Reviews of Johnson Geo Centre (Translator)

yu chen

Went in November, completely off season. Stefan, staff member, gave us a personal tour which was great and truly informative. Great value for the cost and my son couldn't stop talking about what he learned.m

Azan

Went there cause read it had a lot of stuff about Titanic. I am a huge titanic buff. Pretty cool museum but the titanic part was a bit let down for me. Lots of information though but nothing impressive.

Marcus Quinlan

$30 for two people to look at rocks. You would get more enjoyment from throwing your money into a fountain.

Peter Keddy

Exhibits are new and interesting. I particularly liked the Titanic and space exhibits. Every corner of the building has things to read/view. Also offers guided tours in sections.

Richard Forster

The movies, displays and the geological history are a treat. Allow 2-3 hours to experience it all. The café has great sandwiches too!

Doug Crummey

Fascinating geological history and great activities for younger children (book ahead due to COVID)

Caroline Kennedy

I have visited here almost every year since it was constructed. It is a gift to the City of St. John's from the Johnson family, an educational and inspiring way to repay the city that provided them their fortune. Adults and children of all ages love it. It is humbling to be walking among rocks that are over 625 million years old. Everything is illustrated and explained in ways that are easy for all to understand even know even if your interest is not geology.

cartoh

There's gold in that Signal Hill. The Geo Centre (Now part of Memorial University of Newfoundland) is a really great place to take children. The only complaint I have is that I was a Geo member for a year and visited many times in the year and NONE of the broken exhibits have been repaired. Ive been back a few weeks ago and STILL there is Broken exhibits.

Danny Hutchings

This is place where you be 30 years old or more and still feel like a kid. There is so much stuff to see and that staff or very knowledgeable about the environment that they work it.

Mihkel Fortey

I loved learning about all the different types of rocks. This is a great place for a family outing.

Derrick Law

Varied and interesting displays in a great, underground building. Schedule at least a couple hours.

Theresa Butler

Myself and my mother in-law stopped here for a tea. She was celebrating her 95th birthday and they treated her like royalty. The best staff ever . Really made her day.

Raymond Lai

A good place to visit if it's a rainy day outside. The exposed underground rock faces are pretty interesting to see. Those looking for a purely science centre experience will be somewhat disappointed. The Geo Centre nails the natural history exhibit, with a large section dedicated to learning about the composition of the earth underneath Newfoundland. However, the oil exhibit sponsored by ExxonMobil seems forced and biased. The Titanic exhibit is interested and very through, but the constant truth reminders in the exhibit signs show level of unexplained bias. We spent a half a day there and came out with mixed feelings. We felt educated from the natural sciences point of view, then we were hit with oil and gas propaganda, followed by a pretty somber walkthrough of the Titanic's final moments.

Logan Edwards

The place to be if geology tickles your fancy. Lots of rocks, minerals, crystals and fossils you can buy from the area.

A-ny Ndfr

Consider going here in groups and with kids. There's a lot to learn about earth and geology

A D

Very interesting displays about the geology of Newfoundland and Labrador. Great place to take the "science-minded" child to get interested in how our planet came to be.

Virginia Middleton

We love going to the GEO Centre as a family. Our 6 year old says it's one of her favourite places to visit in St. John's. They regularly plan fun events for all ages. Highly recommend!

Aurora Smith

My kids loved this place. I enjoyed the Titanic exhibit and the star gazing classes given by a knowledgeable young University student. A great addition to a trip up signal Hill. Be sure to check out all of the hiking trails outside of the building as well.

Liz Taitt

Nice place to spend an afternoon. Great exhibits, there’s something for everyone. The Titanic exhibit is very thorough and I learned a lot I didn’t know about its story. The geological history of the area is also fascinating.

