Tours
Tours & Experiences
Check out our experiences and tours below.
Miracles and Mysteries Tour
Hear marvelous, decades old stories of inexplicable wonder and averted disasters brought to life by a local guide. Step back in time, over 100 years ago, to when a man volunteering on the construction of this monumental wooden church fell from the roof and walked away. Discover the power of roses to create miracles and the faith of a rural mining and fishing community. After the tour, enjoy tea and a homemade dessert in our tearoom.
Price includes 90-minute tour and tea and dessert in our on-site tearoom. Dessert selection may vary. Tours start at 10:30am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We also offer private and group tours for 6 to 20 people and tours for school groups. $6 each per child under twelve, $22 each per adult. Advance booking is preferred, but not necessary. Spring/summer 2024 dates TBA.
Do-It-Yourself Beach Boil Up
Pick up a tasty boil up kit full of Newfoundland favourites from Our Lady of Mercy Tea Room. From there, follow Danny’s Trail to the beach. Danny’s Trail follows the coastline along Port au Port Bay and features unique limestone formations and embedded fossils. Pick a place on the rocky shore to build a campfire for your boil up and enjoy the sights and sounds of the salty sea.
We provide everything you need for an easy beach boil up. All kits include kindling, matches, campfire grill, water, kettle/pot/pan, cups, tea bags, and a map to the local beach. Choose from three boil up options: (A) Tea and Purity Biscuits – choice of lemon creams or ginger biscuits, $30/kit. (B) Tea and Toutons – bread dough, cooking oil, and molasses, $40/kit. (C) Tea and Mussels – fresh mussels (in-season), and garlic butter, $50/kit. Customizable. Must be booked 24 hours in advance. Available May 20 to September 27, 2024.
Music in the Church
The Port au Port Peninsula and surrounding regions have long been known for their talented musicians and songwriters. Join them from 2-3pm daily in Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church for traditional, folk, country, and other genres of music. The tall wooden ceilings and unique craftsmanship of the church make for wonderful acoustics.
Spring/summer 2024 dates TBA. Admission is $5 per person at the door or online at Eventbrite.
Church Tours
Take a guided tour of Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church – Newfoundland & Labrador’s largest wooden structure. It is the oldest wooden building in Newfoundland (excluding Labrador). The interior features beautiful custom woodwork, stained-glass windows, and a hand carved altar. All was built by local fishermen, farmers and miners between 1914 and 1925.
Gift Shoppe
Our newly renovated craft and gift shop is located inside the museum and features the work of local artists and craft persons including original artwork, prints, cards, knitted goods, quilts, ornaments, Afghan blankets, and more.
Mass of the Assumption
On August 15th, we celebrate the Mass of the Assumption with a special service held by the local Roman Catholic Diocese.
The church does not host regular services. However, it is available for special services throughout the year.
Museum & Tea Room
After a tour of Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church, visit the museum, an old rectory, which is filled with stories, articles and items from the early days of Port au Port. Then, sit down for a cup of tea or coffee along with a large variety of home baked goods.
Admission is $5 per adult. Children under 12 are free.
2023 Fall Travel Offers
We’ve partnered with the Acadian Hotel to offer two fall packages. The Acadian Hotel is located in the charming town of Stephenville, less than 15km from Our Lady of Mercy Church Complex.
A rural Newfoundland experience – mussels cooked over a fire alongside the calming swell of the
autumn sea. Pick up a do-it-yourself boil up kit from Our Lady of Mercy Tea Room then take Danny’s Trail to the beach. Along the way see unique limestone formations and soak in the salty air. Stay in the renovated Acadian Hotel, rich in history and hospitality and within walking distance of downtown Stephenville. Relax in their modern lounge while enjoying a delicious meal & a coffee or signature drink.
$190 based on double occupancy (plus applicable taxes and fees)
To book, contact the Acadian Hotel at 709-643-5176 or acadianhotel@shaw.ca.
Includes everything required for an easy, self guided, do-it-yourself beach boil up (kindling, matches, campfire grill, water, kettle/pot/pan, cups, tea bags, map to the local beach, mussels, etc.) and one night accommodation at the Acadian Hotel in Stephenville. Kits are picked up at Our Lady of Mercy Tea Room/Museum in Port au Port West. Must be booked 24 hours in advance.
Includes everything required for an easy, self guided, do-it-yourself beach boil up (kindling, matches, campfire grill, water, kettle/pot/pan, cups, tea bags, map to the local beach, mussels, etc.) and one night accommodation at the Acadian Hotel in
Stephenville. Kits are picked up at Our Lady of Mercy Tea Room/Museum in Port au Port West. Must be booked 24 hours in advance.
Journey through a century of unexplained phenomena, averted disasters, and wonderous stories
brought to life by a local guide. After, enjoy tea and a homemade dessert in the onsite tearoom or take it out to the garden overlooking the fall colours of the coastline. Stay in the newly renovated Acadian Hotel, rich in history & hospitality and within walking distance of downtown Stephenville. Relax in their modern lounge while enjoying a delicious meal and a coffee or signature drink.
$194 based on double occupancy (plus applicable taxes and fees)
To book, contact the Acadian Hotel at 709-643-5176 or acadianhotel@shaw.ca.
Includes a 90-minute tour of Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church, tea/dessert at Our Lady of Mercy Tearoom for two people, and one night accommodation at the Acadian Hotel in Stephenville. Dessert selection may vary. Tours start at 10:30am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Must be booked 24 hours in advance.
Gravels Rest Stop & Danny's Trail
Danny’s Trail (formerly known as The Gravels) is a favourite walking trail and birding location for locals and visitors alike. The Gravels Rest Stop is a perfect picnic location to feel the ocean breeze or to watch the sunset. Ask us about our Do-It-Yourself Beach Boil Up kits.
It’s an easy seaside walk (6.4 km return) that weaves in and out of the forest along Port au Port Bay for incredible panoramic ocean and mountain views. The main trailhead is located at the Gravels Rest Stop on the Port au Port isthmus. There are two other trails heads: one near Our Lady of Mercy Heritage Church & Complex, and another on Beachside Drive. The trail ends in the old Aguathuna Quarry (no longer in operation). Learn more about the boom and bust of the quarry at Our Lady of Mercy Museum.
Coastal erosion has created unique limestone formations and exposed embedded marine reef fossils. Keep a lookout for wildlife – foxes, rabbits, bald eagles, kittiwakes, terns, seals, and the occasional whale are known to make an appearance. Many native flora species can also be found along the trail, including yellow lady’s-slipper, twinflower, and harebell.
Please do not feed wildlife or remove fossils.
Photos courtesy of Dru Kennedy Photography, Go Western Newfoundland, Kathy March, Kristy Hoddinott, and Emili Fraser.