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Downtown St. John's

In downtown St. John's, the oldest city in North America, you will find jellybean row houses, George Street, the War Memorial, Terry Fox Memorial, old stone buildings & churches, Harbourside Park, and more. The historic and cultural flair of downtown St. John's makes it a popular destination for visitors to eastern Newfoundland. With limited parking opportunities and several one-way streets, it is best, if possible, to tour downtown St. John's on foot.

There is a line of cars on both sides of the street in front of these three-story homes in downtown St. John's.
Downtown St. Johns is considered the oldest area of the city.

Jellybean Row Houses

Downtown St. John's is quite popular with visitors who wish to see the Jellybean Row houses. Interesting enough, there is no one district known as Jellybean Row and these colorful, row-style houses can be found in many areas. Many people are intrigued by the houses and many stories exist as to how they evolved. Here are some theories:

  1. The houses were brightly colored so that loved ones at sea could identify their homes as they were returning home.

  2. The Great Fire of 1892 burned down much of downtown St. John's and homes had to be constructed quickly to provide shelter for the residents. With limited paint on hand and transportation slow, people bought whatever paint they could find to paint the houses.

  3. The brightly colored homes were meant to generate cheer during times of despair.

  4. The houses were brightly colored to enhance tourism and were a part of the branding of Newfoundland.

Many theories exist but one thing remains clear: guests to Newfoundland love visiting, & photographing, these cheery-looking, brightly-colored, row houses nestled in the heart of downtown St. John's.

These attached houses in hues of of blue, yellow, red, and orange are collectively called Jellybean Row houses.
Jellybean Row Houses in downtown St. John's.


On a sunny day in downtown St. John's, fog can be seen on the tree-covered cliffs beyond the Jellybean Row houses of downtown St. John's.
In downtown St. John's, fog can be seen on the cliffs beyond the Jellybean Row houses of downtown St. John's.

On a street in downtown St. John's, there are brightly colored, blue, red, yellow, green, and purple Jellybean Row houses.
On a street in downtown St. John's are brightly colored, blue, red, yellow, green, & purple Jellybean Row houses.

Stone buildings & old churches in downtown St. John's

During your adventure in downtown St. John's, take time to explore the amazing old stone buildings and churches. Much of the St. John's downtown district was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1892 and, following this, many buildings that were rebuilt were constructed of stone. Because Newfoundland was a British colony at that time, many of these old stone building bear a resemblance to European structures.

Gower Street United Church in downtown St. John's is a heritage structure in downtown St. John's built with red bricks and Romanesque style construction.
Gower Street United Church in downtown St. John's has a Romanesque architectural design.

The Anglican Cathedral in downtown St. John's is a stone building with a Gothic Revival style architecture.
The Anglican Cathedral in downtown St. John's has a Gothic Revival style architecture.