About

Located in the historic seaside Newfoundland town of Brigus, Hawthorne Cottage was the family home of one of Canada’s most famed Arctic explorers, Captain Bob Bartlett. The 1830 cottage, with its wrap-around veranda and original gardens, is furnished with artefacts from Bartlett’s numerous voyages as well as original furniture from the 19th and 20th centuries, offering visitors unique insight into Newfoundland seafaring life and one of Canada’s legends of exploration.

Bartlett’s illustrious career spanned 50 years, and in the 1930s his Arctic exploits were as well-known as Jacques Cousteau’s in later decades. He commanded more than 20 Arctic expeditions, some lasting years, but always stopped in Brigus after a voyage before proceeding to his base in New York.

Today, visitors can retrace Bartlett’s daring exploits with memorabilia, videos and exhibits on a tour of Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site, then relax outside amongst its namesake hawthorne trees.