Johnson Geo Centre

The Johnson Geo Centre is a geological interpretation centre located on Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The museum is named for philanthropist Paul Johnson and opened in 2002.

Johnson Geo Centre
Established2002
Location175 Signal Hill Road
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
A1A 1B2
Typegeological interpretation centre
Websitewww.geocentre.ca/

Building Design

Most of the centre is located underground, in an excavated glacial formation that shows the exposed bedrock of the hill.

The building is designed to take advantage of the geological features of Signal Hill where most of the structure is below ground exposing natural rock formations. The area was originally a peat filled area that was stripped of overburden and a glass-encased structure of 2.5 stories was built atop the excavation. The building was built through the Johnson Family Foundation at a cost of $11 million.[1] The building utilizes a heating and cooling system via six geothermal wells drilled to a depth of 500 feet.

Museum Content

Visitors travel a 3.7 billion year timeline, exploring themes such as continental drift, glaciation, earthquakes and volcanoes.[2]

The site also includes the outdoor Johnson GEO-VISTA Park, which shows how stone was used throughout Newfoundland and Labrador's history, including a replica of a root cellar, graveyard, and house chimney.[3]

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC), Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC). CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.

  • Johnson Geo Centre exposure of the Upper Precambrian Gibbett Hill Formation, a greenish gray sandstone, siltstone and tuff
  • Johnson Geo Centre space exhibit
  • Johnson Geo Centre solar system exhibit
  • Johnson Geo Centre rock garden

References
  1. Currie, Rod (July 12, 2003). "This Place Rocks". Lethbridge Herald. p. 52.
  2. Wilson, Peter (September 29, 2007). "Romance of the Rock". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 87.
  3. "Johnson GEO-VISTA Park". Grand Concourse.


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