Gone With The Family

Adventures in Family Travel

Elliston, Newfoundland – Root Cellar Capital of the World

Canada, Newfoundland / by / 35 Comments

Anyone who likes quirky attractions should consider a stop in Elliston, Newfoundland – The Root Cellar Capital of the World.

I had never heard of Elliston, Newfoundland before visiting there this past summer and it was quite by accident that we discovered this small town on the Bonavista peninsula. We were staying at Terra Nova Resort and planned a day trip to Trinity and Bonavista. While reading a provincial visitors’ guide we noted that there was a puffin viewing site in Elliston en route to Bonavista and since our Witless Bay tour hadn’t gone quite according to plan, we decided that it would be worth a stop.

As we drove into Elliston, the first thing that I noticed was the welcome sign proclaiming that the town was “The Root Cellar Capital of the World“. 

Newfoundland-Elliston - Root Cellar Capital of the World
Elliston – The Root Cellar Capital of the World

Root cellars were an outdoor storage system widely used prior to the existence of electricity to keep vegetables cool during the summer months and to prevent them from freezing in the winter. The town of Elliston apparently boasts more than 135 of these structures – some of which have survived for more than 200 years – and that gives the town the right to lay claim to the title of Root Cellar Capital of the World.

Newfoundland- Elliston root cellar
One of Elliston’s root cellars

We stopped to have a look at 4 or 5 that were located near the puffin colony and that was sufficient root cellar viewing for us.

Root cellar in Elliston, Newfoundland
Thumbs up for the root cellar

In addition to the puffin colony which is accessible by foot, Elliston also has several hiking trails and a beautiful sandy beach which is perfect for a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. During the spring, visitors can watch as icebergs float by the coastline and in the summer they might even catch a glimpse of a whale not far from shore.

I understand that the root cellars have historical significance, but I was a bit confused as to why they would figure so prominently in a town’s promotion of itself when there was so much natural beauty all around. They certainly rank as one of the quirkiest attractions that I have ever seen though.

Elliston, Newfoundland
Elliston, Newfoundland
Puffins at Elliston, Newfoundland
Puffins on the cliffs in Elliston

What do you think – would you be more likely to stop in Elliston for the views or the root cellars?  

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Average Traveller

    I have to admit that root cellars wouldn’t draw me there, but I’d stop to check a couple of them out if I happened to be going through Elliston.

    Reply

  5. Leigh

    I’m not sure a root cellar would actually speak to me when the scenery outside is world-class. Interesting timing though as I came across another root cellar today on the Spectacular NWT website. They showed a photo of one below the permafrost where families were each allocated a certain amount of space.

    Reply

  7. Lisa Wood

    I think that I would stop in Elliston for the Views rather than the root cellars 🙂
    Mind you we normally stop somewhere because of lookouts so I love views! Looks incredible.

    Reply

  9. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    The views are a bigger draw for me. How do they compare to the non-Elliston area? Perhaps the Root Cellar hype is their way to set themselves apart. When you’ve forgotten the names of the surrounding towns, you’ll still remember the Root Cellar Capital.

    Reply

  10. Tonya @ The Traveling Praters

    I may take a peek inside a root cellar only because the blogger in me would be interested in sharing such information. 🙂 I’d be more likely to spend my time focusing on that Puffin colony and trying to glimpse a whale. The views are incredible!

    I guess every town has its claim to fame, right?

    Reply

  13. Marisol@TravelingSoilemates

    Hi Lisa, the great think about reading travel blogs is that I learn something new all the time. This is the first time I’ve heard about root cellars. I think they’re very interesting old world concept and it’s good to know they still exist. I’d definitely stop by Elliston to see them and then go see the puffins and the natural beauties that the town has to offer.

    Reply

  14. Lisa Goodmurphy

    It is pretty cool that so many cellars have been maintained in the area – although I’m afraid that my family felt like once you had seen one or two you had seen them all! 🙂

    Reply

  15. Lisa Goodmurphy

    I feel the same – I never would have stopped in Elliston just to see root cellars. We visited because of the puffin colony but as soon as I saw the “root cellar capital of the world” sign I felt compelled to check a couple of them out.

    Reply

  16. Sonja

    That is kind of quirky, isn’t it? I guess I might stop and take a look, mostly because my mother grew up on a farm that had a root cellar and I always thought that kind of interesting.

    Reply

  17. Jen

    I love the idea of a root cellar. Most of the places I have lived (until now!) were at sea level so cellars/basements just weren’t built. The views of the water are beautiful!

    Reply

  18. Terumi

    I think I’d be intrigued by a root cellar only because I think I read a book about one in grade school. The hubby and I drove across Canada way back when we were first dating and we didn’t get to go to Newfoundland so it’s still on my bucket list.

    Reply

  19. Seana_Smith

    Hello, do you know, that looks so like the East Coast of Scotland where I come from originally. There are puffin colonies in the Firth of Forth and underground cool cellars that belonged to big houses.

    Anyway, I’d go for the puffins as they are so sweet!

    Reply

  22. Lisa Goodmurphy

    I’m not sure that I would have noticed them if we hadn’t seen the sign on the way in to town but once you pause to consider the structures then you really have to admire the practicality and the historical significance.

    Reply

  25. Andrew Jason

    Nice page indeed. Thanks a lot for having what you’ve got in here. Impressive indeed. We all have our own experiences. It definitely teaches all the lessons we need to learn! Traveling provides an education in life that you cannot obtain in any other way. so keep the travelling, it gets the creative mind flowing!

    Reply

  26. Lisa Goodmurphy

    I think you hit the nail on the head, Michele! The views are incredible everywhere in Newfoundland – but Elliston has root cellars! Mind you, I still don’t think that there’s anywhere else that you can walk to a puffin colony!

    Reply

  30. Lisa Goodmurphy

    It was the first time that I had ever seen root cellars like this, Marisol. My grandparents had a root cellar but I remember it just being a door on the outside of their house that led to the cellar under the house. Always interesting to learn more about how people used to live!

    Reply

  32. Lisa Goodmurphy

    It’s funny, Jen, because I’m fascinated by the idea that houses are built without basements – I was quite an age before I heard about houses in the southern U.S. that didn’t have basements. 🙂

    Reply

  34. Lisa Goodmurphy

    I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising – geographically Newfoundland and Scotland aren’t so far apart. I didn’t know that there were puffins in Scotland though – I’m overdue to get back there for a visit!

    Reply

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