Meeting with giants is just the tip of the iceberg.

Museums

A walk through the museums in Twillingate and Durrell brings the history and culture of one of Newfoundland’s oldest towns to life..

Learn about Beothuk history, merchant times, the proud military history of Twillingate as well as other highlights such as the Georgina Stirling exhibition in Twillingate museum and the polar bear exhibition in Durrell museum. The Wooden Boat Museum brings Twillingate’s boat building history alive with a working boat builder on site.

Twillingate was founded on an ocean culture and its museum portrays displays of the fishery, the famous Alphabet Fleet and the town’s merchants that created an industry from a way of life.

Also learn about mining activities in the area, the town’s first newspaper, its connection to the Boys Scouts and Girls Guides, and its hospital and school.

Twillingate Museum

Sellens Cove Rd (behind St. Peter’s Anglican Church)
Open 7 days a week from May to October

Twillingate Museum on Twillingate’s north island.

Highlights include:

The Georgina Stirling Exhibit about the life of world famous opera singer known as Marie Toulinguet;
The famous Newfoundland Alphabet Fleet and Copper Mining history;
Archaic Indian Artifacts Collection from archeological finds in the area;
The Twillingate Sun archives;
Dr. Edith Manuel Collection – founder of the Girl Guides in Newfoundland and Labrador;
Reverend Gordon Elliot Collection – founder of the Boy Scouts in Newfoundland and Labrador;

Don’t forget to pay a visit the to the gift and craft shop!

Durrell Museum

  17 Museum Road, Durrell, Twillingate

Polar bear exhibit in Durrell Museum

The red museum building on top of of a hill quaintly named “Old Maid” was originally home to the Arm Lads Brigade. Uniforms, rifles and other displays tell the stories of these times.

The building was built in 1910 and preserves the memory of all those who served their country during wartime. Exhibits depicting the fishing industry and general way of life in previous centuries are on display as well.

The best known exhibit, is undoubtedly Titus the polar bear. This exhibit was added in 2000. Previously, the bear had found his way into the community and because of the danger posed to the community, the Department of Wildlife had to dispose of the bear.  The bear was preserved and later donated to the museum.

The view from the museum site alone, is worth the drive up and icebergs can be often be seen from here.

Isles Wooden Boat Builders Museum & Workshop

  St. Peter’s Hall, 4 Peter’s Lane, Twillingate

St Peters Parish Hall

The Twillingate Isles Wooden Boat Museum opened its doors in July 2017 after years of hard work by the Twillingate Isles Wooden Boat Builders Committee.

Affiliated with the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador, this museum, the Twillingate boat museum aims to preserve the boat building history of Twillingate and area and also teach these skills.

The museum is in the historic St. Peter’s Anglican Parish Hall.  Downstairs, visitors can view numerous displays depicting the boat building history of Twillingate while the upstairs has been set up as boat building workshop space.

Prime Berth Fishing Heritage Centre

Prime Berth is the first property that greets you as you cross the causeway onto Twillingate island.

Prime Berth Fishing Heritage Centre

At this privately owned living history museum you’ll learn about the history and culture of the area through displays of splitting cod or drying squid.

Some of the things to explore include the craft shop, an observation tower, a blacksmith store, sea aquarium and fishing museum.