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.

The Rooms is a great place to learn about the history of Newfoundland. I particularly enjoyed the exhibit about Newfoundland's contributions to World War 1. Additionally, the restaurant was really good! All in all, this place is definitely worth the visit! Having said that, I was disappointed in a couple of things: 1) the outdated language used to describe indigenous peoples and 2) the way they whitewashed residential schools. My friend and I spent about 6 hours there.

Beautiful view of St. John’s and Signal Hill. Amazing cafe that also includes the amazing view. Very interesting exhibits. The room with the animals was our favourite. Personally didn’t care much for the art exhibit though, and also loses half a point for having the thinnest ply toilet paper ever in their bathroom.

Visited on our final afternoon in St. John’s and we are glad we pushed one more activity in. Situated on a hill, there is a nice observation deck on the 4th floor. Would recommend to start on the highest floor and work your way down. Grabbed lunch at the cafe and was surprised to find pretty decent sit-down quality meals as opposed to the typical rushed cafeteria style bite. Purchased some chocolates, a Newfoundland lullaby book (had been looking everyone for it!) and some kiddie trinkets at the gift shop. Our 5-year-old son had fun exploring The Rooms.

Today we wandered around St. John’s sleep deprived and travel weary. We began the afternoon with a trip to ‘The Rooms’ This 4-storey museum captures the history of Newfoundland and the people. What a lovely surprise… informative… impressive and a must see.

Beautifully curated museum outlining Newfoundland and Labrador history..fascinating for those of us "from away" who are not familiar. Lots of infor on the indigenous communities on the island and in Labrador. And of the European groups that followed. My only small complaint...some of the text boards are difficult to read because not enough light (those little hotel bedside reading lights would have helped). Went on to lunch in the 4th floor cafe...delicious and reasonably priced meals. Spectacular views (get there soon as you can after opening to get a windowside table). Friendly and professional service. Try to spend several hours in the museum and cafe

This was our second trip to the The Rooms and we really enjoyed both experiences. Wonderful exhibits regarding Newfoundland history and heritage. Dining in the restaurant, especially if you get a window seat, is a wonderful experience. Great views of Signal Hill and the harbour.

Im not a museum lover at all, especially when it comes to art but I have to admit the art gallery in this museum is one of the most interesting art galleries i’ve ever encountered. It had the typical “a 5 year old could make this” art, along with some very interesting local artist pieces. However, as you walk along the gallery there are prompts on the walls that allow your mind to open and think about what your really seeing which is something i’ve never encountered before. It makes it a great place to bring children or people that typically dislike art galleries. I don’t have much to say about the rest of the museum as I lacked interest in the other exhibits.

The Rooms didn’t exist during the time I lived in St John’s in the 1980’s. It was there during my previous visit in 2016, but although I took part in a commemorative service on the front steps to mark the Centenary of the Battle of Beaumont Hamel it was a sunset service and the building was closed. On my recent trip in 2024 though I did make up for it by visiting not once but twice. The Rooms opened in 2005 and combines the Provincial Archives, the Provincial Museum and the Provincial Art Gallery. The building is a modern structure which apparently evokes the fishing shacks or “rooms” that once dotted the various outports and small villages around the island. Perched on the heights above the downtown where Fort Townsend once stood, it is in sharp contrast to The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist beside it and which predates it by some 160 odd years. One joke among the townies looking at both on the hilltop is "there’s the Basilica and the box it came in. " As it contains the collected works of the three previous buildings, the massive structure is divided into numerous galleries, as well as some classrooms, a reception hall, cafeteria and gift shop. As part of the VAC Veterans delegation to the July 1st ceremonies we received a private tour of the gallery dedicated to the First World War and the Dominion of Newfoundland’s contributions to the war effort. I did have some time however on this visit and the later evening meet and greet to explore some other parts of the building. The Gallery was well laid out and seemed to cover most of the important aspects of the Dominion in the Great War. We were lucky enough to have a guide with us although there is plenty of signage so one can easily understand what is on display. After my tour I was approached by an old friend who like myself served in the RNLDR, has a degree in Military History, and is well versed in the unit’s history including the Forst World War. He asked if I had noticed any of the discrepancies in the displays. I had caught a few of what I would call differing interpretations of certain events but nothing worth complaining about. Exploring some other parts of the building I discovered some classrooms obviously meant for school trips. This and the tactile and interactive nature of some of the displays suggest that the Rooms were designed with a more modern audience in mind as opposed to the old traditional and somewhat “stuffy” museums of the past. As we were on somewhat of a tight schedule, I didn’t have time to try the cafeteria, although any reviews I’ve seen say the food is excellent. I presume the same kitchen was catering the meet and greet I attended later so I can least vouch for the hors d'oeuvre which were delicious.

What a remarkable place! This is a terrific amalgam of art, social statements, local and Provincsil history, multimedia creations, archeology and pre-history, and good food! A gorgeous building wrapped around by ary, gardens, patios of stone, gardens and ample parking, it is a fine place to get absorbed by for several hours. Wonderful!