H3avy Mushr00m Hamm3r

Tonnes and tonnes of information, hands on exhibits, interactive, kids also had a really fun time here. If you have a few hours free you could definatly spend a good amount of time reading all the facts and artifacts. Dont know why other reviewers saying it was expensive? It was super cheap ($35 taxes in) for a family of 5.....where elae can you go somewhere like that for $35? Overall great place to visit!

Brian Carey

A must see location for locals and tourists! You get to see the geology of the area. A centre dedicated to science, got to love it!

Greg Hollett

Amazing place to learn of the history of our planet! It also has a lot of information about space and out offshore oil industry

A Fire

Staff was passionate in sharing their knowledge of the area/ geology. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed the exhibits!

Eddy St. Coeur

Great place to let kids of all ages explore an interactive space with neat exhibits that are changed regularly. Probably one of the most ominous venue space in the city with a great 3D replica of the planets hanging above you and great staff bringing your event together

Milltown Collectibles

We went with our teenagers and were really impressed with the exhibits, The rocks and minerals were incredible and it was a quiet day so we really enjoyed exploring without the crowds, What a treat!

Hp Massicotte

Not a big fan of paying full price when not all exhibits are open. But it was great for the kids, that which was open.

Bruce Stearman

Well laid out explanation of the geography of Newfoundland and Labrador. Well thought out displays, lots of pictures, and explanations. A well laid out exterior walk that has historical sites as well as geographic information sites and signs.

Donna Shen

Geo Centre is good for elementary school children up to gr. 6. The only adult sections would be the presentation of how Newfoudland was created and the full story of the Titanic and who really is to blame for it's tragic ending. It was not an iceberg as is popular belief

Milly Parish

Children's play area was great

Maryann Savoury

Beautiful atmosphere and so much to See and learn. Great for kids and adults .

Kenneth Green

Very beautiful building and so interesting but when I went only 1 exhibit was open.

Navid Shekoufa

I didn't intend to post an empty rating of 1 star and have no feedback on it. It's not fair at all. Apparently, my previous review didn't get posted here, so I'll try to repost it. I had enjoyed the events we had at Johnson GEO Center previously except for this last time (around a month ago). I was the host at an event held there and I had a co-host with me and based on the contract we were sure that we would have two wireless microphones to perform and we planned all the performance of the night based on that term on the contract. When we got there, we found out that there is only one!! wireless mic available and that there might be a wired one (but the staffs were not sure about that at the time which caused a lot of unnecessary stress to us). When I politely asked how come there is just one wireless mic and not two? One of the staffs responded franticly that one of the previous guests broke the other one. I said what should we do now, as we had planned everything on the sole fact that there will be two wireless microphones. He replied really impolitely: "You said that once before! There's nothing I can do. Here's the wireless mic and there's the wired one, and that's it!" Dear Staff! It's not my problem that you didn't hold up your end of the bargain! It was your responsibility to provide what you had promised on the contract to your customer. It is the worst kind of customer service to respond aggressively to a very sane argument. If you know your service lacks the expected quality, at least try to be more well-behaved!

Tiffany Olivia

Some staff are rude, others great, nice venue for events but the GeoCentre sign stays on in the main event area so kind of takes away the mood of why you are there

Phil Rendell

Awesome spot to visit if you're in st. John's. Very friendly staff who are very knowledgable about the various exhibits. Great spot to bring kids but is enjoyed by all ages. Side note: MUN students get in free of charge, so bring your student ID.

Jon Weir

Beautiful venue for a wedding, but make sure you have a good sound system if the ceremony is outdoors. That canyon doesn't propagate voices.

Ali

Very friendly staff and provide good environment for private event such as festival, wedding, etc. Highly recommended to visit if you are visiting st. John's, which is convenient because there are nice trails around it and very close to signal hill.

Ruxandra Dranga

Fun for all ages! Great exhibition on the titanic and interesting information on and history of rocks and rock types

Chris O'Keefe

Wasn't in the building but the trails around it we're very nice. Would like to see more of them created in the area

Lisa Jacobs

Lots of cool things to see and do! Love this place. Informative staff and nice gift shop if looking for something different for a souvenir.

