Reviews of Norstead (Tourist Attraction)

Tanya Van Waard

Magical and informative. It's a bit of a drive, but what a drive, right up the beautiful coastline.

Rene Jeddore

We loved this place. Much more interactive than the location across the road. The items on display are not artifacts so we were allowed to touch and feel them. The kids really enjoyed their time and the interaction. The folks working there were great and challenged our oldest to an axe throwing contest and we were able to help the blacksmith work the bellows.

Ben Wiper

Activities and history all in one

Rolly Gagné

A fun mini Viking adventure / great authentic boat reproduction used to cross over to NL

Carolyn Wells

So much history

Matthew Stepehens

Great showing

Dale King

Loved the boat that sailed from Greenland kids liked shooting bows and throwing axes. Great place for a short visit.

Wade Watts

Great place with amazing history and awesome people. A must see.

Deon Pretty

Loved it

Angry Old Man

I had a great quiet time when I was here. It was easy to get in, and the place was awe some. The structures were well made and beautiful. Lots of things to look at here. Then turn to admire the landscape and the ocean. Everywhere you look here your eyes will be amazed. You will want to stay here for ever and ever and will start to envy the people who work here after you leave because they get the pleasure of being in these surroundings and gazing upon the wonders of this land. Norstead is a must if you’re going up the Viking Trail, along with Gros Morne, quiet and quaint St Anthony with friendly townspeople and great trails and views, don’t skip it. Support it because they need the funds to keep this beautiful place up and running. Living History.

Camilla Alexander

(Translated) Record (Original) Historial

Johnathan

What a great place to visit! A must see if your around this part of NFLD!

Arnab Chaudhuri

Amazing.. nature and history together...

François Gagnon

Quite expansive for what you get. You can complete the tour quickly and I felt that I was bothering the "guides".

Riyad Mustapha

Great display put on by the locals.

Nova Maulani

People are knowledgeable and nice. It's a small place. Will take you less than an hour to see everything.

John Butler

Very nice exhibit.

Donna Shen

Interesting Viking site. Good historical site and beautiful. Live was not easy but then life is not easy for any Newfoundler who works and lives outside of St John's. The site is well done with attendees in costume. All exhibits are really informative.

Sandeep Bajpai

Historic significance

Frederic Desilets

Expensive for what you get. The national park on the other side of the road is more informative and free.

Raghu Jangamakote

Site of great historical importance. This is different from Parks Canada exhibit who is across the street. Visit both to understand the first migrants to Canada from Europe.

Michael Valdivielso

Private site, so you will pay for entry, but I felt it was worth it. Maybe my profile photo gives that away...anyway, the staff was friendly and as me and my mom were there early, we got the whole place to ourselves for awhile. We were able to talk to the folks there and really enjoy our visit. And learn. Because if you don't enjoy it you're not going to learn anything. I am not sure why anybody would rush the visit - I am pretty sure me and my mom spent at least an hour or more there.

ABADE Family of Companies

Amazing .. thank you for the bteathtaking sleep

Zhou Toby

(Translated) It is interesting to show the scenes of pirates living and working in the past. (Original) 展示当年海盗生活工作的场景，有意思。

Dave Lizee

I have thick ties to Scandinavia so this place was pretty sweet for me. Amazing to think of them coming centuries before any other European settler. It was closed for the season when we arrived but still awesome to be able to walk around. Everything is boarded up with not much information around.

Jeremy Kurtin

They didn't know much about the history of the sight, for the price they should have known more about what they were representing. I would recommend both sights then you will get a good picture of how they lived back then.

AM Prince

I would have appreciated more demonstrators. However, the ones that were there were engaging, informed and anxious to share their knowledge.

Patrick Rosewell

Delicious food. Beautiful views. But the staff truly make Norseman an amazing spot. Thanks again!

spiderboy42001

Interesting to know all this stuff and there is a beautiful view

Sheldon W

Better than the parks Canada site

Wendy Kemp

Enjoyable experience, however there a lot of Hogweeds very close to the walkway, many people don't know it will cause burns. There should be warnings.

Quoc Phan

Arrived to find out that they were closed for the season. Their website, business hours on Google Maps, and their most recent review (a week ago) would imply they are still open. Disappointed to make the trip to find out there were closed without warning. It wouldn't be so bad if this wasn't a fairly remote location and accommodations would be required when visiting the area.

Louise Asselin

(Translated) Beautiful site that reproduces the way of life of Viking.We loved this visit (Original) Très beau site qui reproduit la façon de vivre des Viking.Nous avons adoré cette visite

Les Clements

Worth a look for sure if in the area. We learned more here and saw many demonstrations of how Norse people lived than at the national site. Staff were enthusiastic and knowledgeable. This is run by a nonprofit group and are worthy of support.

Scott Brittain

Great reenactment of the Viking settlement.

Jennie Primor

Great place to visit

Mr Lofty

Blimey those Vikings were tough.

Peter Claghorn

A must visit if your are in the area. Amazing Viking boat and collections, but what really makes it is the high energy, friendly local staff who brings their village to life.

Eric McCormack

Despite Covid-19 restrictions, the interpretative representatives were there, in full Viking garb, to desvribe and explain everything about the site. Loved it!

