What an excellent surprise this was. Travelling through the rooms exhibits totally immersed us in Newfoundland history and culture gave us a strong sense of what the rock was all about. Any visitor to the island should put the rooms on a must see list.
We moved on to visit the cafe and expected basic cafeteria food but we're pleasantly surprised. Dishes were imaginative and very enjoyable. Wife had the salmon and I the smoked meat.
The huge bonus was the million dollar view you had of the Narrows and harbour. Overall a fantastic experience.
Just enjoyed a delicious lunch with my sisters. We had a great meal of spinach pie, salmon and the risotto cakes. Wonderful desserts. We had a great table and excellent service. Would heartily recommend this restaurant
The "little ears" appetizer was unbelievably good. One of the best appetizers I've ever had. Beautiful view great service - all in all highly recommended.
The Rooms Cafe has a spectacular view of downtown St. John's and Signal Hill from its dining room. We ate here after viewing the various art & cultural exhibits in The Rooms. I chose the Caribou Bolognese and it was pretty good. The sauce was nice and the caribou flavor was very mild. Dessert was good but nothing special. The best part of The Rooms Cafe for me was the view. The food was good but not memorable. Although the meal lacked luster, I still enjoyed myself and so did the rest of the table.
I haven't been eating lately. Actually that's a mammoth lie. I have been eating a great deal, possibly too much, just not in Montreal. That's right kids, this busy body took a little vacation to the windy North Atlantic rock of Newfoundland. Did you eat fish or seafood everyday Anna? I sure did. Did you pay exorbitant prices for substandard meals? You betcha. Did you eat some yummy fish'n'chips? Yar! Did you have cod tongues with scrunchions, jiggs dinner, fish and brewis, toutons and molasses? Nope, but I did have the Big Mary sandwich with taters from Mary Brown's - that's my version of a traditional NL meal, and no amount of salt cod or purity products can compete. Shockin' that is, shockin'. Our first meal was a BBQ organized in honour of our visit, (thanks J!), which featured my sister's cheesecake, caramel cupcakes. Given her superior baking skills, these were, of course, delicious. The little bits of toblerone on top (my stroke of genius, ahem), elevated these bad boys into the
Really solid museum and art gallery. Went on a rainy day and this was the perfect activity. Less than $10 for students so super affordable. Lots of Newfoundland history and some great permanent exhibits. Good info on the biology of the province and good history ranging from Vikings and early indigenous peoples to English and Irish settlers, to modern times including the history of fishing and farming on the island. The art exhibits are great and feature really powerful and important local artists. Lots of fun for families and kids and lots of activities throughout the museum. Would highly recommend! Don’t bet on the cafe tho! Long wait times so go out for a bite to eat before you come!
I'm a huge fan of the rooms! A mix of historic stories plus art, and local stories along with art is amazing. The layout is almost like a maze but in a great way! I really appreciate the attention that native stories and art have been given here in recent times too!
There is a locker room for costs, bags and other things which they give you a key for. I took the stairs however I did see a few elevators so I believe it's accessible.
This is a museum showcasing different aspects of Newfoundland history and culture. My favourite exhibit has got to be the "Beaumont-Hamel and the Trail of the Caribou" about the Newfoundland Regiment during World War I. The exhibit was very comprehensive and very well-organized. I learned a great deal from the exhibits and could've easily spent an entire day checking out everything.
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We arrived via cruise ship on a foggy rainy day so headed for this well rated museum. It is a good 15 minute walk straight up the hill but gives you a nice opportunity to get a taste of the town. Paid $10USD (converted from CAD) for each adult. The facility is large and open/ airy with a great modern industrial design inside. Lots of bathrooms and elevators. For us (walk fast and only read the exhibit of interest to us), this was an enjoyable 90-minute visit (all we needed) that gave us a great feel for the town and region from a wide variety of perspectives (art, nature and animals, natives, immigrants, history, artifacts). There is a little something for everyone here, this is the only museum you need to hit. There are little pieces of fun information everywhere - on the wall, up above you, in a display case, in little cards with supplementary details, or in large digital touch displays. This is a very thoughtful and well designed museum, kudos to the whole team. Great visit, highly recommended.
An incredible museum that is definitely worth a stop in St. John’s! Exhibits and galleries are well laid out with plenty of information, and the significant Indigenous art tells a very impactful story about Newfoundland’s history.
Just a spectacular building! Very well laid out and beautifully designed. The Rooms kept us entertained and informed all morning. The cafe looked nice and the staff were friendly and helpful. The views from 'the rooms' were brilliant. A must see in St John's. Plenty of affordable parking on site. Gift shop. Many interactive setups for children.
The museum is fantastic. The admission fee is quite affordable, yet there are so many things to see that we had to rush through a few sections to make sure we were not missing out on anything.
The cafe was a pleasant surprise. The service was great and we enjoyed our meal surrounded by stunning scenery.
Interesting museum. Access to archives for genealogy search is free. Museum has teo exhibit halls. One with small fossil exhibit, indigenous artifacts and preserved wildlife, the other with maritime and indigenous artifacts. There is a small gallery displaying works from prominent east coast artists. The cafeteria on the top floor has magnificent views of the harbour. First Wednesdays of the month are noted to be free entry. Admission averages $6.50 to $10 all other times. Most of the exhibits are wheelchair accessible and there are some hands on activities for the kids. Check their website for special events or presentations. Parking on site is $2 per hour and there is a gift shop. Affordable local attraction.
Amazing building with glass wall. The view of downtown is unbeatable. It is also free to access the observatory deck. The restaurant has tables overlooking the harbour.
Plenty of contents to view. The museum exhaustively shows the history, the arts, and the nature of Newfoundland island, it makes you feel the connection to the past and present.
Oh and there is a giant squid specimen.
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