Gulf Museum

Local history museum with a 17th-century Basque astrolabe and maritime artifacts

The Gulf Museum, on Grand Bay Road in Port aux Basques, is the best reason to stop in town beyond the ferry. Its centrepiece is a 17th-century Basque astrolabe — a navigational instrument used by the Basque whalers who worked the Strait of Belle Isle — recovered from the harbour. The museum traces the history of the area from the Basque whaling period through to the 20th century, with particular focus on the maritime heritage of the Cabot Strait crossing.

The collection includes ship models, fishing equipment, local photographs, and artifacts from the railway era. Small and manageable in under an hour. Open seasonally; check hours before visiting.

things to do museum
A story
The astrolabe in the Gulf Museum's collection is one of the oldest surviving examples from the Basque whaling era. It was recovered from the seabed near the harbour — a physical link to the Basque fishermen who worked these waters in the 1600s, long before Newfoundland was a colony. The Basques left almost no other permanent trace; the astrolabe is a rare survivor.