Patrick Martin

This is an amazing location to visit and one of the least celebrated places in the city. I have been there many times for weddings, business meetings, luncheons, AGMs, tours, presentations, birthday parties, galas, launch parties and many other types of events. This is such a wonderful place to have a different event than most places and a wonderful place for everyone to find out more about everything the centre can provide.

Connor McBrine-Ellis

This uniquely situated science centre presents exhibits that highlight the history of Newfoundland, its geology, and features an indoor "rock wall" that is part of the building (the building is on top of Signal Hill, so they built it to expose the wall as part of the exhibit). It had a cool section on the Titanic but you could probably complete the whole thing in a couple hours and not want to go back. However, the 5 dollar movies did seem like a nice offering if I decided to revisit in the future.

Karen MacEwan

Very interesting. The Titanic exhibit is very thorough. A great way to spend the day when it's increment weather outdoors.

Amanda Bennett

Lots of great movies and exhibits. Particularly liked the "make your own earthquake".

Dana T

Very informative, and free admission to members. We really enjoyed our visit. Nice gift shop too.

James Miller

Good little museum, bit corporate in places, coming from the UK it's always a surprise to be paying for entry to museums. $27.60 for 2 was a bit steep.

Leks MacD

Well done for all ages. The website felt like the exhibits would be made for kids, but the gallery incorporated visual aids, educational plaques, and interesting interactive activities. My geologist sister thoroughly enjoyed showing me the rock samples. As a novice, I learned and understood the history of rocks and the geologic features that make Newfoundland so unique.

Joshua Vigneau [Student]

I come here every time I come to st John’s it is a great museum with lots of information for everyone adults and kids, my favourite section is the titanic section it is great for titanic nuts like me

Sebastian Kluth

Johnson Geo Centre is a magnificent place where you can learn more about the geological, historical and social origins of the region. Guided tours are very passionate, in particular the one about the Titanic. I assisted a conference about the creation of icebergs which was also very interesting. Staff is very intellectual and professional. The greatest thing about this centre is that it's located under the old rocks of Signal Hill which you can observe and touch. If you visit St. John's for the first time, visiting this centre should be right on the top of your list.

Stacey Evans-Warder

Interesting exhibit for older kids and they have a seperate play area for younger children. The theatre shows current movies even some in 3D. The gift shop and a wide variety of educational toys, jewelry, and crafts. It's a nice stop while you're in the area.

Tony Miller

Great for the kids and the kid in you. Very informative displays.

Stephen Churchill

Great space for our event!

Aidan Leach

Very good hands on geology and space exhibits. Also an interesting Titanic exhibit. Perfect for a cold, windy or rainy day.

Jennifer Williams

Great venue for events (like weddings band receptions). Interesting place to visit to view displays & featured films.

Diyyinah Jamora

This wasn't spectacular of a museum, but a good way to spend a rainy afternoon if you're looking for an indoor activity in St. John's. The graphic design for the posters were quite old school, and the majority of it was posters. The most interesting interactive portion was jumping on a little platform to make an earthquake. They had a section about the ocean, the earth (including rocks, planets, migration of humans), the Titanic, oil (sponsored by the oil industry and ending with career prospects/possibilities/food for thought), and a kids section. There is also a theatre that plays an introductory movie. It also has exposed rock from Signal Hill and you could spray it with water. Their gift shop sold cute earrings. I wouldn't come back for the museum, but I would come back for the gift shop. I'd say my visit lasted just over one hour.

Stephen Czarnuch

Great facility with a lot of things to see and experience. Staff are a little grumpy - particularly the fellow who hosted the most recent party we attended.

Anderson de Alencar Barros

Nice. I touched a rock with 3 billions of years. I liked it mainly the planets, but I am Brazilian and I know have a Portuguese name there that is wrong

Diane Davis

Excellent for the family. Great for kids in Gr. 4 learning about rocks. Even the large rocks outside with signs are a great adventure for free!