Nick Jedd

Good fun and great people

Davis D. Janowski

I could not make the odyssey all the way from Florida to L'Anse aux Meadows and not make the short 2km hop over to see Norstead. My daughter, then 5 loved it, even donning a Norse helmet and working the bellows, playing with a toy bow and visiting the craft of W. Hodding Carter's "A Viking Voyage" fame. I had read the book and wanted to see the knarr Snorri up close---which was great---though I wish the lighting had been better! But hey, it's stored in a recreated Viking longhouse in place with one of the harshest winter climes in the world, I get it. A lot of fun and good memories.

PETER B. MAHNKE

Nice replication of a Viking long boat.

Stephen Stone

This place is great

George W Patterson

Unlike the Federal Viking site this has been built, financed and run by the local community. It deserves everyones support and is well worth visiting. The guides are knowledgable and the Viking ship alone is worth the price of admission. Be sure to ask about its voyage to Newfoundland.

Michael E

A very cool place to visit after you go to Lans aux Meadows. They do a very good job of bringing the whole Viking experience together in a historical Recreation The Price is Right too. the people are very friendly and it's just a lot of fun to walk around and see everything as it would have been a thousand years ago

Luke M

A fun little side trip for when you visit L'Anse Meadows. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable

Moses Jesus

Great place to visit

Ben Fisher

Came on July 21 at 5:30 PM, everything was closed, no one around. Don't count on them being open!

Blair Cox

When done in conjunction with the Parks Canada historical site, this is a fabulous place where you get a better sense of how it felt to live there. While perhaps not as academically correct, the perceptual sense of being there is fun. Especially if you happen upon it with fewer visitors. Most certainly a must to do both, perhaps the Parks Canada site first, then here. You'll certainly enjoy learning to throw the hatchets (axe)!!

Jody Clarke

lovely walk threw of huts and the people had lots of knowledge.

Heather Jack

The people were wonderful, the village was great. Very informative and a great morning spent walking about. Highly recommended this place.

Deborah Kuo

This recreation of what the Viking settlement might have looked like is well-done. They do a good job recreating the layout, the structures and even the actors. This is a paid exhibit not run by Parks Canada so be prepared to pay. As well, the entire exhibit is outdoors so dress appropriately as being near the coast means it can be chilly. You can go at any time they’re open as we didn’t reserve tickets ahead of time. The main attraction to check out is the Viking ship in the boat yard that they re-created and sailed over from Greenland to L’anse aux meadows. The staff are friendly and happy to answer any questions or curiosities you might have. Most were women when we went. I don't know if that might just be more accurate because men would usually be out pillaging or otherwise. There is a washroom on site but it is located outside of the buildings so go before or after you head in. That said though, if you must choose between L’anse aux meadows or this site, L’anse aux meadows takes the cake! We don’t regret going, but depending on your timing, this site wouldn’t have been as high on our list. If you have time and don’t mind paying the fee, it almost transports you back in time as if you were living on the site.

Juzer Hussain

Lots of history

Michael Dawe

Fabulous place to visit, lots of history, fantastic people. Loved it.

Visit DrunkPhotography.com.

Live like the vikings

Gus Adams

Excellent and historical restoration of Viking lifestyle.

stephanie allen

Very interactive and informative, several different periods of time represented, all the staff were very engaging

hugh macinnis

Amazing

H Gvdbrand

Great life history displays with actual working participants

Carol Welden

Fantastic experience and superb service

Clinton B

Boat enthusiasts have to check out this full size ship, kids enjoyed the trading/bartering but with only 3 actors it was pretty desolate so makes it hard to get $50 worth family rate for a 20 minute visit.

Elizabeth Rombough

Enjoyed our visit.

Stephanie D

For anyone commenting that it's historically incorrect or not as good as the federal site... keep in mind that Norstead is not a village that was in L'Anse-aux-meadows, but rather in Scandinavia around the year 1000..and gives an idea to what MIGHT have been if the Norse stayed in LAM and made a permanent home instead of a stopover point. If you want just hard bare facts.. the national hisoric site is the way to go, but both sites in the town of L'Anse-aux-meadows complement each other.

champa Beidgemohan

Very informative i enjoy and would recommend it

Bernie Kehoe

Great place to visit. very informative staff.

D W

A must visit. Staff role plays excellent.

Mark Orth

Slightly disappointed.

Alma Kinden

Very interesting

sandra burke

Awesome views

Rebecca Hayman

It was fun to throw the axes and learn about the way the Norse would have lived so long ago. The staff stayed in character enough to make it enjoyable but would answer your questions out if character if they needed to.

Allan Matthews

Great experience, lots to see and do

Jeremy Collins

Family loved it

Tl Iguana

Very well kept Norse village with knowledgeable staff to answer all questions. Period dress is worn by the staff. Quite a lot of fun for the whole family.

1000gadegirl

The staff were exceptional, authentic and friendly! Norstead is well worth the visit.

Evy MacDonald

Very informative and entertaining

Marc Bibeau

Very well maintained with friendly staff.

Joseph Manteiga

Great place a lot of fun

Meagan VandenTillaart

Really cool to put the Viking base camp into context as to Viking life in the past

Mary Patterson

Great, privately funded site the does a very good job showing what a viking trading post might have looked. The costumed docents were very knowledgeable about the life and times of the norse people. One highlight is the giant replica viking ship that was actually sailed from Greenland to Newfoundland. This site is a nice compliment to the Parks Canada historic site across the street.