• The boats that built us.

    Visit the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador and glimpse an indelible tradition that endures to this day.

    Visit the Museum

  • Let’s build something.

    Workshops are offered for children and adults interested in learning the art of boat building.

    View Workshops

  • The Boats & Builders Project.

    The Boats & Builders Project preserves wooden boat heritage in Newfoundland and Labrador by collecting oral histories from builders and documenting traditional wooden boats.

    Explore the Collection

  • Keep the tradition alive.

    From foraging the materials, to fashioning the tools, to moulding the timbers, boat building was always a collective effort. Visit today to see the fruits of our forebearers’ labour.

    Get Involved

  • We need your input.

    Are you interested in building a boat but don't know where to start? A boat kit may be the answer. Help us give you the best experience we can.

    Take Survey

A sense of place in every piece.

When our only sustenance came from the seas that surround us, boats were crucial to survival. From Fogo to Ferryland, and from Heart’s Content to Hopedale, Newfoundlanders carefully selected the right timber and skilfully shaped each piece to fit their boats just so. In the process, wooden boatbuilding became a cherished family tradition, and gave birth to an entire legacy of cultural emblems. It is the mission of the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador to preserve that tradition and its emblems, which offer a fascinating glimpse into the unique places in which they were built, and the generations of Newfoundlanders who built them.

Workshops

A tradition built on community.

  • “You keep songs alive, stories alive. Why not keep boats alive? That’s what got us here and kept us here for a long time.”

    Paul Curtis, St. Lunaire

A local legacy lives on…

For centuries, the primary source of sustenance for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians were the seas that surrounded them. During this time, wooden boats were essential to survival, and boatbuilding became a crucial skill that was passed down from one generation to the next.

Visit us

 

273 Main Road
Winterton, NL, A0B 3M0
Canada

Hours
Wednesday–Sunday
10:00AM – 5:00PM
May 17 – September 29, 2024

Phone
+1 709-583-2070

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