Shawn Bailey

Took my kids there for a homeschool field trip. Our tour guide was Don (if I remember correctly) and he was great! Superb at interacting with kids, made the experience fun for all of us. Highly recommend.

Michael Dawe

Always a spectacular place to visit. Fabulous presentations and wonderful staff. Excellant. Will return soon.

Jeffery Burt

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The exhibits were amazing, we learned so much!! A must see!

Victoria Arnott

The tours and displays were amazing. I highly recommend this place regardless of your age.

Lester Jacobs

I liked the fact that the GEO centre is built into Signal Hill. The walls are left bare so that you can see the granite that they are composed of. The displays are informative and well laid out. The one negative is that there are not a lot of activities for kids (not many interactive displays, etc). It is mostly a lot of reading which won't hold kids interest for too long. There is a play area but it is a generic play area and does not contain activities that fit the theme of the GEO centre; it more resembles a McDonalds play area.

TA Loeffler

A great place to go for a walk along the interpreted trails or get up close and personal with the the rocks of Signal Hill.

Jacob Warrington

Interesting Gallery's but very few interactive displays. If you love reading board after board about history and science then you'll love it.

Chester TV

work here every weekends love this place good for kids they will learn a lot.

Lorna Knight

Small museum, lots of interesting displays. Limited hands on or interactive displays. Informative museum talks were very good. Allocate 1-2 hours at max.

brian gamberg

Local Lego display -- great!

Derek Mackay

Great museum built into the hill. It is much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside.

Donna Draper

Fantastic.Excellent staff - friendly and knowledgeable. Displays very well laid out and informative. Enjoyed my afternoon there.

Kim Berger

Very informative... they didn't alert us to the fact they were closing shortly when we purchased our tickets. Had to cut the visit short.

Doug M

Must visit when you are in St. John’s. Great curator. Hidden Gem! Give yourself a couple hours to go through including the presentations throughout the day.

Danielle Gardiner

Decent catering. Nice planets above. Hard for acoustics and lighting. Drinks could be better and slightly less $

Spencer Chaulk

Fun, quite large. Thorough exhibits very interesting Titanic tour.

Steve Leach

if you need to see a metre cube of labradorite (amongst other things), this is where you need to be. I was here for a catered function after hours. It works as such a space.

Sonya Richmond

Wonderful!! I had never considered the geological composition of Newfoundland before our trip here. Great displays and a wonderful staff!!

Michelle Gutierrez

Nice place, amazing kinds of rocks you can found in the museum.

Samit D

Really cool experience!! I particularly liked the Titanic Story exhibit, it was particularly interesting, but also learned a lot in many of the other exhibits.

Betsy Bond

Saw Ben Diamond in concert. It was great top notch - what talent he is.

Carole

We spent about 4 hours here yesterday, and left only because they were closing. There is so much to see and learn! The Titanic exhibit was very thorough and interesting. Yes, one could read any number of books and gain the same knowledge, but the displays and models made it a much broader experience. There is even a room with iceberg “aquariums” that really put these big chunks of ice in perspective! We spent a lot of time, and read every board. If you don’t want to take that much time, the regularly scheduled staff tours are great, as the tour guide provides a summary of the story as you move through the exhibit. The many rocks on display are very interesting - IF you’re interested in how rocks are formed and seeing samples of each type. There are also exhibits about plate tectonics and the history of earth and life on earth that I found very fascinating. Then you move on to space exploration exhibits. This wasn’t very detailed, but it was nice to see the progression from billion year old rocks to space travel. My only disappointment was the lack of information/exhibits about the ocean floor. There was just a minor display, and considering Newfoundland is an island, AND the majority of Earth is water, I felt emphasis could have been expanded. There is a very small exhibit about sponges, however. If you want to understand the “how and where’s” of oil drilling, there is a very detailed exhibit to satisfy that curiosity. Overall, the Geo Centre is a well designed and fascinating place.

