Step on Board
Plan your visit to The Matthew
The wind whistling through the sails, a seagull soaring overhead and the gentle rolling of a 15th-century caravel. As you look out to sea, imagine what it must have been like for Giovanni Caboto and his crew, sailing toward the unknown.
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You will enter the world of 15th-century Europe and discover the events that led to Caboto’s voyage. You will learn the fundamentals of early navigators, feel the weight of a deep-sea, and take a sighting through an astrolabe.
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Our knowledgeable guides are on deck and ready to answer all your questions. Your visit includes a guided tour of the Matthew Replica. This 92-foot-long wooden caravel is a full-scale reproduction of the ship that carried Caboto and his crew from Bristol to the New World in 1497. Hear the story of that voyage and take a peek inside Caboto’s cabin and admire the work of our local shipwright.
Take a peek inside the boat bay – the Matthew’s current home – and explore the challenges of recreating a 15th-century vessel. Climb below deck to catch a glimpse of life at sea. Smell the salty air and oiled wood. Listen and let us spark your imagination with true tales of adventure, discovery, and unexpected rewards.
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Complete your visit with a stop at Mattea’s Gift Shop, where you’ll find a wide range of souvenirs, reproductions and local artisan crafts.
Take a thrilling boat tour
The Matthew has teamed up with Bonavista Adventure Puffin and Whale Tours to bring you the ultimate sea adventure. Step aboard the LADY MARGUERITE for a breathtaking adventure along the scenic coastline of Bonavista and Trinity Bay.
During the spring and summer months, we are visited by 10,000-year-old icebergs, Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Minke Whales, Sperm Whales, endangered North Atlantic Right Whales, and Blue Whales.
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Daily tours depart the Matthew Legacy site.
Mattea's Gift Store
Mattea's Gift Shop offers a wide selection of unique local & Canadian-made products, exhibit-inspired gifts, stuffed animals, puzzles, jewellery, books, craft kits, jams & treats, and so much more.
Stop by the shop located on the wharf for a full selection. Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, you’re sure to find something new and different!
Heritage Minute
​Off the coast of Newfoundland, John Cabot and his sailors encounter codfish so thick that they slow the ship (1497).
History Television
A reenactment of the voyage across the Atlantic on the Bonavista replica of The Matthew.