Cake

My family and I had a decent time visiting the Johnson Geocenter. There is quite a bit of attractions here for the intellectually inclined. The only downside was the misleading children area which was limited to a small playground type area with limited activities, when on the website it was advertised to be "The Hibernia KidsPlace with no shortage of activities to keep your little ones laughing and learning". Great for older children with an interest in the subject matter, and adults. Young children will be difficult to entertain.

Elaine

This was more interesting than I expected. The wall of Rock that is an exposed wall of the center is what Signal Hill is made up of. There are many aspects of the geography displayed in extremely interesting ways. There are also solar system and space exhibits here. It is worth a visit. There are also walking trails of historic interest.

Jeff Blackwood

Nice place to drive

Adam Keats

Interesting and educational for all ages. Lots of great souvenirs to be had. It's a great place to visit after checking out Signal Hill. You want to give yourself atleast 2 hours to check out all the exhibits and a few of the daily shows. Staff are very educated and can provide lots of tid bits and interesting facts. The Titanic exhibit, Oil and Gas exhibit and Rock Exhibits are personal favorites. Lots to learn and see.

Flora Tang

I learned a lot about Newfoundland just from this one place! Check out the amazing Titanic exhibit and touch the rock foundation of Signal Hill in the basement floor.

Laura Crawley

Amazing experience. The attention to detail and fantastic exhibits make it a must-see attraction in St. John's.

Bernard Mcguire

Went in to waste an1/2hour was there for nearly 3hours if you want to learn about the history of the earth go there

Terry Davidson

Great place, tells the geological story for the area through time.

Sean Fewer

Awsome.place lots to learn

Sebastien Girard

Plenty of great information about geology, oil and Titanic. Be prepared to read a lot. The modern look of the exterior is not reflected indoors. There are some parts that could be refreshed. Many displays were not working when we were there. The exhibit made us discover Mistaken Point which was a real surprise in our trip.

mark

Has gone down hill the last little while. Removing the Titanic exhibition sunk the place. The redone welcome film is a disaster.

Sandra McKellar,

Would make a nice school trip as well as those interested in learning about this planet we call home

AMEEN muhammad tukur

Cool underground facility for events and exhibitions. Very clean and well maintained.

L E

Great place to go with your family. Lots of information to take in! And some very informative talks.

Craig Cook

We liked it. Initially got a family membership because it is good for other Canadian Science Centers at least 150 km away or something like that. We used the much cheaper family membership at Geo to get into the Toronto Aquarium for free. Family membership benefits were reduced over time and eventually there wasn't any motivation to maintain it. If we go to a member science center in the future though, that has higher admission rates than the year family membership at Geo, we will definitely do it again!

Ian Shepherd

Not cheap the get in, however a nice place yo visit if you are interested in natural history and ocean exploration. You can easy spend a couple of hours entertaining yourself. The True facts on the Titanic are really good, a real eye opener.

James Dunlap

A fun and informative spot to visit! Some information is dated, but still worth the $12.00 per person for entry. Gaining access to the theatrical productions will cost an additional $3.00 per.

Andrew Follett

Great museum if your into geology or just want to learn more about the province!

Murray Osborne

Great place to go on that rainy day with child interactive displays and informative short videos with experienced commentators who are eager to answer questions. Small snack bar on scene, clean washrooms and a unique gift shop for that souvenir hunter.

Jerry m

Only science center in st. Johns Decent exhibits You'd see most of them at a different science centers in other locations

bb bryan

Interesting place, definitely worth a visit. I'd say try to go before walking around signal Hill or doing the trails, it gives you background knowledge for what you'll see! The presentation was very cool, though be prepared for the waterfall!! You don't get wet, but I was seriously concerned that a pipe had burst! Informative and easy to navigate. We didn't walk through the outdoor area due to weather, but I wish we would have.